Modern Family: New Life

"Touchdown!"

The scoreboard lit up again in favor of Moose Ridge School. The Eagles were trailing: 14-32. Three touchdowns behind.

"Damn it!" shouted Reggie, pulling off his helmet and throwing it onto the grass in frustration.

"Don't swear, Reggie. The ref might hear you and get you in trouble," said Kevin, walking over and removing his own helmet.

Kevin, like Reggie, was one of the close friends Andrew had made in his new life. They all shared a passion for football.

"My father swears all the time. We only have one half left. Where the hell is Andrew?" Reggie said, glancing at the stands. He spotted his father, who was frowning deeply.

"I don't know... But if you keep throwing those bad passes, I'm sure we're going to lose," said Archie, a red-haired boy approaching the group.

Reggie clicked his tongue but didn't reply. He had thought being quarterback would be easy, but he was very wrong. He much preferred when Andrew passed him the ball so he could run and dodge everyone. Giving orders, leading the team, and making perfect passes wasn't his thing.

"What's wrong, girls? Having a lovers' quarrel?" asked a boy wearing a different uniform, smirking as he walked up to them.

"Nick…" Reggie muttered, scowling. Nick was the captain and quarterback of the other team—cocky, arrogant, full of himself, and backed by parents with a lot of money.

"Where's Andrew? Did he chicken out now that he can actually get tackled?" Nick asked with a smug grin.

"You—" growled Reggie, but just then, he was called over by his coach and pulled away by Archie and Kevin.

"We've got five minutes," murmured Coach Josh. He was a middle-aged man with a goatee, short brown hair, and square glasses.

Josh never expected the team to be beaten this badly without Andrew. It made him feel like he wasn't doing his job properly. Reggie, Kevin, and the others were great players too—better than average.

The school had never had a football team this strong in its history. They had won four consecutive Elementary School championships, defeating even top private schools like Ridge School.

Josh scanned the stands and the field entrance, hoping to spot a boy slightly taller than average, with jet-black hair and a passionate gaze that could ignite excitement in everyone watching.

"Coach?" Kevin asked, pulling Josh back to reality. He looked at all the boys staring at him, and for the first time, he saw defeated and helpless expressions on their faces.

"They've got the kickoff, so it'll be our turn to attack after that. We've got fifteen minutes to turn this game around. Reggie, you're going back to running back. Steve, you'll be quarterback," Josh said, giving rapid instructions.

"Me?" Steve asked, a scrawny boy of average height. His usual position was wide receiver, but he hadn't caught a single pass so far, mainly because no one had thrown him a decent one. There was no substitute for Andrew.

"Yes. It's pointless if Andrew isn't here to throw the ball. We'll focus on short passes between Reggie and Archie. Everything will depend on our running backs," Josh explained. He trusted the two boys—they were fast and strong.

"First…" Josh continued, laying out his strategy.

...

"Where's Andrew?!" Cameron shouted, looking frantically in every direction. They had arrived late to the game because of the stupid jerseys Mitchell had ordered, and even now, there was no sign of their son. His team was losing for the first time.

"He should be here any minute… any minute…" Mitchell mumbled, sweat dripping from his forehead, and not because of the heat. He was wearing a shirt that read Pentacampeones.

In previous years, Mitchell had only revealed the shirts after Andrew's team had won the game, but this year, he'd decided to be bold and showed up wearing them. The whole family was in the matching shirts, even Luke and Alex.

He could feel the mocking stares coming from the Ridge School stands, where the parents and relatives of the opposing team sat.

"Did you bring the jackets?" Mitchell asked discreetly.

"No, Mitchell. Everyone's already seen me in these shirts. If I have to go through the embarrassment, you will too," Claire replied in an irrefutable tone.

She could already feel the mocking stares of the snobby parents, and she didn't like it one bit. Especially not when her nephew's team was about to lose. It felt like her loss too. She wasn't ready to lose after four years of winning.

Mitchell frowned and glanced sideways at the opposing stands, where the enthusiastic air was a stark contrast to the previous years. Finally, they would become champions.

