November had begun, and as Mater Dei prepared for the quarterfinals of the playoffs, Andrew had closed out October in spectacular fashion.
Without a doubt, October had been one of the most successful months of his life.
With Mater Dei, they defeated both Bosco and Servite, each game nationally televised and both becoming the most-watched matchups in high-school football.
Against Servite, they were crowned league champions, undefeated and historic, even for a program of such prestige, winning every game by wide margins.
Then they crushed Crespi in the first round of the playoffs on Halloween night. The game, broadcast regionally, became the most-watched first-round matchup in California.
Andrew shone once again, ending the month with off-the-charts statistics: 42 touchdowns in 8 games, surpassing Matt Barkley's mark by seven scores, with two fewer games played.
He was now within reach of Jimmy Clausen's state record of 49 passing TDs in Division I, a milestone that had once seemed untouchable.
And as if all that weren't enough, his YouTube channel hit a new level: 3.3 million subscribers, overtaking the world's second-most-subscribed creator by over a hundred thousand. Andrew had gone from a sports sensation to a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
Good news also arrived on the financial front. October had unquestionably been his most profitable month: 32 million total views, double September's 16.2 million.
Through AdSense alone, Andrew generated $50,000, an unimaginable figure for someone his age, and for many adults.
He also secured a single sponsorship, hand-picked by himself: Under Armour. Andrew turned down several offers to keep his channel authentic, partnering only with brands he genuinely liked and used. The collaboration with the sportswear company, renowned for its high-performance fabrics and strong presence among elite athletes, brought in another $18,000.
In total, Andrew closed October with roughly $68,000 in earnings, crowning a perfect month both on and off the field.
His net worth had skyrocketed in a very short time. Before buying his Camaro, he had saved $118,000 from accumulated YouTube income since creating and monetizing the channel.
The purchase of his first car, valued at $22,000, briefly reduced his savings to $96,000 at the end of June that year.
From there, everything went upward.
In July, during Mater Dei's preseason and the Dana Hills Tournament, his channel saw a strong surge: the videos of his debut and summer-championship run, 41 touchdowns in 7 games, earned him around $18,000.
In August, with less on-field activity but growing anticipation for the official season, revenue dipped slightly to $16,000.
September marked his first major jump: with the start of the Trinity League and the debut of weekly game documentaries, Andrew brought in $35,000.
And as already mentioned, October, the month of his full-blown explosion, reached $68,000.
In total, by early November his accumulated wealth stood at about $237,000.
His parents covered the essentials, food, housing, transportation, and school, but Andrew was already paying for his personal expenses: video games, collectible figures, athletic apparel, or new tech gear for filming and editing. He also paid for outings with friends and small weekend indulgences.
Even so, his spending remained minimal compared to his income. Between July and October, he had spent around $2,000 in total, about $500 per month, which might seem like a lot for a teenager, but was negligible given what he earned. He was saving the vast majority of it.
Total net worth: $235,000 USD.
Friday had finally arrived, and with it, the quarterfinals.
The opponent: Lakewood High School, runner-up of the Moore League. The game would be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports West, just like the previous one.
Andrew had already read on forums and Twitter the rumors that ESPN was planning to reserve national broadcasts for the semifinal and final, betting that Mater Dei would advance without trouble. Some thought it was risky to leave an Andrew game off national television, but most agreed, it was almost impossible for Mater Dei to lose to Lakewood.
Lakewood came in with a solid résumé. They had finished second in the Moore League, one of the five leagues that made up the CIF Southern Section Division I, also known as the Pac-5 Division, the powerhouse group of California high school football.
That Pac-5 was composed of the most feared leagues in the southern part of the state, ranked roughly by strength as follows: Trinity League, Serra League, Moore League, Sunset League, and Mission League.
In that ecosystem, the Trinity League was considered the SEC of high school football, every one of its teams ranked among the best in the nation. Even JSerra, which finished last this year, was still in the national top 50.
In terms of difficulty, Lakewood was a tougher challenge than Crespi, their previous opponent. Although Crespi came from the powerful Serra League, their season had been inconsistent. Lakewood, on the other hand, arrived with an explosive offense and confidence after a strong league finish.
Still, by regulation, the game would be played in Santa Ana, since Mater Dei, as undefeated Trinity League champion, was guaranteed home-field advantage through the semifinals.
