Quickly the week had passed.

  With my stant m runs, training at school, and adding some strength exercises as reended by Coach Wilkins. Gradually, I was gaining endurance; I didn't get tired as quickly, and I could run as fast as I a few seds more. Along with the strength exercises and Sheldon's advice, my throws were gaining more power every day, enough to please Mr. Cooper.

  "I'm sure that if you keep improving the way you are doing, we win the game ing up in two weeks," Mr. Cooper ented after Friday's training with a wide smile.

  I put all my effort into each training session, giving my all in the passes, trying to execute the pys as outlined in the book, and supp my teammates when they . Coach Wilkins and Mr. Cooper noticed my dedication, often gratuting me in front of everyone in the locker room after training.

  Regina also noticed, along with the cheerleading team, who stantly cheered my name on the field.

  This seemed ter some jealousy among my teammates, as they started viewing our activities as a petition. They frequently challenged me to races or asked for more challenging passes. Overall, the training sessions were very productive for both me and my teammates.

  After school, Geie and I pyed with Gabe at home, practig some of the pys from the book while having fun. Occasionally, Mr. Cooper or Bob would join us to spend quality time together.

  Throughout the week, I tio help Teddy with her homework. Even though she seemed not to need my assistance, she was always happy to accept it while telling me about her day and the school gossip.

  Gabe would tio practice his guitar for a few hours before bed, which helped me rex a bit.

  In other words, I was living a happy life with my family and friends.

  Today is Sunday, and I'm at the ic book store with Gabe, waiting for mom to return with the purchases.

  "PJ, do you think if a radioactive spider bites me, I'll get powers like Spiderman?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the ic book.

  "I highly doubt you'll find a radioactive spider, buddy. But even if you do, no, I don't think it'll give you powers," I replied, flipping through a Doctor Strange ic, which apparently is his real name, not just a niame.

  Leaving the ic where I found it, I looked through the other shelves to see what caught my attention. Superheroes were never really my thing, although I heard about some famous movies in my previous life, I never got around to watg them, so I don't know what the big fuss is about.

  Near some a figures, I picked up a book with a guitar on the cover. On the book cover, I read "Learn to Py Guitar: A Guide to Pying the Best Songs." This would be perfect fabe, who was just strumming the guitar without much guidance from me. I 't teach him much, so this book will be a great help.

  "What do you have there?" Gabe suddenly asked, standing behind me.

  "It's a book to learn how to py the guitar," I said as I ha to him, "take it, it be useful."

  I noticed in his other hand he had several ic books and some dolr bills. With a frown on his face, he was evaluating what to buy.

  "Leave it, I'll give it to you as a gift," I said, taking the book back.

  "Perfect, thanks PJ," he quickly replied and ran off, probably thinking I might ge my mind.

  Mom didn't give me moo buy ic books, but PJ had a few hundred dolrs saved up hidden in a sod since Bob knew I made it to the team, he had been giving me money daily. "You deserve it, quarterback, my son. Don't tell your siblings; I'll keep giving them their allowanly on Sundays," I remember him saying with pride.

  After paying for the book fabe, I waited by the ter as he finished purchasing the ics he had in his hand. When he was done, we left the store.

  "e on, Gabe, I want to go into RadioShack," I said as we crossed the street.

  Inside RadioShack, there was a lone salesperson who forced a smile upon seeing us. "Hi, wele to RadioShack. I'm Dave. How I help you?"

  "Hey, Dave, I just came to ask a few questions," I replied, trying to mimic his cheerfulness.

  "This pce will be here forever!" suddenly, I heard someone shout from behind me in a high-pitched voice.

  Turning around, I saw Sheldon and Mrs. Cooper entering the store.

  "Oh, hi, PJ, what a pleasant surprise to find you here," Sheldon said cheerfully whe me, "Gabe," he tinued with less enthusiasm.

  "Hey, robot, are you here for more parts?" Gabe asked without looking up from his book, which he had opened wheered the store.

  "Hi, Sheldon, good m, Mrs. Cooper," I greeted, returning the salutation and aowledging her mom while giving Gabe a small nudge discreetly.

  "Hello, PJ, Gabe, good m. Are you here with your mom?" Mrs. Creeted us happily, stretg her o look ihe store.

  "Yes, but she's shopping. In fact, she shouldn't be long; we were at the ic book store not too long ago," I replied.