"Celebrate this year at least," Mitchell said with disdain. Andrew had already won four years; it was time to share a little and let the others experience what it's like to win.

"This year is the most important. Finally, they're playing real football. They can tackle now and left those flags behind," said a father from the opposing team.

The stands weren't far away, and he overheard Mitchell's comment. Plus, he saw the flags from the whole family, and it irritated him. This year was for his son, not these public school kids.

"Thorpe," Phil murmured, glaring at the man. He knew him well. They both worked in real estate. Thorpe was his nemesis and sold much more than he did, which allowed him to send his son to a private, prestigious school.

Phil had three children, and it was very expensive to send them all to private schools. Adding to his professional rivalry with Thorpe, Phil took great pleasure in seeing Andrew crush his son's team and watching Thorpe's frustrated expression. Especially because Thorpe was a show-off and arrogant. He always mocked the teams his son's school defeated.

"Go, Nick! Crush them!" Thorpe shouted with a big smile. Nick turned and smiled back at his father with confidence.

However, Nick's smile disappeared, and he looked away. Thorpe found this odd and followed his son's gaze.

Thorpe's smile also vanished when he saw what his son was looking at. In the distance, a person was jogging at a moderate pace under the intense sunlight.

It was a boy who seemed to be around the same age as Reggie, Nick, and the others. He wasn't wearing a shirt. His torso was defined, and his abs were visible. Odd for a ten-year-old boy.

He had the shirt on his head to shield himself from the sun's rays, almost like a cap. In addition to that, he carried a large bag. He wore black shorts that revealed his marked and sweaty legs and calves.

It was clearly Andrew.

'Damn. I'm too late,' Andrew thought, stopping near the field, breathing heavily. When he saw the scoreboard, he noticed there was only one more quarter left, and his team was at a disadvantage.

He was late because he helped an elderly woman carry her grocery bags to her house. It was a detour, and it took more time than he expected. He couldn't ignore an elderly woman in need.

When he took the shirt off his head, he heard a scream from the stands, several meters away. He quickly recognized the high-pitched shout. It was his father Cameron. He was always so dramatic.

'Grandpa didn't make it either,' Andrew thought as he jogged toward the stands filled with parents and family. For some reason, he was greeted with applause from the entire section of the stands belonging to his school—parents, relatives, teachers, etc.

"Andy, you finally made it!" exclaimed Phil, Cameron, Mitchell, Haley, and Luke as they rushed toward Andrew.

'Now everyone calls me Andy...?' Andrew thought with a confused expression on his face.

"Go with the team. There's little time left for rest. You need to change, fast," said Mitchell with both enthusiasm and nervousness.

The others nodded in agreement and sent Andrew to the coach and the rest of the team members, who cheered with joy upon seeing him.

"Crush them! We believe in you!" shouted Claire, clenching her fist. She wouldn't lose to these damn rich parents.

Andrew still had a confused look on his face. Why had no one asked him anything? Why was he late? Where was Jay? Why had he run?

Didn't anyone care that he ran under the sun with temperatures over 86°F? He had run more than five kilometers! No one offered him a towel to dry off the sweat or a cold bottle of water!

In just a few minutes, he was already dressed in his uniform, so he focused on the game. He would have a talk with his family later.

"Where are the flags?" Andrew asked, adjusting his uniform.

"Flags? This year they decided that the final would be played without flags. That's why everyone's so excited," Reggie replied, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Andrew.

"Yeah. Real tackles. So the final would be more exciting. Both schools agreed. Your parents should have signed some paper or something," Archie commented with a smile.

The confidence of all the team members returned when they saw Andrew in front of them. Josh looked at everyone with a smile, pleased to see that they had regained their enthusiasm and hope.

"WHAT REALLY!?" Andrew exclaimed, incredulous. He had never heard of this, or maybe he had, but since it was elementary school football, he hadn't paid attention. He had missed a real game. At least he would play the last quarter, which was fifteen minutes long.

"You didn't know?" asked Steve, who was eating a cake Claire had made. He had managed to sneak one from the table.

"Dammit," murmured Andrew, "Let's go! It's time," he added, walking towards the field.

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