The conversation about buying the Camaro was easier than he had imagined.
Sure, he presented the argument with maturity: talked about investing in mobility, responsibility, school transportation... He also mentioned that sharing a car with Haley could cause problems in the future if he wanted to use it more often than just going to school.
And he saved the "Bumblebee" part for last, as if mentioning an irrelevant, almost anecdotal detail.
It worked, and he would be able to buy the car when he turned 16, since at that age he could drive alone without supervision.
...
Time passed. Classes ended on June 20. A few days later, Andrew celebrated his birthday in a big way, inviting all his friends, girlfriend, etc.
He turned 16, and just a few days after that, he finally bought his new car.
And now he was there, in front of Howard's house.
At the wheel of his yellow 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. Clean, shiny, with that soft roar that seemed to say, "Yeah, I'm cool. And also a robot in disguise."
He honked once, briefly, and waited.
A few seconds later, the door opened. Howard came out first with his backpack on. Leonard followed, adjusting his glasses.
They both froze as soon as they reached the porch. The sight of the Camaro parked in front of the house left them stunned for a few seconds.
Then Howard stepped forward, as if he needed to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.
"Is... is that yours?" he asked, pointing at the car like it was a spaceship.
Leonard leaned forward slightly, hand over his forehead to block the glare of the sun.
"That's a Camaro. 2010 model. Yellow. That's Bumblebee!"
Andrew, still inside the car, calmly rolled down the window, rested his elbow on the frame, and looked at them with a half-smile.
"Autobots, transform and roll out."
Howard burst out laughing, unable to help himself. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Did you get it just so you could say that?" said Leonard, raising his eyebrows with a smile.
Andrew smirked slightly and shrugged. "Partly. I also needed a car to get to Mater Dei. But yeah... I admit it was a big factor."
They both approached the car like archaeologists in front of a relic. Howard circled around it, inspecting every angle.
"God... it's spotless. This car's worth more than my entire room."
"Than your room, your computer, and your Star Wars figure collection combined," added Leonard.
"What can I say... YouTube pays well," said Andrew, opening the door with a dramatic gesture.
"Get in. Let's go for a ride."
Howard was already inside before the sentence was finished. "You're in the back, Leonard."
Leonard hesitated for a second, then smiled, got in, and settled into the back seat.
The Camaro roared to life with that deep, confident sound that turned heads even in quiet neighborhoods like this one.
As they pulled out onto the street, Howard stared at the dashboard like he was in a movie.
"Do you have any idea how much this just boosted our social status?"
Andrew let out a short laugh through his nose. "That's not why I do it. I have a girlfriend, remember? I didn't buy it to impress girls. I just wanted Bumblebee and a way to get to school next year."
Leonard leaned forward between the seats. "You kept it well hidden, huh? Did you show it to Pippa already?"
Andrew turned his head briefly, smiling in a way that said it all. "What do you think? You think I'd go cruising with you two before showing it to my girlfriend?"
"Of course I already showed her. We spent the whole afternoon yesterday in the car. I sat her on the hood like in the end of Transformers. Scenic background, Linkin Park playing... real cinematic," he added.
Howard looked at him with envy. "Damn it, I need to buy one too!"
"You're missing the girlfriend, Howard. Unless you need the car just to get girls to look at you," said Leonard, laughing, Andrew laughed too.
"Whatever," said Howard, settling into the seat. "Put on Linkin Park. It should be illegal to ride in this car and not play What I've Done."
"Of course. What kind of Bumblebee driver would I be if I didn't have it?"
With a few taps on the stereo, the distorted guitar kicked in, full of nostalgia and power. What I've Done filled the inside of the Camaro as if the moment had been scripted by Michael Bay himself.
To the rhythm of What I've Done, the yellow Camaro rolled down the street, and for the three of them, it felt like they were starring in their own little blockbuster.
A while later, as the sun began to set, Andrew dropped them back off at their house. The Camaro roared again as it drove away from the neighborhood. But this time, it didn't head home. It turned in the opposite direction.
He was going to visit Jay.
When he arrived, he found Jay outside in the yard, with a cloth in one hand and a bottle of car wax in the other.