During the week, Andrew sensed a similar atmosphere to the previous round: plenty of confidence, but with a faint undercurrent of tension.
The memory of last year's elimination, also in the quarterfinals and against a physically similar team, kept everyone more focused. Yet the overall feeling was one of absolute assurance.
Mater Dei had been steamrolling opponents, Andrew was putting up historic numbers, and none of the students, families, or fans could imagine the night ending any other way than with another win.
"Ready for tonight, son?" Cam asked with an enthusiastic smile, watching Andrew eat breakfast in silence, lost in his own world.
Andrew looked up from his plate and replied calmly, "Yeah, Dad. Like always."
Mitchell, adjusting his tie, chimed in with a mix of curiosity and concern. "No nerves at all? These are the quarterfinals."
Andrew shook his head slowly, a faint smile crossing his face. "Not nerves. Just want to be on the field."
Andrew enjoyed every aspect of his routine, training, eating clean, watching his physique improve, analyzing opponents, but nothing compared to being on the field.
Not for the crowd, or the cameras, or the hype; what truly drove him was the act of playing, competing, and testing his own limits again and again.
And, of course, the promise he'd made to his grandfather in his first life: to win a Super Bowl.
Mitchell studied him for a moment, then nodded with a small smile. He had grown used to that almost unshakable calm Andrew showed before every game.
It was a relief to see his son untouched by pressure, from the fans, the school, or the media.
Had it been otherwise, Mitchell would have seriously considered getting him a sports psychologist. He'd never thought his son would need one at that age, but with all the media attention and sky-high expectations around him, it wouldn't have been far-fetched.
"After the game and the pizza dinner, I'm going to the party. That's fine, right?" Andrew asked, changing the subject naturally.
"Yes, of course," Cam and Mitchell replied almost in unison, both nodding.
"I'll come pick you up," Mitchell added firmly. He didn't want to repeat the mistake from last time, when Andrew had nearly had to drive home late at night, exhausted after an entire day of training and a game.
"That's not necessary, Dad. I'll be back around two, three at the latest. I'm not going to fall asleep at the wheel," Andrew said, raising a hand in a calming gesture as he explained his reasoning.
One of those reasons, which made him seem like the perfect son, was that he didn't want his father, after a full week of work, to have to drive in the middle of the night to pick him up from a party nearly an hour away, counting the round trip.
Though deep down, the real reason was far more practical: he didn't plan on staying long at the party. An hour at most. Then he'd go to Madison's house to… do things. It was better to have freedom and not have to follow a set schedule.
And yes, it was true, he'd be back around two or three at the latest. How long could he really stay at Madison's house? It's not like sex was eternal. And this time, he didn't plan on falling asleep there.
Mitchell accepted without resistance, feeling a mix of pride and trust. Pride in Andrew's thoughtfulness, and trust because he knew that if his son said he'd be back by a certain time, he'd keep his word, in most cases...
"You're seeing Madison again, aren't you?" Cam asked, clasping his hands together, his face lighting up with that familiar excitement teenage romances gave him.
Andrew nodded with a faint grimace, holding back a forced smile. What Cam imagined as a sweet, budding romance filled with tenderness was far from reality.
Cam, thrilled, continued, "The third time you're meeting… after last Saturday's date. If you're seeing each other again, it must've gone great, right?"
"Yeah… I'd call it more normal than great, I guess," Andrew replied without much enthusiasm.
The truth was, he hadn't felt any real connection during that date, not like the ones he'd had with Pippa.
Madison was nice and attractive, sure, but the chemistry was purely physical. During the UCLA game at the Rose Bowl, she barely paid attention. Andrew didn't expect her to analyze plays or quote stats, but at least he wanted her to show some interest, to share a bit of the excitement of the game.
That's the point of going on a date that includes watching football, right? Why agree to it if you're not even going to watch?
She was a cheerleader; she knew how the game worked. She just didn't seem to care. And for Andrew, this wasn't just a casual outing, he was watching his potential future. It mattered to him.
Still, he tried to keep the conversation going so she wouldn't feel out of place, though his eyes kept drifting back to the field. After the game, they went out to eat, things improved a little, but not much.
The differences remained: topics, humor, rhythm. Nothing flowed naturally, except when they were flirting, kissing, or touching.