  "Ah, ics," Sheldon scoffed pyfully. "Sure, children's books," he said, trying to mock Gabe.

  "Yeah, you wouldn't uand; you're a robot," Gabe retorted, still not taking his eyes off his reading.

  Disappoihat his attempt to offend Gabe failed, Sheldon walked away to talk to Dave.

  "Well, I hope we meet up. Gee wao invite your dad for a barbecue and watch the game, so I thought about inviting your mom to have tea with me," Mrs. Cooper said with a smile.

  "If you'd like, I tell my mom. Oh! Fet it; there she es," I said, pointing outside the store where Mom was walking in with a paper bag full of groceries.

  Taking the bag from her hands, I separated from the dies, who had started a versation.

  Dave was talking to Sheldon in front of a puter. "This is the Tandy 1000; it's a somewhat old model but still very funal," Dave said with his salesman smile. "Don't tell anyone, but it's rumored that the Tandy 1000 SL will arrive in stores in a few months," he tinued, whispering to Sheldon.

  "That's a great puter, Dave. I have a question for you," I said from behind them, making both of them jump in their pces.

  "Of course, tell me what you need. Maybe a floppy disk or possibly a Walkman to listen to music," he said quickly while grabbing things from the shelves.

  "No, nothing like that. I just wao know what you know about Microsoft," I asked quickly, cutting off his sales pitch.

  "Microsoft was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen," Sheldon answered while pying with the puter beside him.

  Seeing that I wasn't going to buy anything, Dave excused himself and approached another er a few steps away.

  I didn't know much about the stock market, but thanks to my paramedic partner who opped talking about it, I khat 10 years after Microsoft's founding, their stocks were worth 20. If someone had ied those 20 in a stock for 1990, they would now have 6,000, and by the year I died, it would be 49,000. If I could i my money right now in Microsoft stocks 15 years after its founding, I could bee rich.

  I o act fast, but I also o get more money. At the moment, I only had a few hundred dolrs. Lost in thought about how to get more money and watg Sheldohe puter, I didn't notice the time until Mrs. Cooper called out, "Shelly, it's time to go. See you ter, PJ. Goodbye, Gabe," as she called for Sheldon.

  "Let's go too, PJ," said Mom, who had her hands on Gabe's shoulders, aill had his face buried in the book.

  On the way home, Gabe quickly ran inside, saying, "I have to try this," holding the book in his hand.

  Aloh Mom in the car, I touched her shoulder and asked, "So, when will you tell Dad about the pregnancy?" My question seemed to surprise Mom, and she remained motionless in the car.

  "Well, it's not the right time yet, you know. Your dad is so happy about the new job, finally, Teddy is smiling more, and yetting along so well with her and Gabe. I'm starting tain tomorrow. I'm not sure if I tell him. What if I ruin all the happiness, or what if your dad gets even more stressed? What if-" I interrupted her gently, pressing her shoulder, "That won't happen, Mom. It's just your emotions talking," I reassured her.

  "You're right, PJ, but I 't do it today. Your dad is with Gee, watg the game. I don't want to bother him. Maybe tomorrow," she said, pointing to the Cooper's backyard, where Bob and Mr. Cooper were in front of the grill with beers in their hands.

  Getting out of the car, I apanied Mom ihe house, leaving the grocery bag o table. "You tell him whenever you're ready, but I think the soohe better," I said as I began to put things away.

  Notig her unusual silence, I finished putting things away and turo check if she had heard me.

  With a small smile of pride on her face, Mom said, "Teddy was right; the bump to your head made you much more attentive and wise," she pulled me into a tight hug, "thank you, PJ. Now, go join your dad and Mr. Cooper; they might need help," she tinued as she let go of the hug.

  At the Cooper's house, Bob, Mr. Cooper, and Geie were tending to some cuts of meat on the grill. The adults had beers in their hands, while Geie had a soda.

  When they saw me approach, Bob said with pride, "Here es the best quarterback Texas has."

  "The team captain! Bob, let me tell you, thanks to PJ, all the other pyers are w so hard during training," Mr. Cooper said, happily taking a sip of his beer.

  "That's my son, the role model," Bob said, puffing his chest and patting my shoulder. "Tell me, what did he do?" he tiurning to Mr. Cooper.

