Andrew Chapter 22: Andrew Meets Mike's Father

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It was about 1:00 am when Mike and Andrew got back to Mike?s house. It was off Laclie Street, near the lake.
?Want to come inside and meet my father?? Mike asked.
?He?s still up?? Andrew asked, surprised. ?You didn?t tell me he?d wait up for us. You just told me he was fine with you staying out late as long as you were with me. That?s an incredible amount of trust he placed in someone he has never met.?
?Let?s go inside and find out why he trusts you so much,? Mike suggested.
?Good idea,? Andrew agreed, as they got out of the car. ?Let?s go.?
Knocking on the front door brought Mr. Stevenson to the door.
?Hello Mike,? he said. ?I see you made it home safely. I knew you?d be fine. And you must be Andrew Pearson.? He held out his hand.
?Yes I am sir,? Andrew replied, shaking Mr. Stevenson?s hand softly. ?Sorry I kept Mike out so late.?
?No problem; don?t worry about it,? Mr. Stevenson assured him. ?I?m sure Mike told you that.?
?He did say that as long as he with me, you?d be fine with it,? Andrew agreed.
?And you?d like to know why, right?? Mr. Stevenson asked.
?Yes I would,? Andrew stated. ?So, shall I come inside, or shall we talk out here??
?Let?s go inside where it?s warm,? Mr. Stevenson replied. ?And please call me Martin.?
?Of course Martin,? Andrew agreed. ?I?m glad you invited me inside. It was getting cold out there.?
?From what Mike tells me, I doubt you felt it,? Martin said, grinning. ?He tells me you ran all the way from your friend?s house to the Zellar?s bridge.?
?Strange, I don?t remember telling him that,? Andrew objected. ?How did you find out about that??
?Well, that is part of what I wanted to talk to you about,? Martin replied, motioning Andrew into the living room.
?I?ll go up to bed now and let you two talk,? Mike said. ?See you on Monday at school, Andrew??
?You bet,? Andrew agreed, grinning. ?Meet me in the gym after school man. Then I?ll help you get big like me!?
Mike grinned, waved goodnight, and then headed upstairs.
?Very good Andrew,? Martin commended him. ?I?m glad you are helping Mike out like that.?
?Thank you,? Andrew said. ?But that is part of what I would like to talk to you about. How exactly did Mike end up at my house when I first saw him on the road to Margaret?s cottage? And who told you that I ran back from her cottage??
?The first answer is that I was in the crowd,? Mr. Stevenson replied. ?That?s how Mike got there. I videotaped you and drove the tape down to the news studio. That?s why you didn?t meet me.?
?You must have passed the news van then,? Andrew realized. ?It was already at Margaret?s cottage when I got there. Carrie said she called it. But we got to Margaret?s cottage only a few minutes after I moved the tree. The van could not have come from Barrie so quickly. It must have already been in the area.?
?I guess the reporters did not tell you that they had received a tip about the fallen tree and were already coming to investigate,? Martin informed him. ?That?s why they already knew about the tree when I brought them the tape.?
?Well, that clears that up,? Andrew realized. ?Now, how about the second question? How did you know I ran all the way from Margaret?s cottage??
?When Mike and I were coming back from Barrie, via Horseshoe Valley Road, we passed you,? Martin replied.
?Okay, so far so good,? Andrew agreed. ?So how did Mike end up just outside my house? Didn?t you go straight home??
?Actually I introduced Mike to your father,? Martin replied. ?I already knew Chad, and I told him I was looking for someone Mike would know in Miami. I read the papers and knew you were also going there. Mike had expressed his hope to meet some of the guys on the football team, so you seemed the logical first choice. Your father suggested Mike break the ice with you by asking for weight training advice. So I went home, and Mike talked with your dad until you arrived.?
?You know, I just realized that my dad already knew Mike?s name, even though I didn?t introduce them,? Andrew realized. ?Thank you for explaining why. I wonder how I could have missed that earlier.?
?You were a little busy at the time, flexing your muscles, or so your father tells me,? Martin stated. ?That?s probably why you didn?t notice.?
?Yeah, pretty impressive, aren?t they?? Andrew bragged, flexing his right bicep. ?I worked hard to build these guns!?