Jay was polishing one of his classic cars like he was shining a trophy. When he saw the Camaro pulling up in front of his driveway, he shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"I still can't believe you actually bought it..." said Jay, drying his hands with a rag as Andrew stepped out of the car.
"Told you YouTube pays well... It was either this or a Peterbilt 379 truck," Andrew replied with a grin as they approached and exchanged a quick handshake.
Jay let out a low snort, half mocking, half proud.
"And Gloria?" asked Andrew.
"She went to the mall with Manny. You know how Manny is… wants to buy more summer clothes," Jay answered as he opened the door and gestured for Andrew to come in.
Once inside, the familiar atmosphere of Jay's house wrapped around them, the smell of polished wood, the TV playing softly in the background, and a calm, homely silence.
"So tomorrow's the day, huh?" said Jay as he poured a couple of glasses of cold juice.
"Yeah. General physical evaluations," Andrew replied, taking the glass and sitting on a stool. "Starting tomorrow, Monday the 28th, through Tuesday the 29th. Strength, speed, agility tests… all that."
Jay took his glass and sat across from him. "Nervous?"
Andrew calmly shook his head. "Nah. Strength, speed, times… those are like the foundation. If you've got them, they don't disappear overnight. What can change is game performance, throwing accuracy under pressure, reading coverages… That's more volatile. But physical tests? They're easy."
Jay watched him in silence for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out whether he was talking to a freshly-turned 16-year-old or a seasoned college veteran.
Finally, he nodded and got straight to the point, "I've been reading up on your competition," he said bluntly. "Max Wittek. Your future teammate... or rival. They're calling him Barkley's heir. Four stars. Strong, good arm. Fifteen touchdowns last year, nine interceptions. Not bad for his first year as a starter after Barkley."
"Yeah, not bad..." Andrew agreed without a hint of sarcasm. "He's talented, experienced, and knows the system. But I'm going to take the job from him at Dana Hills."
He was referring, of course, to the Dana Hills Air Strike Passing Tournament, one of the most prestigious 7-on-7 summer tournaments in California, where top high school football programs competed in passing, routes, and coverage drills, no contact.
It was there where the informal battle for the starting quarterback spot often began to take shape. And with Mater Dei participating, all eyes would be on their quarterbacks.
There were two quarterbacks Andrew would be competing against: the already-mentioned Max, and a guy named Dylan, who was his age.
For Andrew, the tournament, set to be held Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24, was his chance to introduce himself. And to prove himself.
But first, he had to stand out during the team's internal practices, which would start the first week of July, right after the physical evaluations ended.
Jay let out a dry laugh, not sarcastic, "Honestly… sometimes I don't know where you get all that confidence. But your numbers back it up. And yeah, I'll admit it, I like how you talk about him like he's just another obstacle."
Andrew smiled, raising his glass of juice slightly, as if to toast to an inevitable future.
"And that's not all," Jay added, raising an eyebrow. "Wittek already has a verbal commitment to USC. April this year, if I'm not mistaken. I saw it on Rivals and 247Sports. Seems like the Trojans have a direct line to Mater Dei."
Andrew nodded, unsurprised. "I know. It's practically tradition. Barkley went to USC. Wittek's following the same path."
Jay took a sip and looked at him more calmly.
"Even though it's still early to be thinking about college, would you like to go to USC? It's close by, it's top-tier. It has history and exposure. You wouldn't have to leave the state."
"Yeah, USC is elite. And I like the idea of staying close," Andrew admitted honestly. "But also... it has too much history."
"Too much history?" Jay repeated, frowning.
Andrew gently set the glass down.
"I took a program like Palisades. No history, no titles. In two years, we won the league, regionals, and state. I elevated them to a higher division. We built something from scratch."
"I don't want to go to a lower-tier college just to do that again, don't get me wrong. I want to compete at the highest level. But if I can choose… I'd prefer an elite program that's still hungry. One that isn't comfortable living off the past. I want to make history, not repeat it."
Of course, Andrew had no intention of repeating what he did in high school.
When he entered ninth grade, Palisades Charter High was a forgotten program buried in CIF Division 5. Few believed a quarterback of his level would stay there more than one season. But he stayed.