  Leaving the adults to talk, I approached Geie, who had moved to a cooler a few steps away from the grill.

  "Hey, superstar," Geie said, giving me a friendly pun the shoulder before handing me a soda.

  "I ran into your brother at the tech store," I told him as we took a seat in the Carden chairs.

  "He robably buying some parts," Geie said disdainfully, making fun of his brother.

  With a ugh, I said, "That's what Gabe said". "You're lucky to have a normal brother; I'd do anything to trade him," Geie said, ughing at the ce, "you have Missy, and Gabe is my brother, I wouldn't ge him for anything," I replied.

  We tialking about unimportant school things for a few minutes until Mrs. Cooper arrived with Sheldon and Mom, Teddy, and Missy, who seemed to be talking with the irl.

  Bob asked Geie a a folding table from arage.

  Everyo around the folding table in the Cooper's backyard, enjoying the grilled meat while watg the game oV, which Mr. Cooper had set up with extensions.

  Teddy stantly asked Missy, her little friend, questions about the game. Geie, more aced to Teddy's presence, was watg the game with a furrowed brow.

  "You know, Amy, Gee says your son has a girlfriend," Bob said with a teasing smile, causio choke on my food, and Mom let out a cheer of excitement, "is that true? What's her name PJ?" she asked excitedly.

  Before I could answer, Geie quickly said, "Her name is Regina Gee, and she's totally hot," patting my shoulder pyfully with a hint of envy in his smile.

  "Yes, she's well-known at school. I even know who she is. Everyoalks about her," Sheldon said, cutting a pieeat carefully.

  With another cheer of excitement, Mom said, "Why didn't you ever tell us about her?" with enthusiasm.

  "Because she's not my girlfriend; she just does her cheerleader job wherain. Keep watg the game and stop making up nonsense," I said, pyfully giving Geie a little tap on the back of his head.

  "Sure, her ′′job′′ as a cheerleader. She only says hello to you and always does cheers with your name," Geie said, mung his food, rather disgustingly.

  "She is totally ied in you" Teddy said suddenly, "totally!" Missy echoed.

  "You two as well?" I said to both of them, "She's not my girlfriend, she's just a friend who needs help studying," I said exasperatedly.

  "Oh, sure, you mean a study date," Teddy teased, making fake kissing noises in the air, followed by Missy mimig her.

  Laughing at what they said, "That bump made you more attentive, but pletely blind to girls, it seems. She likes you, PJ," Mom said happily.

  "Whatever it may be, even if she does like him, she 't be his girlfriend. The school rules don't allow retionships between students," Sheldon said haughtily.

  "Oh, Shelly," Mrs. Cooper said, embrag her intrigued son's head.

  We tinued in the Cooper's backyard until it started to get dark. Mr. Cooper brought the TV ihe house, and Mrs. Cooper put her younger children to bed for their night routine. After saying oodbyes, Geie and I returhe folding table to the garage and parted ways.

  I went to sleep with many questions in my head abina. She couldn't actually like me, right?

  The day, I woke up early, as my body had bee aced to it. I turned off the arm before it rang to not disturb Gabe's sleep and got ready to go for a run.

  The early ms were very quiet; occasionally, I'd pass a woman running her m jog or people walking their dogs. At this hour, there were many elderly people slowly strolling along the sidewalk.

  After running my course, I returned home and did some push-ups in the front yard, followed by squats and a few ches.

  Entering the house, Bob was already sitting, reading the neer while having breakfast, and Mom reparing packed lunches in paper bags, dressed in her nurse uniform. With a quick greeting to both of them and grabbing a gss of water Mom had poured for me, I headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

  Ba the kit after my m hygiene routine, I grabbed a banana from the ter and said, "I'm running out of shampoo, Dad. you pick up another bottle on your way home ter this afternoon?" I asked.

  With a surprised look on his face, Bob said, "What? Are you almost finished with it? But we bought it not even a week ago. How you be running out of shampoo already?" he asked incredulously.

  "Well, I shower every day, and as the barber reended, I use it twice a day," I expined as I tinued eating my banana.

  Notig the silence from my parents, I looked up to see them with wide eyes, astonished.

  "What?" I asked as I took another bite of the fruit.

  "Bathing every day is a big surprise," Bob expined, "well, with your m runs, you naturally o take a shower. You arrive sweating a lot," Mom said.