?Very impressive indeed,? Martin agreed. ?I?m glad you decided to use those ?guns? to help others, instead of just showing them off.?
Andrew frowned and seemed to be clenching his teeth in fury for a few moments. But he calmed himself down and said nothing, once he realized Martin had also paid him a compliment.
?Maybe you could help me decide when the right time would be to show them off,? he said. ?I guess I probably should not have run home without my shirt.?
?It was distracting to the drivers of the cars that passed you, including me,? Martin agreed. ?Imagine what would have happened if one of them had run into something while staring at you, instead of watching the road. That?s what could happen if you think of yourself first, and not others.?
?I hadn?t thought about that,? Andrew realized. ?You?re absolutely right. So how exactly am I supposed to handle the attention of others anyway??
?Why are you asking me?? Martin asked him.
?You?re the person Mike said he could find to talk to about that, aren?t you?? Andrew asked. ?You seem to have great suggestions and insights about the situations I?ve been through today.?
?You?re right,? Martin agreed. ?Your father was right about how smart you are. I am an Athletic Counselor, and I specialize in helping athletes deal with the attention their achievements generate.?
?Well, I?m glad I was right this time,? Andrew said. ?At least I did something right today. I seem to have such a hard time dealing with the attention of others. I snapped at quite a few people today: Margaret, Carrie, Steve, and even Mike.?
?That doesn?t sound like you,? Martin said. ?My first impression of you is that you are polite, respectful and gentle. I wasn?t wrong, was I??
?No you were not,? Andrew agreed. ?The trouble is school has been back in session for the past three months. Being back with the guys every day, it?s hard for me to draw the line between Andrew the Jock and Andrew the Person.?
?Maybe I can help with that,? Martin decided. ?Who were you with in the summer that you never snapped at??
?My girlfriend Carrie,? Andrew replied.
?And why don?t you snap at her, or try to scare her with your strength??
?I want her to marry me someday,? Andrew replied. ?She wants to spend the rest of her life with me as well.?
?Don?t forget who else you?ll be spending a lot of time with over the next few months,? Martin reminded him.
?Who?s that?? Andrew asked.
?My son Mike,? Martin replied, pointing up the stairs. ?I arranged for you to meet him so that he could get more comfortable with football players. Then when he?s down at University of Miami, he won?t feel out of place as much.?
?Ah yes of course,? Andrew agreed. ?So you?re okay with me spending time with him??
?As long as you remember what I am about to tell you,? Martin advised him. ?It would make no more sense to bully Mike than it would to bully your girlfriend, right? In fact, since you?re bigger than everyone around here, you should be just as respectful and gentle with everyone as you have been with me.?
?I never thought of that either,? Andrew realized. ?You know, you?re a good therapist. Not nearly as intimidating as I thought you would be.?
?I?m glad you?re finding this free therapy session helpful,? Martin said. ?But why did you find the prospect of therapy intimidating? With your size and strength, I didn?t think anything could scare you!?
?Talking about my feelings does,? Andrew revealed. ?The other thing that scares me is heights. I know the guys look up to me as some kind of invincible athlete, so I have to project an image of fearlessness everywhere I go. But it does get tiring at times, and I snap, like I did today, when Steve tried to shove the whole hero complex down my throat.?
?If you need to talk, I?m always here,? Martin offered. ?We?ll be seeing a lot of each other anyway, as you get to know Mike better. I?d be glad to help you with your transition into University of Miami. I even know of a few counselors down there you can talk to if the time comes. Now, if you don?t mind, let?s explore the moments of anger you showed today. Then we can see how you can handle your anger better in the future.?
?Well, I did snap impatiently at Mike when he wouldn?t punch my abs after the workout,? Andrew remembered. ?I regret that now. I think I scared him.?
?I?m sure you did,? Martin agreed. ?Let me get us something to drink while we discuss it further.? He headed over to the kitchen and got two bottles of root beer. ?You expect others not to be scared of you, but you don?t think of how scary you are when you?re mad. Then you wonder why people get nervous around you, or avoid you altogether. I bet some people even offer you free stuff, like meals, to cover up their fear, don?t they??
?That?s really good analysis,? Andrew marveled. ?You must have seen this phenomenon before.?
