Chapter 143: Blind Spot
"My mom made some chicken breast tonight..." Howard was halfway through his sentence when Ron quickly covered his mouth.
Come on, what guy in his right mind would use chicken breast to ask a beautiful woman out?
"How about we go to the football game?" Ron was afraid that Raj or Leonard would speak up and come up with some "brilliant" idea, so he simply took the initiative to invite the others.
"I just happen to know that there's a high school football game tonight, and one of the teams is Pasadena Christian Academy, which is just five blocks away from here. They're practically our neighbors, so why don't we go and support them?"
"Wow, a football game! I love football games the most. I know that school—their home color is green, right? I even have one of their cheerleading T-shirts."
Penny became very interested, and she flirted with Ron: "Guys, wait for me, I'll change my clothes and be right back."
After Penny returned to her apartment, Ron patted Leonard on the shoulder earnestly and said: "See? Leonard, this is how you should date a girl like Penny.
Be thankful that this girl doesn't meet my type, and you've always been good to my brother. In the end, it's our Cooper family that owes you, otherwise natural prey like this would have been snatched up by me without leaving even a crumb."
"Why? Why is it like this?" Leonard was still puzzled.
"Oh my god!" Ron facepalmed. "Don't you know Penny's from Nebraska? The football fanaticism there is just as strong as it is in Texas."
Howard and Raj had already taken mental notes, but Leonard remained bewildered. "But I don't know anything about football. I only play Quidditch."
"If you're talking about that game I saw you play in the park last time, where you each held a broomstick between your legs and ran around, I advise you not to let Penny see it, or you'll be toast."
Ron recalled that afternoon at the park entrance, Sheldon draped in a wizard's robe made of old black bedsheets, and how he had, in a rare moment, actually greeted him. It was socially devastating; he wished Sheldon had never acknowledged him in public again.
"I did have a football experience, but it was just the football team tossing me around like a ball in the hallway. When they threw me into the end zone, everyone cheered."
Howard shared a football experience that was more tragic than funny.
"Sorry, Howard," Leonard hugged Howard, but Howard leaned his head directly on his shoulder. Leonard had to act as a temporary pillow: "Ron, I heard that you were quarterback on the college team. Can you teach me football?"
"Although I care about you guys, I don't care enough to spend a lot of time with you doing pointless things. However, you can have Sheldon teach you."
"Sheldon? He knows football?" Howard stood up from Leonard in disbelief: "He'll definitely know Quidditch, but football? Are you kidding me?"
"Why not? We're brothers. I know it, so of course he does too." Ron shrugged.
"That's different. You're a natural athlete, but Sheldon..."
Ron asked in confusion, "Didn't he tell you?"
"Tell us what?"
"Our dad is a football coach, and the head coach of the legendary Texas Longhorns." Ron explained, "And we're from Texas, where football is religion.
In order to straighten out this oddball of the Cooper family, George even made a rule that Sheldon couldn't do his homework until he'd watched the entire football game."
The three friends' jaws dropped in shock. This was the first time they'd heard anything like this.
"Okay, I'll buy a football guide tomorrow and have Sheldon teach me." Leonard pumped his fist, determined.
"Guys, I'm ready. Let's go." Penny emerged wearing a green jersey, even doing a little spin in front of Ron. Ron was completely unimpressed, but Leonard was mesmerized.
It's just an oversized jersey, what's so fascinating about it? Ron couldn't figure it out.
...
When Ron and his friends arrived at the football field, the game had already begun, and Pasadena Christian's team had completed two offensive plays, but they hadn't gained much ground, with the ball almost where it started.
Ron immediately spotted a familiar figure among the cheerleaders and waved hello, earning a warm response from the beautiful girl, who pointed toward the stands.
Ron followed Jessica's gesture and immediately spotted Mr. Turner and his family. He nodded and squeezed over with his group.
Indeed, this game was Michael's debut since being adopted by Aunt Leigh Anne. His entire family had come to cheer him on, and Ron easily spotted the massive figure wearing the number 74 jersey on the field.
Ron was eager to see this giant player, naturally built like an offensive tackle, perform.
"Is that the relative you were talking about? I didn't realize you had African American relatives," Penny said, following Ron's gaze and immediately noticing the large man.
Ron shook his head. "No, he's an adopted son of Aunt Leigh Anne's family. Technically, Mr. Turner and I aren't really related. It's just that my dad George and Mr. Turner went to college together and played on the same varsity team. That kind of relationship is more like family friends."
As they were talking, the opposing team had regained possession. The quarterback had just raised his hand and thrown the ball, and just as it flew over Michael's head, the player Michael was blocking suddenly leaped high and deflected the pass with his hand.
Then, he continued to taunt Michael, aggressively pursuing him. The stadium was too noisy, and Ron frowned.
Wasn't this big guy just too passive?
Ron clearly saw that he had a chance to make that block impossible. If he had just engaged him from the start, the guy wouldn't have had the leverage to jump. How could he be so cocky now?
"That's my boy, Jimmy! Number 66!" Behind Aunt Leigh Anne, an old man with a typical redneck demeanor proudly shouted to the people around him, just like the obnoxious player on the field. They were clearly father and son.
"Let that boy get crushed!"
Leigh Anne, who was protective of her adopted son, was about to stand up and explode, but as soon as she left her seat, a large hand held her back.
"Ron?"
Ron smiled at Aunt Leigh Anne, then turned to the redneck and said fiercely, "Shut your filthy mouth!"
"Yeah! I'm talking to you! That mouth smells like a sewer. If you can't shut it and keep quiet, I'll wire it shut with your own shoelaces. Trust me, I'll absolutely do what I say."
(End of chapter)
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