The Phenomenal Event
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 3
Greg and Nick weren’t there when Grif arrived at school on Tuesday morning. Then, on the intercom, there was an announcement that all football players were to report to the gym. When he arrived, Coach Rolson said Mr. Smart would take your urine samples. Please cooperate with the test, as the league and school require it. Grif read Mr. Smart’s mind, and that wasn’t his real name. He was working for a booster from another school.
Grif raised his hand, and Coach Rolson asked what he needed. Grif asked if anyone had checked Mr. Smart’s ID and if he had a letter authorizing him to take our samples. Also, where are they going to be tested? Mr. Smart started walking to the door, which a dozen players blocked. Coach Rolson said, “Mr. Smart, or whatever your name is, it would be healthy to come clean now.” Mr. Smart turned out to be Norman Hoskins, and he was working for a booster from a school in Fort Worth ISD.
The police arrested Mr. Norman Hoskins, and he was lucky to leave the campus alive. Coach Rolson asked Grif what made him question Mr. Smart’s credentials. He said it seemed odd that they would test all three football teams with losing records. Many of the players thanked Grif for catching the imposter, and they went to class late. After class, Hallie asked why he was late, and Grif said, “You will hear by lunch.” Then he rushed to his next class.
Walking home from school, Grif realized his mind-reading skill saved the school and the players from major reputational damage. Once accused of something, it makes headlines, and the retraction is buried in the newspaper or online. Upon arriving home, he changed into sweats, went to the garage, and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag for an hour. He dropped his sweaty clothes in the laundry and went upstairs to shower. Then, he listened to three of the French-language CDs.
Dad arrived home with dinner, and while they ate, he said the lawsuit with the school and the school board was settled today. I’ve deposited the funds into a trust the attorney set up for you. It will shield it from taxes and keep your mother from getting it. Grif said good and asked about the principal and Coach Burden. Dad said the settlement included the principal, but he’ll have a letter of reprimand in his file. Coach Burden doesn’t have a pot to piss in and will be spending 15 to 20 years in jail.
Grif told Dad what happened at school today, and he said, “Oh my god.” Those people in the office are a bunch of fools. The principal will be lucky just to get fired. Dad said he would talk to the attorney tomorrow and get guidance on what to do. Dad was amazed that no one checked the man’s credentials, and you exposed the plot by asking questions. Once accused of taking illegal or performance-enhancing drugs, you can kiss your scholarship offer goodbye, whether true or not. Universities aren’t willing to take a chance.
They finished dinner and then watched The Expendables with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li. Grif memorized the fight and martial arts scenes, and when the movie ended, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif closed his eyes and mimicked the moves made in the film. After thirty minutes, he was exhausted and went to sleep. The tingling sensation returned, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Greg and Nick met Grif at the school entrance on Wednesday morning. Greg said he knew how to stir up shit, and they laughed. Greg and Nick left for their classes, and Grif entered the office, where Ms. James set him up in a vacant office. He logged into the testing center, took five finals, and finished in time for lunch. He confirmed his appointment for Thursday and went to the cafeteria.
While eating, Greg and Nick join Grif at his table. Hallie enters, and Grif pats his lap and smiles. She laughs and goes to her friend’s table. Greg warns Grif not to play with her because her dad is the police chief. Grif says, “Oh, that means she’s familiar with handcuffs,” and they all laugh. Nick says, “Yeah, and her dad carries a gun.” Grif said he has no interest in dating her, but she is fun to tease. Grif told Nick and Greg about offering her counseling on his lap when Coach Burden was arrested, and they laughed.
After school, Grif walked home, changed clothes, went to the garage, and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. When he finished, the heavy bag was swinging wildly, and he was covered in sweat. He dropped his clothes in the laundry, showered, and listened to the remaining French-language CDs. Then he read the martial arts training manual he purchased at the yard sale. It was difficult to read, but the drawings helped. It discussed the key points of the body to hit to injure or kill the attacker.
Dad arrived home with dinner, so he put the book away and went downstairs. While they ate, Dad asked how his testing went, and Grif said it went well. He finished at lunch, and he has another scheduled for the same time tomorrow. Dad said your mother called and wants you to fly out on Friday at 6 a.m. With the time change, you will arrive around 7:30, and she will pick you up. Grif said an extra day means they are planning something, and Dad agreed.
Grif told Dad all he was bringing was the tux and his normal clothes, so for any other activities they had planned, they would have to buy me more clothes, and they laughed. Dad told Grif to text him with updates and to call in the evening. He said to remember they are two hours earlier than us, so six o’clock here is four o’clock in LA. But call right away if they try to do something sinister, and Grif agreed. Dad warned Grif not to accept drinks from anyone open or in a glass. Always open it yourself, as the Hollywood crowd is known for doctoring drinks.
He told me to check my bedroom and bathroom for hidden cameras, although he doubted Jerry or your mom would do it. The most common places to put them are smoke detectors or the alarm/clock radio. Desperate people do desperate things, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. They finished dinner and watched The Cowboy Way with Kiefer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson. They laughed at the Cowboys going to New York and Woody posing in underwear to get his champion bull riding belt buckle back. After it ended, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif fell asleep, and the tingling sensation started. Then he fell into a deep sleep.
When Grif arrived at school on Thursday morning, his friends Greg and Nick weren’t there. So, he entered the office and signed in at the testing center. His professor was there, so they started early. Grif completed the last five finals by 11:30 a.m. The professor said his test results would be emailed by Monday, and they signed off. The rest of the day was uneventful, and he headed home after sixth period.
Upon arriving home, Grif changed into sweats, went to the garage, and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. When he finished, Grif left his sweaty clothes in the laundry and showered. Then, he turned on the computer and did his weekly online college coursework. When he finished, Grif packed for his trip and started a laundry load. He had just finished putting away his clean clothes when Dad arrived.