?It?s called the Hero Worship Syndrome, Andrew,? Martin explained. ?I?m sure you?ve heard the term before.?
?Yes I have,? Andrew agreed. ?But as I tried to tell Steve, I?m not a hero just because I?m a good football player. The men and women who risk their lives everyday so we can live in freedom: they are the real heroes.?
?You?re right,? Martin agreed. ?But there?s nothing wrong with a little Hero Worship towards sports stars. They do a lot of charity work once they become rich, helping other people who couldn?t otherwise make it. You helped people today when you shoved the tree off the road.?
?I hadn?t thought about that,? Andrew realized. ?I guess you?re right. As long as people realize I?m not on the same level as those in the Armed Forces, as far as being a hero.?
?I think people realize that,? Martin declared. ?Sports stars are just a different kind of hero. Or maybe icon would be the better term to describe them.?
?So how do I handle the Hero Worship anyway?? Andrew asked. ?That is the real question I wanted to ask you. How do I draw the line between cockiness and appreciation??
?Smile quietly and enjoy your strength, as long as it helps others,? Martin said. ?Let them know you appreciate their gratitude, just as they let you know they appreciate your help.?
?What about signing autographs like I did in September?? Andrew asked. ?Is that acceptable??
?Use these questions as a guide,? Martin replied. ?Did you help others see that you appreciated their support and attention? Did you make sure to let them know that without their attention, you would never have been so recognized for your achievements? Did you let them know that the whole team won the city championship, not just one man??
?I tried to tell that last part to Steve yesterday,? Andrew remembered. ?But he got so mad and jealous that he didn?t get the message. But hindsight shows that he was just trying to goad me into revealing my true strength. But I got him to reveal his as well, which caught the attention of the crowd. They ran after him with cameras this time, while I went unnoticed.?
?Very clever,? Martin said. ?But that wasn?t really fair to Steve was it, to trick him into getting caught in the media frenzy? Especially after how uncomfortable the attention makes you.?
?At least he knows how I feel about it now,? Andrew objected. ?Now he won?t be so quick to shove the whole hero complex down my throat.?
?Good point,? Martin agreed. ?Actions do speak louder than words, don?t they? You did say you tried to tell him how uncomfortable you found all the attention, but he wouldn?t listen. Perhaps it was better that he experienced it for himself this time. I stand corrected Andrew. You did exactly the right thing to make your point, and you didn?t hurt anyone in the process. In fact, you may have helped him raise his own profile for his future school. You showed how smart you are. Good work.?
?Thank man,? Andrew grinned, sipping his root beer. ?I did well, didn?t I??
?Yes you did,? Martin agreed. ?I guess you must be feeling more comfortable. It?s good to see you getting more comfortable in your own skin. You are adjusting to the mantle of the football star. I just have to ask a few more questions. I now know how you have helped people by using your strength, like when you tricked Steve into revealing his. Now, have you ever hurt people by using your great strength, even accidentally??
?I?m afraid so,? Andrew admitted. ?When I first met Mike after shoving the tree off the road, I squeezed his hand until he yelled in pain. I was so caught up in my own power, I wanted to show off.?
?That?s not good,? Martin declared. ?A simple soft handshake like the one you gave me would work next time. In fact, before you leave, I?ll have you perform a strength test and then I?ll shake your hand afterwards. So what else have you done that hurt others? Don?t leave anything out if you want me to help you.?
?I lifted Margaret up to reach the garage door cord so she could pull the door down,? Andrew remembered, grinning.
?With, or without, asking her permission first??
?Without,? Andrew realized, his grin fading quickly. ?I wasn?t thinking. I just acted, showing off my great strength again. But at least I didn?t hurt her.?
?Instead you did almost everything right,? Martin realized. ?You did hold her gently, so you wouldn?t hurt her. And??
?I didn?t want to hurt her,? Andrew interrupted. ?I would never use my strength to intimidate ladies.?
?But you use it to intimidate guys,? martin stated. ?Even ones, who are much smaller than you, like Mike. Is that any better??
?I guess not,? Andrew realized. ?What should I do instead??
?Before we get to that, try letting me finish my sentences so I can explain,? Martin said. ?Do you think you could do that for me please??