And not only that, within two years, he transformed a team with no titles and no recent history into back-to-back league, regional, and state champions, earning them promotion to a higher division.
But college was different.
There weren't as many divisions as in high school. In the NCAA, the elite played in Division I FBS, where powerhouses like Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, USC, and UCLA competed. Below that were Division II and Division III, less competitive programs with lower national exposure and often fewer resources or opportunities to reach the NFL.
Going to a Division II college just to "build something from the ground up again" would be a step back for Andrew. What he did at Palisades was unique, and only possible because it was high school, his first two years.
But now, with his track record, records, media attention from his YouTube channel, and his current enrollment at Mater Dei, he knew he had to aim for the highest level from the start.
Besides, it would be his first time at the college level. In his past life, he had died while still in high school. He had never played college football. Never felt what it was like to be in a Rose Bowl, to play under the lights in a 90,000-seat stadium, or go through a full NCAA season fighting for the national title.
That... would be completely new for him.
Jay looked at him silently, and for a second, he seemed genuinely proud, "Well said."
After taking another sip, Jay spoke again.
"Speaking of USC… they're not exactly at their best in terms of reputation right now."
"Reggie Bush," said Andrew, and Jay nodded.
Reggie Bush wasn't just any name. He had been a college football superstar, an explosive, charismatic running back, national champion with USC, and Heisman Trophy winner in 2005. Alongside Leinart and company, he was the face of one of the Trojans' most recent golden eras. An icon.
But behind that shine… was an uncomfortable truth. For years, the NCAA had been investigating USC's program for rule violations: improper gifts, under-the-table money, housing for his family. Apparently, Reggie had received all kinds of benefits while he was a student-athlete, and that's a big no-no.
College players aren't allowed to receive salaries or any kind of financial gifts from the university.
And now, in June 2010, the house of cards was about to collapse.
"It's almost official," murmured Jay. "They've been investigating for years, but all signs point to the NCAA handing down serious penalties in the coming weeks. They're going to vacate wins, titles… and take away his Heisman."
Andrew nodded slowly, showing no surprise.
The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college football. It's given to the best player of the season. Taking it away from someone was as rare as stripping an Oscar from an actor years later. But that's exactly what was about to happen.
"Most likely," said Andrew, resting both forearms on the table, "they'll also be banned from bowl games for at least a couple of seasons. Harsh sanctions. Loss of scholarships. Recruiting restrictions. It's going to hurt."
Jay looked at him with a raised eyebrow, surprised by the level of detail in his predictions.
In truth, Andrew already knew exactly what sanctions USC would receive, he came from the future. And back in 2010, this would be a media bombshell.
The NCAA would impose a two-year postseason ban, the loss of 30 scholarships over three seasons, and the vacating of all football victories from December 2004 through the end of the 2005 season. Reggie Bush, one of the sport's icons, would be forced to return his Heisman Trophy. A truly unprecedented event.
"Yeah… that kid Max might change his mind if it becomes official this week," Jay said thoughtfully. "He might reconsider his verbal commitment to USC."
Andrew nodded, though inside he already knew the answer. Max Wittek wouldn't change his mind. Despite the sanctions, he would stay firm.
Like many young talents, he would still view USC as a powerhouse in the conference. And Mater Dei had a deep historical connection with the Trojans, a kind of direct pipeline. Many of Mater Dei's quarterbacks ended up there, including his former teammate Matt Barkley, USC's current starting quarterback.
Besides, when Max arrived at the university, he wouldn't even play right away. Barkley would still be on the team. Maybe, for Wittek, that gave him time to wait out the sanctions without them affecting his career too much.
Andrew understood that. But he wasn't Max.
He didn't want to go to a university like USC just to add more trophies to an already overflowing case. He had no interest in making an already legendary program even greater.
USC, with or without the 2004 title, had at least 10 recognized national championships, over 30 conference titles, and a culture of greatness that you could feel in every corner of its campus.
After chatting a bit more with Jay, Andrew headed back home.
The next day, he'd have to go to Mater Dei for the physical evaluations, which would last two days.
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