  "Yes, exactly. That's why I shower daily; otherwise, I'd stink when I get to school," I said.

  "You already stink," Gabe said suddenly, entering the kit.

  "That's not true. Yes, you used to smell really bad," Teddy also ehe kit, "but now, you smell nice. Is that some kind of cologne?" she asked after taking a whiff.

  "Yeah, I use a little cologer my shower. Smells goht?" I responded, bringing my shirt up to her nose.

  "Yes, it smells nice," she said, taking a seat to serve herself some cereal.

  After finishing breakfast, Mom, along with Gabe and Teddy, said their goodbyes, "PJ, remember you'll be going home with Mary Cooper today. Your dad won't be able to pick you up, so she'll do you a favor and bring you home for a few days."

  "Okay, good lu your first day, Mom," I said as I bid them farewell.

  Arriving at school, Bob stopped me before I could get out of the terrible van after opening the dood luck today, son," he said, "and be a gentleman with Regina. That's how I won your mother over," he tinued, giving me a few friendly taps on the shoulder.

  "We're just going to study-" I was about to say, but Bob interrupted, "see you ter, PJ," he said, pushi of the van.

  School went like any other day, with csses in different periods happening as usual. Sheldon and I peted to answer questions and submit work quickly. I stantly lost because my friends and cssmates kept stopping me, asking questions that I happily answered.

  In the cafeteria, we were discussierday's game when David interrupted us, "is that your mom, Geie?" he said, pointing to the cafeteria entrance where Mr. Cooper and Mrs. Cooper stood. As Geie noticed them, Mrs. Cooper poio her you son, who was sitting alo a table, eating.

  "Yes, she is," He quickly replied, l his gaze and ign his parents.

  "I think she wants us to eat with Sheldon," I said after waving to Mrs. Cooper.

  "He's not going to let that happen; he even told you that he didn't want to," Geie said. "No, he told me he didn't want to eat with you because you smell bad, which is true, Brock, buddy, when was the st time you used deodorant?" I asked my big friend sittio me. "Deodorant?" he asked fused.

  With a plicit smile, An said, "Never mind, big guy."

  Laughing, I stood up to talk to Sheldon, "where are you going?" Geie quickly asked. "I'm going with your brother. I'll keep him pany for a few minutes. I'll be right back."

  As I turo start walking, I bumped into someone. "Oops, sorry Karen, are you okay?" Karen, whom I had bumped into, was rubbing her head as she o my question, "yes, she's fi wasn't your fault, PJ," Regina, who was standio her friend, quickly said, "good m, by the way, how are you?" she said with a charming smile while pying with her hair.

  "Good m, Regina, Gret," I replied, "I'm fihank you," I answered her question, standing in my pce. A few seds ter, feeling a bit awkward, I said, "well, see you ter," and prepared to leave. "Wait," Regina said, holding my arm to stop me, "st week we agreed that you'd help us study. How about today after school?"

  "I 't today; I have to leave early, but how about tomorrow during the free period in the library?" I responded apologetically. We hadn't set a date yet, but today I had to go with Mrs. Cooper, and she alicked up Sheldon early.

  With a forced smile, Regina said, "sure, tomorrow during the free period in the library. Sounds great, doesn't it?" she said the st part to her friends, who simply nodded.

  "Perfect, then see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Regina, Gret, sorry about the bump, Karen," I bid them farewell.

  "It's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore. By the J, you smell really nice," Karen said as she said goodbye with an exaggerated wave.

  "Thanks," I replied, "it's a lotion I use in the ms," I tinued.

  "See you tomorrow," Regina quickly said, pulling her friends along.

  "You have to tell me your secret, friend," Brock said, sitting behind me.

  "Yeah, how do you get the hot girls to talk to you?" Geie asked.

  "Well, I just treat them with resped smell good. You guys should try it," I teased them.

  "It must be your position oeam, Superstar," David said, also jealous.

  "Whatever it is, it works," An said as he tinued eating.

  "Anyway, I'm going with Shel—" I was about to say when the bell interrupted me; it was time for the period.

  The day tinued as usual, and at the end of school, I said goodbye to my friends and followed Sheldon to the school's exit, where Mrs. Cooper was waiting in her car with Missy and Teddy, who were talking about different things, ign Gabe, who still had the guitar book open in his hands.