?Sure man,? Andrew agreed. ?Sorry about that. I just got carried away.?
?From what you told me, Margaret got carried away too, when you lifted her to pull the door down.? Andrew laughed at his joke and Martin laughed as well. ?However, since you were doing it to help her, not hurt her, that was okay. Just make sure to ask permission first next time.?
?I?ll have to remember that,? Andrew agreed. ?What other good advice do you have for me??
?That depends on whether or not you need any,? Martin replied. ?Have you used your strength to scare others, without laying a hand on them??
?I did keep walking towards Margaret when she backed away,? Andrew replied.
?Why was she backing away from you?? Martin asked. ?What did you do to scare her so badly??
?I took ten tranquilizer darts without getting knocked out,? Andrew bragged.
Martin dropped his pen as he gasped in shock.
?Did you just say ten darts?? he asked, when he found his voice again.
?Yeah man, I did,? Andrew grinned, excited at the thought of his own power. ?I knew my father?s strength therapy would make me stronger, but not that way!?
?That?s why it is more important than ever that you learn to control your power,? Martin decided. ?From what you?ve told me, conventional methods of overpowering you have minimal effect.?
?That?s nothing,? Andrew declared. ?At the hospital, Dr. Johnson chained me to the bed as he gave me some sedatives. But when I woke up, I snapped those chains as if they were twigs! I loved it!?
?That?s?very scary,? Martin admitted. ?Don?t go sharing that information with everyone. Especially not anyone at school. If they learned that you can?t be restrained, they?d be even more scared of you than they are now.?
?Okay man,? Andrew agreed. ?I hope I can tell you everything though.?
?Just try not to drop bombshells like that next time,? Martin advised him. ?I can?t help you if I?m too shocked to talk. Now, I think we got a bit off topic. What would you do in those situations instead of scaring people??
?Maybe treat them just like Carrie,? Andrew decided.
?Excellent,? Martin agreed. ?That?s perfect. You could pretend that everyone you talk to is Carrie, and treat them accordingly. Of course there is another way that would help you and others at the same time.?
?What would that be?? Andrew asked, fascinated.
?Why don?t you just act as if Mr. Malcolm were around all the time? If you ask yourself ?What would Mr. Malcolm think?? you should be able to train yourself to be gentle around others. It will help everyone get more comfortable with you, and help you learn how to handle attention without getting uncomfortable.?
?Excellent suggestion,? Andrew realized. ?After all, I don?t want everyone to think of me as a bully. I want Miami to love me. It only makes sense to start preparing now. But speaking of bombshells, how do you know the name of my future football coach? Did my dad tell you??
?Yes, he did,? replied Martin. ?It wasn?t in the papers,? he added, holding one up. ?They just mentioned that the scout from University of Miami was very impressed with your athletic skills.?
?Well, that?s good,? Andrew said. ?I?m glad you?ve been keeping track of all the attention I have received.?
?I have three papers, and a number of news clips,? Martin realized. ?I?ve lost count. If the crowd had not run after Steve with cameras, you might have had another media frenzy right there.?
?I hope not,? Andrew sighed. ?I need the rest. I won?t be able to put your advice to good use if I don?t get some time to think it over.?
?Glad I could help,? Martin said, standing up and shaking Andrew?s hand. ?Now let?s get outside and try a strength test, as I mentioned earlier.?
?What do you want me to do?? Andrew asked, as Martin led him outside to the driveway. ?We?re not going to do this in front of the house, are we??
?Maybe I should park my van behind the garage,? Martin realized. ?Then you can lift it safely, away from prying eyes.?
?Good suggestion,? Andrew agreed. ?I have only lifted a van twice before, so I need the space to concentrate.?
?Yes I saw that on the news a few hours ago,? Martin agreed. ?That was amazing. But I?d like to see it in person if you don?t mind.?
?Sure,? Andrew said, walking beside the van as Martin drove it into the backyard. ?Would you like me to lift the van with you inside??
Martin?s hands froze on the steering wheel as he slammed onto the brakes.
?What did I just tell you about dropping bombshells?? he snapped at Andrew in shock. He took a few breaths to calm down. ?I mean, you have to find a way to gradually introduce others to your great strength. You don?t want them to be shocked speechless and scared of you, do you??