That, without a doubt, had been the best part of the date, when they went up to the overlook to be alone.
Cam, who had been smiling with delight up until that moment, slowly began to lose that expression.
"Ah… normal," Cam repeated, trying to sound neutral, though it was impossible for him to hide a hint of disappointment. He had hoped to hear something more romantic, something that confirmed Andrew was genuinely excited about Madison.
Mitchell, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow but said nothing. At seven in the morning, with a quarterfinal game ahead, it didn't seem like the best time to dive into his son's romantic affairs.
"By the way, I've been thinking about getting another car," Andrew said suddenly, changing the subject as casually as if he were commenting on the weather. "You know, I've got money saved up that keeps piling, and I could spend it on something, right?"
Cam looked at him, a bit surprised, not expecting that at all, while Mitchell paused mid-stir with his coffee.
"Another car?" Mitch asked, his tone somewhere between cautious and resigned. "Why would you need two? You already have the Camaro, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know… but I've really gotten into driving lately, and I want to learn more about that world. Grandpa kind of passed that passion on to me, I guess," Andrew replied with a small shrug.
It was true. Ever since he had learned to drive, and did it nearly every day, he'd grown to love the world of cars. He saw his Camaro not just as a means of transportation, but as an extension of himself, maybe he was exaggerating a little, but you get the point.
Naming it Bumblebee, like in the movie, made it feel more personal, just like Jay had always told him, back when Andrew didn't really pay attention. Now he understood why the old man got so upset whenever someone slammed a door or handled one of his cars carelessly.
Andrew had begun to take an interest in how each part worked, what each engine sound meant, when something didn't feel right.
His grandfather was also passionate about cars, but from a different perspective. Jay cared less about speed or adrenaline and more about design, history, and the engineering behind every model.
Andrew, on the other hand, was drawn to speed, precision, and the instant feedback of the engine. He loved modern, powerful cars, the acceleration that pinned you to the seat. For him, the joy came from feeling absolute control of the machine, not from showing it off.
Still, what united them both was the shared fascination for understanding how a machine worked, something that had brought them even closer as grandfather and grandson.
Mitchell squinted slightly, crossing his arms. "And how much money are we talking about for this second car?"
Andrew smiled, already expecting the question. "I'm not going to go crazy. Something similar to the Camaro, maybe a bit less, but nothing beyond that. I already talked to Grandpa, and he said I can keep it at his place, so there won't be an issue with space."
Cam's eyes lit up, a trembling smile spreading across his face. "Our little boy is buying his second car and he's not even seventeen yet! Isn't that something to be proud of, Mitch?" he exclaimed, hugging Mitchell tightly.
Andrew laughed, while Mitchell sighed and shook his head, though unable to hide a smile. "Alright, it's your money. And honestly, it's clear you're really enjoying all this."
It didn't seem like Andrew wanted to show off wealth, he had simply found a new hobby, one more expensive than video games or comics, but one that fascinated him just the same.
And considering he had earned nearly $70,000 in a single month, spending $20,000 on a second car didn't sound unreasonable.
If he kept earning at this pace, by the time he entered college, when NCAA rules would prevent him from making money, he would likely already have close to a million dollars in net worth.
Besides, it didn't make much sense for Andrew to save absolutely everything. In perspective, twenty thousand was just a small fraction.
Enjoying part of his hard work was also a way to give meaning to it.
"Thanks, Dad," Andrew said with a genuine smile as he stood up from the table. "And I want you to come with me to buy it, okay? You can help me choose."
Mitchell looked at him for a second, surprised.
Andrew knew that for many fathers, choosing a car with their son was almost a ritual, a small symbol of shared trust and connection.
And since the Camaro had been entirely his own decision, bought without asking for help or going car shopping together, he didn't want to leave Mitchell out this time.
Mitchell nodded, trying to hide the emotion behind a restrained smile. "Of course. We'll do it together," he replied, doing his best to keep his tone casual.
Andrew checked the time on his watch, grabbed his keys and backpack. "I've got to go, I'm running late. See you after the game," he said as he waved goodbye to his parents and bent down to hug Lily, who tried to say goodbye while holding a piece of toast and clearly didn't want to let him go.
After Cam helped free him from Lily's grip, Andrew finally managed to head out the door, and moments later, the roar of the Camaro's engine echoed down the street as he drove away.
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