While they ate dinner, Dad asked how the testing went. Grif said it went well, and he should know the results by Monday. Dad said they would need to leave for the airport by 4 a.m. to catch his flight at 6 a.m. Grif asked Dad if he knew what Mom looked like after her nose job, and Dad said no. Grif looked up Ashley Barrett’s Interior Design on his cell phone, smiled, and showed it to Dad. He said, “Oh my god,” and they laughed. The lips, nose, breasts, and Grif said he wondered if she got a caboose like Kim Kardashian.
It was good that they finished dinner because they were both laughing hard. After dinner, they watched Thursday night football, and Grif memorized the defensive end’s play. The game was a blowout by the third quarter, so they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif went to sleep, and the tingling started, and then he fell into a deep sleep.
Friday at 3:30 a.m., Grif showered, dressed, and took his bags to the kitchen. Dad met him, and they drove to DFW airport. On the way, Dad said, “This came in the mail for you,” and handed Grif a letter from SAG (the Screen Actors Guild). He also gave Grif his passport and dropped him off at the American Airlines gate for his flight. Dad wished him good luck, hugged Grif goodbye, and he went into the airport. He checked his bag, went through security, and arrived at the gate 30 minutes early.
Grif was surprised that Jerry and Mom had booked him in first class. The flight took off on time and landed at LAX after 7 a.m. Grif saw Mom at the baggage claim and asked, “Who are you?” when she approached him. She laughed and said, “I’m your mother.” Grif asked to see some ID, and they laughed and hugged. On the way to their house, Mom asked what clothes he brought. Grif said just the tux and his regular clothes. I’ve gone through several growth spurts; the last one was the day before we picked up the tux. Luckily, they haven’t hemmed the pants yet. So, we’ve been avoiding buying anything but the basics.
Mom said we’ll need to get you some slacks, shirts, and a sports coat. She asked how many inches he had grown, and Griff said five in the past month. He’s had to exchange his jeans after the last one. Mom asked how tall he was now, and Grif said 6’1” shorty, and they laughed. Then she asked how old he was and his school grade. Grif said fourteen, and he’s a freshman in high school. He’s also the starting defensive end on the JV football team. Grif asked Mom her age and weight, and she laughed and said it was none of his business.
They entered Bel-Air and stopped at a nice home at the end of a cul-de-sac. When they entered the house, Mom showed Grif his room and told him to get settled and then come to the kitchen. He hung up his tux and shirts and put the rest of his clothes in the dresser. Then Grif went to the kitchen, and Mom introduced him to Jerry. Mom asked if he wanted breakfast, and Grif said he had eaten on the plane. She told him Jerry was taking him to the studio to show him around, and they would meet around two to go shopping.
Jerry and Grif left the house in Jerry’s Mercedes sedan for the studio. Grif read Jerry’s mind and knew Jerry had arranged an audition for a part in a movie. They arrived at Warner Bros. Studio and went to Jerry’s office. They sat down, and Jerry told Grif he had arranged a movie interview for him. It’s a western, and although the chances of getting the part are slim, it will give you experience.
Then they went to a conference room, and Jerry introduced Grif to Matt Clark, the director, Eric White, the producer, and Thomas Murray, the scriptwriter. They asked about his acting experience, sports he played, education, activities, and hobbies. They were shocked that he took online college courses and spoke Japanese, Spanish, and French.
The scriptwriter gave him a sample script and asked him to read it in Japanese, Spanish, French, and English. When he was done, Eric White, the director, asked Grif to remove his shirt so they could see his build. Grif said there could be no photographs unless his agent agreed and saw the photo release. That surprised everyone, including Jerry, and Eric asked who his agent was. Grif said he’s listed on the SAG site by his name, again shocking everyone that he had a SAG card.
Grif removed his shirt, did a bodybuilder pose, and then put it back on. There was silence in the room, and then Eric asked Grif how he got so developed. Grif said he plays defensive end on the JV football team at his high school. He has to be fast and agile and able to move offensive linemen who weigh 50 pounds or more than I do. Eric asked when his season ended, and Grif said, “Our offense sucks, so in two weeks,” and everyone laughed.
Jerry and Grif returned to his office, and Jerry asked why he had an SAG card. Grif lied and said he got it to ensure the school didn’t overuse his image. Technically, they would have to obtain a photography release to use it with an SAG card, which protects him if he needs it. Jerry told Grif he had impressed the producer and director in the interview. Grif asked Jerry if he had an interest in the film. Jerry said a small one, and he has no control over casting.
They interviewed you as a favor to me and thought it would be one-and-done. Now, they have some hard decisions to make. They can go with the actor they chose, who has acting experience but not the physique, or they can go with an inexperienced actor with a physique that exceeds their expectations. On the drive home, Grif asked the movie’s name, and Jerry said, “Soaring Eagles Revenge.”
When they arrived at their house, Jerry told Ashley, “Your son is a stud,” and everyone laughed. He told her that Grif impressed the director and producer, so he has a better-than-average chance of getting the part. They ate a late lunch, and then Grif went shopping with Mom. They went to a men’s store, and Mom said they needed a pair of dress slacks, two dress shirts, loafers, and the accessories. The sales associate, Carol, got a pair of slacks that fit after several tries.
Then the shirts came, and Grif went out of the dressing room shirtless with a shirt that didn’t fit. Mom and Carol said, “Oh my god,” and giggled. Grif said he was Ms. Ashley’s boy toy, and she buys him clothes and jewelry when he’s good. Mom and Carol busted up laughing, then Mom said the comedian was her son Griffen. They finally got what they needed and returned to Mom’s house. She told Grif they leave in an hour for dinner, so get ready.