The F Factor (21 page)

Inside the media classroom, the real work began as they uploaded the raw footage and worked with the editing software for the rest of the week.

“I'm glad I told Kenny to film tomorrow's game,” Mr. Seneca told Javier and Pat on Friday afternoon. They had been sitting at the computers the past two hours. “You two have a better sense for editing.”

“That's ‘cause Javier is so crazy about details,” Pat told his teacher. “He's also a perfectionist. Javier does everything over and over and
over
again.”

Mr. Seneca chuckled, but he also tapped Javier's shoulder and said, “Attention to detail has its place. Look at the big picture too. Details are only as good as the whole message they create.”

“Yes, Sir,” he answered, a bit thoughtful about Mr. Seneca's advice. He looked at the image on the computer
screen in front of him. It was Andy leaning over his drum, his blurred hands beating a rapid cadence. His face beamed with a toothy smile of undiluted joy. But when Javier looked again, he saw the rest of the drummers angled behind Andy and the horn players in front of him, also engrossed in their own music making. In the bigger image, he discovered creative expression and collaboration. It was the difference between random noise and a thing called music.

He began to wonder what would happen if he used music behind the film clips they showed during the broadcast?
What if we filmed more student activities besides the band and the football team? What about taking the camera to the next pep rally? What about interviews?

“Let's call it a day, gentlemen.” Mr. Seneca's order interrupted Javier's musings. “It's almost five-thirty, and I'm beat.”

Javier reluctantly shut down the computer. He liked to experiment with the sequence of images and think about ways to present them. He hadn't enjoyed anything like this since his grade-school Science Fair days. That was the last time he recalled using new skills and his own creativity to solve a problem.

It wasn't until they had walked away from the building that Javier said, “I hope Kenny gets good video from tomorrow's game. Maybe we can set it to music.”

Pat nodded but didn't comment. They had walked closer to the parking lot before he said, “Did I tell you Carrie's coming to the game tomorrow night?”

“Pat!” Javier stopped walking and stared at his friend. “Have you been talking to Carrie since my party?”

“Yeah, but that's not all.” Pat smiled like the Big Bad Wolf about to eat up Little Red Riding Hood. “Carrie's bringing Amanda too. You ready to try again, Javier?”

“Try again?” Javier replied, though he knew
perfectly
well what Pat meant.

“Don't play dumb!” Pat told him. “Maybe Amanda's not the girl of your dreams, but you can help a friend out and be nice to her, right? I need you to be my wing man.”

When Javier just stared back, Pat's eyebrows furrowed over his dark eyes. “You're not still hung up on my sister, right? She left you hanging, Jack! I wouldn't wish my sister on anybody—except maybe Kenny García.”

Javier responded, “A match made in hell, right?”

“See? You can be funny too, Javier.” Pat shook his head. “You were so freaking serious last year. You reminded me of a robot, and I kept wondering who was pushing the buttons on the remote control?”

Javier stepped back. The robot comparison stung, but it was truthful too. “I guess I used to be a robot, Pat, but not anymore.”

“That's good news.” Pat laughed. “Humans make much better friends.”

“F
irst time I met you, I thought you looked familiar, but I didn't figure it out until after your party,” Amanda told Javier as they stood together under the bleachers. They were waiting for Pat and Carrie to buy soda at the concession stand across the yard. “You went to the same science camp I did two years ago.”

He shifted his weight as if he had stepped on a hot sidewalk. “You went to prep camp, Amanda?”

“Yeah, well, I quit after the first month.” She shrugged and gave him a little smile. “Prep camp interfered with my swim team practice. I like math and science, but I had the chance to train with an Olympic swimmer, so I dropped out.”

His feet started to cool down. If Amanda didn't remember that stressed-out phony he had been there, maybe he had a chance to make a better impression. “With that choice, I might have done the same thing. Have you always liked swimming?”

She laughed easily. “My friends swear I was a mermaid in my past life.”

Javier smiled. Amanda wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like Feliz. She didn't wear make-up, and her streaked hair had been cut way too short to be attractive. Still, she had
been nice at his birthday party after he thought Feliz had ruined it. He decided he could be a wing man for Pat and be nice to Carrie's friend tonight.

“Swim team is one of my favorite things about school,” she was saying. “What about you, Javier?”

He remembered awkward conversations with girls because he had never done anything but study, but now he could happily say, “I'm taking a new elective this semester in Media Broadcasting. We televise the school announcements every morning.”

“Oh, yeah. We do that where I go to school,” Amanda said. “They even show student films. Have you made any movies yet?”

“I've got a lot to learn before I can do that,” he answered honestly and then smiled at her again. “I seem to be a pretty good scriptwriter and editor, but I hope to get more experience shooting film too.”

By then, Pat and Carrie had come back. They all walked up the ramp into the section of the St. Peter's football stadium where the students sat. Javier felt relaxed as he climbed up the bleachers behind Amanda, Carrie, and Pat. It was always better to sit with girls. They stopped midway and settled in among other sophomores to watch the game. It wasn't too crowded, so they had space to sit together comfortably.

“Look, there's Kenny,” Pat said, pointing toward the field.

As the referees lined up with the school captains from both teams for the coin toss, Javier also noticed Kenny standing on the sidelines. Kenny spun the camera on the tripod as he talked to an older man with an even bigger camera.

He leaned around Amanda to tell Pat, “I bet that's a TV sports reporter. Can you imagine what Kenny is probably telling the man?”

“That he's the
only
one in our media class who knows how to work a camera.”

