The grad yearbook, huh? That's actually kinda cool. Slowly but surely, Luke started warming up to these special tasks. Thinking about the rewards, he got more into it.
"Yo, man, either you've been dodging me, or I look so bad you can't stand to be my friend." A deep, booming voice came from beside him. Luke turned and saw Justin James Watt, half-smiling, half-serious. He threw his hands up in a "what can you do?" gesture.
Luke laughed, "I'll blame it on my quarterback instincts. Not too long ago, you were doing everything to take me down." This time, Luke didn't dodge him but sat down diagonally across from Justin.
"Man, you even jumped over my head." Justin sat up straight, looking all resentful, still salty about that last play at the Rose Bowl.
"Guilty as charged." Luke raised his hands like he was surrendering, owning up to his "crime." After all, he was the one who came out on top at the Rose Bowl.
Justin was stunned for a sec, then shook his head and laughed. Losing the Rose Bowl by such a close margin still stung, but seeing Luke so chill and straightforward made him feel better. "What were you up to just now? Bet you're the star of today's rookie camp!"
Avalis's American quarterback was already a big deal, and Luke was out there, making friends left and right. Some folks liked it, some didn't, some were cool with it, some weren't. Not everyone clicked with Luke, but he sure made himself known.
"I thought the Rose Bowl would be enough to make me the center of attention." Luke's joke made Justin laugh hard, and then Luke got back to the point, "I'm working on a project to see how many new friends I can make at rookie camp, being from Avalis and a quarterback. Probably the worst combo, right?"
Justin couldn't stop laughing, "So how many friends you got now? What's the count?"
Luke pulled out his phone and checked Instagram, "Eighty-three. Whoa, more than I thought. I was guessing fifty tops. So, wanna take a pic with me?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Justin said eagerly, "Can't wait to intercept your pass or sack you once we're in the league." His smile, mixed with his words, had a sweet but menacing vibe.
"Clown." A voice came from the side, full of disdain. Luke turned and saw the guy with the noticeable dreadlocks.
"Then you're the monkey in the circus?" Luke shot back without missing a beat, "I thought you weren't interested, but you followed me all the way here? Following the clown, I guess a monkey fits. Or would you rather be a duck or a little white rabbit?"
Richard Sherman, cornerback from Stanford. In the last season, Stanford had crushed UCLA in the opener. Richard was a big part of that win.
A few minutes ago, Luke was chatting with Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara when Richard butted in, full of disdain, calling Luke a "nobody" and saying, "I never heard your name during the game, and there's no name worth remembering on the Bruins team." He thought Luke's actions today were just for show, pathetic.
Luke had no time for this guy and fired back, "If you don't like it, you can leave. If there's no space in the lobby, there's plenty in the parking lot. You should find your place." Faced with Richard's endless trash talk, Luke just said, "Sorry, who are you?" That casual remark hit Richard hard.
Richard was fuming, almost ready to throw down. They didn't fight, but it was close. They stood there, forehead to forehead, spitting angry words.
"I am the best cornerback in this sport! If you dare to throw a pass my way, you won't get it back! Don't challenge the best, ever! Or I'll shut you up real quick! Wait, what am I saying? You're just an undrafted rookie here as a fan. We won't even face off in the future. Why am I wasting my time?"
With that, Richard ignored Luke's comeback, turned, and left as suddenly as he had appeared.
But then, out of nowhere, Richard came back again. Luke was totally baffled, couldn't get Richard's logic at all. This time, he didn't hesitate or back down and fired right back.
Without a word, Richard clenched his fists and charged forward. Luke, though, didn't flinch. He stood up abruptly, meeting Richard's aggression head-on, no fear in his eyes.
Luke was a bit taller than Richard, but Richard had the bulk. That street gang vibe and raw intensity came crashing in. But Luke didn't back down, fists clenched, ready to throw down if needed.
Just then, Justin, who'd been sitting nearby, stood up too. His massive frame was like a wall in front of Richard, looking down on him, unmovable. The whole vibe in the room shifted.
Richard took a step back, eyeing Justin, muttering, "He's just trash. Next to you, he's nothing but a nobody, a clown looking for attention, a clown!" He kept backing up, finally raising his hands and shouting, "Trash!"
Everyone in the hotel lobby turned to look at Richard, confused.
"What the heck is wrong with that guy?" Justin put his hands on his hips, looking baffled.
Luke was just as lost. "You know, the downside of being a big shot? Some people like you, some people hate you. Guess I'm getting a taste of the star life now."
"You mean, he's jealous?" Justin's question made Luke pause, then he realized Justin was serious. Luke chuckled, "Although I don't know what he has to be jealous of, yeah, I think he's jealous of me."
First Cam Newton, now Richard Sherman. Rookie camp hadn't even started, and there was already drama. Luke thought he was a nobody, but it seemed he was already a lightning rod. He was starting to think this special task wasn't making him loved but turning him into a porcupine.
"Where were we?" Luke brought the focus back.
Justin caught Luke's smile and snapped his fingers, "Photo!"
Luke and Justin stood side by side. This tough guy on the field actually stuck out his tongue and made a funny face before the shutter clicked, making it hard not to laugh.
Sitting on the couch, after uploading the photo, Luke casually opened the system in his mind and checked the task page. The progress was now "22/30." He still had work to do, but the key point was that the progress had been "21/30" just a moment ago. What did that mean?
Luke looked up at Justin. So, Justin was recognized by the system as a potential future star?
"What's up?" Justin noticed Luke's strange look and asked, puzzled.
Luke opened his mouth, then his lips curled into a smile. He said with a light laugh, "I was thinking, maybe in the next few days of camp, you'll become the star. I'm just seizing the last moment before the reporters swarm you."
Thinking back to the Rose Bowl game, that last pass, he actually managed to complete it under Justin's relentless pursuit. That was phenomenal! Maybe he still had a chance at rookie camp, even if his physical fitness needed work.
Patting Justin on the shoulder, "I'm gonna keep up with my photo task. What about you, any plans?" Luke couldn't wait to complete the special task.
"The hotel has a gym, and there's a training field next to it. I was thinking of doing some basic training later." Justin said seriously, his earnest demeanor showing he wasn't joking.
Luke paused for a moment, "You know what? I'll be heading to the training field for some basic training later too. Can you wait for me? You know, some quarterback training needs a partner; I believe some defensive end training does too." Luke hadn't skipped his daily training tasks, keeping up with them every day. He was just worrying about how to complete today's training.
"Really?" Justin showed a genuine smile, nodding repeatedly, "Of course! Anytime! Training with two people is always more fun than training alone." Justin looked around, "I'll just sit here. Come find me when you're done, okay?"
"No need, you go to the gym first. I'll join you there after I'm done." Luke shrugged, "I can guarantee my training load won't be as heavy as yours. Maybe you'll need more time." His teasing tone made Justin laugh cheerfully.
After a busy afternoon, Luke finally completed the special task requirements by taking and uploading photos with a total of 133 players. But he didn't have time to check his rewards. He jogged to the gym to meet up with Justin and started today's daily training task.