Modern Family: New Life

The game against Wilson High School had begun with great energy in the air.

Wilson High School had won the two games they played so far (the friendly match and the first season game), so they were in high spirits, and playing at home overshadowed the visiting fans.

Mitch, Cam, and the others found a spot in a raised corner of the visiting stands. From there, the view wasn't the best, but they did their best, along with the other parents and families from Andrew's school, to make their cheers and applause heard.

However, their efforts were constantly overshadowed by the thunderous support of the home crowd and the harsh reality reflected on the scoreboard.

Two quarters of the game had already passed, and Palisades High School (Andrew's school) was losing 35 to 10.

"Andrew's team sucks, Jay. And you complained about the thrashing my soccer team got," Manny said, glancing at the scoreboard as the third quarter began.

For Manny to make a comment like that was unusual. Normally, he preferred to spend his time writing melancholic poems or seeking love in his many "muses" rather than getting involved in sports.

"Really, Manny?" Jay said in his signature dry tone. "Right now, with this score, you decide to pay attention to a sport? Of all possible moments, you pick this one!"

"It's tragic; at least it'll inspire a poem. Oh, and I can give Andrew a motivational speech, just like he always gives me," Manny replied with a faint smile, waiting for the moment to get his revenge.

"Manny, don't say that. It's not funny," Gloria scolded, trying to understand what on earth was happening on the field. She couldn't figure out why teams sometimes attacked and other times defended.

"Come on, Andrew! You can turn this around; it's only a 25-point difference! Lily supports you!" Cam exclaimed, standing up with Lily and trying to cheer, though his attempt was drowned out by the rival chants.

"I don't think this is the best environment to bring a baby..." Claire commented with a critical look.

"Do you think Andrew can do something from the bench? Like he has psychic powers?" Mitchell asked with a frown, frustrated with the coach's decisions for not putting Andrew in and leaving Jason, an incompetent quarterback who hadn't made a good pass all game.

A few seats away, Leonard and Howard were talking in low voices, not even paying attention to the game.

Sports weren't their thing, and although they were friends with Andrew, he didn't force them to attend school games because he knew they didn't enjoy them.

Leonard and Howard were there because later that night, they would go to Pippa's house. Finally, there was going to be a gathering with girls.

Howard was the most excited since he would finally have a chance to approach a girl in a more private setting within a circle of friends.

Leonard was happy, too, since he could expand his social circle and talk to a girl, but he wasn't as demonstrative as Howard.

"This is our big chance, Leonard! I'm finally going to talk to Cara. A real conversation. Do you know what that means?" Howard said with an eager smile.

"Let me guess..." Leonard replied with a thoughtful look.

"Are you going to talk to her about her favorite movies, favorite bands, and how she hates indiscriminate tree cutting?" Leonard added, raising an eyebrow at Howard.

"Exactly, I've told you before," Howard nodded confidently.

"Stalking her on Facebook seems to have worked for you," Leonard said, shaking his head.

As for him, he wouldn't stoop so low. He'd try to let things happen naturally if possible—or at least avoid making a fool of himself.

"It wasn't stalking! It was... strategic research. It's totally normal. Everyone does it," Howard justified himself without a hint of guilt or shame.

"Sure... everyone does," Leonard replied, choosing not to press further since it was pointless.

A few rows above Leonard and Howard, Pippa sat with her close-knit group of friends: Cara (her best friend), Lauren, Connor, and Zach—friends she had known since she was ten years old.

"What's wrong?" Zach asked, looking at Cara, who, for some reason, shivered and hugged herself as if she had suddenly gotten very cold.

"I don't know... I just got a chill out of nowhere," Cara replied, rubbing her arms to shake off the sensation.

Lauren, always quick with a joke, grinned. "Maybe someone's talking about you," she said with a mischievous smile.

"What if it's not something good? Lately, I've felt like someone's been watching me all the time, you know? That feeling that someone's staring at you, but you don't know who or what..." Cara said with a dramatic expression.

"It could be the evil eye... or worse, some obsessed stalker," Lauren added, though she didn't seem overly concerned.

"Another one of your crazy, out-of-nowhere theories?" Connor asked, rolling his eyes and letting out a small smile.

"Pay attention to the game," Pippa interrupted, clearly not sharing her friends' humor. Her gaze was fixed on the field, where Andrew sat on the bench with an expression of frustration and reluctance as he watched his team get crushed.

"Oh, come on, Pip. Why do you care so much? It's not like Andrew's going to change anything from the bench," Connor said in a tone meant to sound casual but laced with a hint of mockery.

"And what do you know, Connor? Andrew isn't on the field because the coach won't give him the chance, not because he can't make a difference. You saw him play in middle school, or have you already forgotten he won two district championships and was MVP?" Pippa shot back, narrowing her eyes at Connor.

Connor shrugged, feigning indifference, though his jaw tightened slightly.

"That was in middle school, Pip. This is different. Maybe he's not at the level everyone expected."

"Really? Or does it just bother you how good he is as a quarterback? You should question the coach's decisions more, not a player who's proven what he can do before and hasn't been given a chance," Pippa shot back firmly.

"Wow, Pip, calm down. I think even Andrew could feel how hard you're defending him from here," Cara added with a nervous giggle, trying to ease the tension.

Luckily for Connor, at that moment, a loud uproar from everyone around them quickly drew attention back to the field.

"What happened? Did they score another touchdown against us?" muttered Zach, who had been following the argument between Pippa and Connor.

"No. They tackled our quarterback, and it looks like he's injured," commented Victor, Pippa's dad, who had known her friends for many years.

The earlier argument didn't matter to him; he was entirely focused on the game, being a big football enthusiast.

"Dad... does that mean...?" asked Josh, Pippa's younger brother, standing up from his seat with a look of hope replacing his earlier expression of defeat.

"Yes, son..." Victor nodded, cutting him off. A faint smile began to form on his face—the first since this dreadful game started.

On the field, Jason lay on the ground clutching his arm and groaning in pain—or so it seemed.

With the help of his teammates, he removed his helmet and looked toward the coach on the sideline, gesturing at his arm. The referees, noticing the signal, quickly approached, and Jason, between gasps, indicated that a substitution was necessary.

The referees wasted no time and raised their hands to signal a player change. The coach, already aware of the situation, signaled to Andrew.

Andrew, who had been sitting on the bench the entire game, immediately jumped up and started warming up.

He quickly finished, put on his helmet, and readied himself to take the field.

The visiting stands, which had been silent until then due to the humiliating defeat, erupted into cheers and applause as they saw Andrew heading onto the field.

"Let's go, Andrew!" Cameron shouted, standing up enthusiastically.

"Crush them!" Claire yelled, clenching her fists, eager to see the look of defeat on the home crowd's faces.

Andrew, with his helmet securely in place, walked confidently toward the line of scrimmage—the imaginary line that separates the teams in football and marks the starting point for each play.

The referee signaled for him to get ready as the opposing team lined up in their defensive positions.

'Forty-yard line... A long way to go,' Andrew thought, glancing at the clock. They were two minutes into the third quarter.

The team needed to advance more than 60 yards to reach the end zone.

"Let's do this..." Andrew murmured with an excited smile. Finally, he would get to play a real game after so long.

He was going to enjoy himself—and, of course, crush his opponent.

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