  "Hi, Shelly, PJ, how was your day?" Mrs. Creeted us whe into the car, "it was a good day, Mom," He replied, "I answered 62% more questions than PJ," Sheldon said, puffing out his chest as he smiled smugly.

  With an unfortable smile, Mrs. Cooper said, "and how was your day, PJ?"

  "It was a good day, thank you, Mrs. Cooper," I said before turning in my seat, "I took it a bit easy, but starting tomorrow, I'll get really serious," I joked a bit with Sheldon, who was sitting in the back seat with Gabe.

  Immediately losing his smile, Sheldon said, "weren't you serious before?" surprised, "no, I've been answering slowly because I also help my friends and your brother," I responded, not giving much importao the matter, "well, thanks for that, PJ," Mrs. Cooper said as she drove.

  "I saw that girl today, very cute, was she Regina?" Mrs. Cooper asked, remembering.

  "Yes, she was Regina with her friends Gret and Karen, who, by the way, got hit by PJ's chest," Sheldon said.

  "Great job, PJ, that's how you win a girl over, hitting her friends," Teddy teased, "yeah, , you should put glue in her hair," Missy added.

  The teasing tinued in Mrs. Cooper's car, and Sheldon didn't say mu the way home; he had a frown on his face as he thought, and Mrs. Cooper tried to get information abina from me, which I didn't have to give; I didn't know her well.

  "Thanks, Mrs. Cooper," I said as I got out of the car, "see you tomorrow, Sheldon, bye, Missy," I tinued saying my goodbyes.

  At home, Gabe quickly ran to our room, where I could hear some musiing from his guitar.

  With Teddy, I sat at the kit table to start our homework, as we had done routinely.

  "Sina, do you like her?" she asked, trying to hide her i by pretending to write in her notebook.

  "I don't know, Teddy. Yes, she's cute, but I don't know her well," I replied. To me, Regina was just a teenager; it didn't make sense for me to like her, despite being in the body of a teenager like her.

  "Well, you'll study with her, won't you? There, you get to know her better," she said, still writing in her notebook.

  "Yes, but I won't just study with her, I'll also study with her friends," I crified as I tinued doing my homework, "let's ge the subject. What happe school today? Did you hang out with Baja again?" I asked as I tinued with my work.

  Time passed quickly, and at some point, Mom came home from work, followed a few mier by Bob.

  Sitting at the dining table, serving food, "Mom, how was your new job?" I asked.

  "It went very well. Almost everyone is very nice. I met all the doctors there and ran into Dr. Richards again, the one who examined you when you hit your head. He asked about you," she said, smiling.

  "Almost everyone is nice?" I asked, "was there someone annoying?"

  "Yes, this doctor. Everyone respects him; they say he's an excellent doctor, a genius, but he's very unpleasant," she said with a disgusted look.

  "Unpleasant in what way, dear? Should I go 'talk' to him?" Bob said as he chewed his food.

  "No, not unpleasant in that way, just very desding. He wouldn't take any patients, even though I was handing him their files," she said, annoyed.

  "And if he doesn't accept patients, why do they let him work there?" I said, now a bit annoyed as I cut my meat on my pte.

  "Well, acc to the head nurse, he's a highly renowned iious disease specialist. I think his name was Gregregory House," she said, recalling.

  --------------------------------

  Author's Thoughts

  I am not Ameri, and I know absolutely nothing, not to mentiohan nothing, about the stock market. The data I used for this chapter es from the website MyWallst., and I'm not sure if the information is correct.

  Boom! This chapter is somewhat short (just kidding, it's long).

  I'd like to crify a few things:

  1. In the previous chapter, the MC tells Teddy to wait one more year. In the inal series wiki, it's stated that PJ is two years older than Teddy, but for the sake of the plot, we'll ighat and say he's only one year older.

  2. Dr. House takes p New Jersey, but let's imagiogether that the hospital in Medford is a big hospital, big enough to have House there, so let's pretend it's in Texas.

  3. Another differeween the inal DAD and this novel is that there's no system. I'm sorry if you were expeg there to be one.

  And that's it, I think that's all.

  As always, if you find an error, please ent, and I'll correct it right away.

  Thank you very much for reading.

  Leave a review; I really appreciate hearing how I improve.