“Do you think Kenny knows he has to pan the camera to follow the moving players?” Javier said. “He can't just point and focus like he does during a school broadcast.”

“I guess we'll find out,” Pat answered and then jumped up with the rest of the students when the band began playing the school fight song.

Sadly, the Guardian football team didn't provide any outstanding plays, and by the second quarter, they were losing 28-3. When Javier saw the band lining up for the half-time show, he also realized Kenny wasn't on the field anymore.

Javier turned to Amanda. “I'll be back. I want to be sure someone films the half-time show for our morning broadcast.” He stood up and started to pass in front of the girls. He got past Amanda, but he tripped over Carrie's feet and toppled toward her.

“Aw, man!” Javier gasped just as Pat's strong hands pushed up and kept him upright. Here he was with two nice girls, and he looked like a stupid klutz! Ugh!

“Where are you going?” Pat asked. He had stood up to keep Javier from falling.

Javier felt grateful to have a buddy with quick reflexes. He glanced down to be sure he didn't trip again before he stepped forward. Then he looked up at Pat. “Kenny's not on the field. Just because we're losing doesn't mean he can take off.”

“Wait … I'll come with you.” Pat gave Carrie a smile. “We'll be right back.”

The two of them quickly walked down the bleachers in search of Kenny García. They found him at the concession stand, drinking a Coke and talking to a couple of the senior basketball players. The zipped camera case hung over Kenny's shoulder. The tripod was leaning against a trashcan.

Javier walked purposefully toward him. Only for a moment, he feared the confrontation with Kenny; his desire to present an entertaining broadcast was stronger.

“Kenny,” he said when he was close enough to be heard, “aren't you going to film the half-time show?”

“What?” Kenny turned and frowned. “What's your problem, Ávila?”

He attempted to keep his tone even and reasonable. “Kenny, I know there hasn't been much to film tonight of the football team, but the half-time show's about to start. Don't you need to get back on the sidelines and film that too?”

Kenny straightened up to his full six-foot-three height and glared down at Javier. “My job's done. The game's over, man. It ended two touchdowns ago.”

“That's a loser's attitude,” Pat said, stepping up beside Javier. “You don't have much faith in our football team, do you?”

“I got Omar kicking the field goal,” Kenny snapped out his words. “That's good enough.” He turned to the two tall boys beside him and gave them a grin. “We'll have great highlights when our season begins, won't we?”

Javier ignored the conceited chuckles and said, “If you're done for the night, Kenny, then let me have the camera.” He heard the referee's whistle that ended the first half of the game. The band would march onto the
field in the next few moments. There was no time to be polite.

“Kenny, you can't show up on Monday without highlights.” His voice held firm. “If we can't show the team making a touchdown, then we'll show the band marching or show pictures of the cheerleaders. So, if you can't do the job, get out of the way and let someone else take over.”

One of the seniors jeered. “Man, you gonna take that?”

That's when Kenny's tone grew nastier. “So when did Mr. Seneca die and put you in charge?” He kept up his intimidating stance, but Javier didn't let it faze him.

“You just can't stop filming because it doesn't interest you, Kenny. That's not the way it works! How would you feel if someone stopped filming
you
because the basketball team was losing?”

Kenny rolled his eyes. “Fine! I'll get back on the field and get more footage.”

“Good! Do that! Now we need to leave. Two pretty girls are waiting for us. Come on, Pat. Let's go.” He turned away with a smile of self-satisfaction. With Pat at his side, he walked away from Kenny and the others. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Brother Calvin was
so
wrong about his lack of passion.

“That was great, Javier,” Pat told him. “I don't think Kenny knew what hit him. And when you mentioned the girls? That was genius.”

“It wasn't genius—just the truth. Kenny had a job to do, and you and I have girls waiting for us in the stands.” He tried to sound like it was no big deal, but on the inside Javier was jumping around like his nephew Trey on Christmas morning.

As they reached the top of the ramp, the band played its first number and marched across the field. Kenny was running across the track, camera and tripod in hand.

Pat clapped Javier on the shoulder, and both of them started cheering for their friends. The band played well as they began an intricate pattern of circles on the field.

There was a lot of moving around in the stands during half-time as parents got up to stretch or visit with others and kids ran for the concession stand. Even the cheerleaders came up to mingle with their friends. Javier walked behind Pat, half-watching the half-time show and trying not to trip over his own feet.

When they climbed the steps and got back to their seats, they were surprised to see Javier's cousin Natalie sitting between Amanda and Carrie.

“Okay, now what kind of
primo
are you that you don't call me and invite me to the game?” Natalie scolded, wagging her finger at Javier. “I got to hear it from my girlfriends that this game's the place to be tonight. What's up with that?”

Javier jerked his thumb toward Pat. “He set this up, not me. Blame him.”

“Can't!” Natalie jumped up and hopped over to give Javier a quick hug. “He's not family. I can blame
anything
on family.” She laughed and grinned, her braces now striped with blue rubber bands. “Remember how I used to tell Miss Canales you were the one stealing the pencils off her desk?”

“You stole pencils from my locker too. Nat, you stole pencils from everybody!”

She laughed and playfully pinched his arm. “I've missed you, Javito. We could have some really good times if you went to my school.”

“You'd probably have me sitting in detention with you,” Javier answered, breaking into an easy grin. He enjoyed how relaxed he felt—no itchy feet, no fear of feeling like an idiot. He slipped into the row without tripping and sat down beside Amanda. He smiled at her, thinking
She has pretty eyes and good taste in friends
.