?Of course not,? Andrew realized. ?I?m sorry man, it just slipped out. But you never answered my question.?
?If you think you can safely lift my van with me inside it, go right ahead,? Martin advised him. ?I trust you, and I?m proving it by putting my life in your hands now. Whenever you?re ready.?
Martin put on his seatbelt and locked the door as Andrew stepped up to the front bumper. Then he braced himself as Andrew slowly lifted the front end of the van, only showing some slight strain. Martin was too shocked to move, but he also did not want to distract Andrew. He had to bite his tongue to keep from yelling in fear though, as he felt the whole van lift off the ground.
Under the van, Andrew straightened his arms, excited at how light the van seemed to him. Maybe it?s because it?s not loaded up with news equipment, he thought, as he shoulder pressed it a few times to reach his limit. Andrew then let the back end of the van down first, to test himself with the weight of the engine. Then he let the front end of the van down to the ground and looked up at Martin.
Martin?s hands were frozen on the steering wheel and his face was white with shock. Andrew waved at him and Martin slowly blinked and released his hands from the wheel. The color slowly came back to his face as Andrew came over to the driver?s door. Martin unlocked the door, undid his seatbelt and slowly stepped out. Andrew closed the van door for him as Martin walked past him into the house in stunned silence. Then Andrew followed him.
?How was that?? Andrew asked grinning as Martin slowly sat down on the couch. ?I bet you didn?t think I could lift the van with you in it, did you??
?No I didn?t,? Martin agreed, finally able to speak. ?I was never sure whether or not it was a media trick or not. Now I know you really are stronger than anyone else! Congratulations man!?
He stood up quickly and shook Andrew?s hand. Andrew had to concentrate hard to make his grip gentle, since he was still really excited.
?Thanks man,? Andrew said. ?I?m glad you got a rise out of me. Quite literally in fact!?
?Very funny!? Martin laughed, ?Making jokes about scaring me half to death! I thought I was going to have a heart attack!?
?You were pretty white in the face for a moment there,? Andrew remembered. ?Are you sure you?re okay? I didn?t mean to scare you so badly.?
?My heartbeat is getting back to normal now,? Martin told him. ?But I think I?m worn out now. We covered everything I wanted to in this first session, except for one thing.? He picked up the papers with Andrew on the cover and held them out to Andrew. ?Do you think you could sign these for me??
?Sure man,? Andrew agreed, taking a pen out of his pocket and signing the three papers. He handed them back to Martin and said, ?There you go.?
?You have an autograph pen now?? Martin asked, motioning at the pen in Andrew?s hand.
?What this old thing?? Andrew asked, holding up the pen. ?I found in under the front seat of my car, so I put it in my pocket. Why, did you think I enjoy signing autographs so much, I actually carry around a special autograph pen? After all I told you about how embarrassing I find the attention??
?I guess I was mistaken,? Martin realized. ?Sorry about that. But you certainly didn?t seem embarrassed by the attention I gave you. You seemed relaxed.?
?Maybe around one person at a time,? Andrew agreed. ?But with a whole crowd of people, it?s a different story.?
?I see,? Martin said. ?Well, thank you for explaining that to me. Thanks also for signing my papers, and looking after Mike.?
?He?s a good kid,? Andrew said. ?Wait, he?s probably 18 now. He?s a good young man, I mean.?
?Yes he is,? Martin agreed. ?So are you for helping him out in the gym. Well, it?s getting late, so I?d better let you get home. See you tomorrow.?
?Why will I see you tomorrow?? Andrew asked, standing up.
?Mike will probably want to start the weight training tomorrow,? Martin informed him. ?If you could bring him home after school and wait for me that would be great. Maybe you could join us for dinner tomorrow night, when I get home from work.?
?I?d be delighted,? Andrew agreed. ?As long as it?s okay with my dad.? He headed to the front door and opened it, as Martin followed him. ?I just wanted to say thank you again for helping me so much tonight.?
?You?re welcome,? Martin said, shaking Andrew?s hand again. ?See you tomorrow at 7 pm! Goodnight!?
?Goodnight!? Andrew shouted back.
Martin watched as Andrew got in his car and headed home.