Following the post-game handshake with our rival team and a triumphant fly-by around the ecstatic audience, we made our way to the field house locker room. Coach Florence assembled us all in the spacious central area, her eyes shining with pride.

"I just wanted to congratulate every single one of you on a truly amazing game!" Coach Florence shouted. "It was exceptionally well played. In addition to Rollie's standout performance, we showcased some top-notch defensive moves, remarkable goalkeeping, and the masterful execution of our formations and strategies. You all deserve a hearty round of applause for that. It's a rare occurrence for such a blowout to happen between Aquasos and Fyrons, but we made it a reality against our long-standing rivals."

We all clapped and cheered.

"I know that some of you may be wondering about our decision to keep running the same plays towards the end of the game," Coach Florence continued. "Allow me to offer some insight into that choice. It's quite unusual for a team to successfully execute two consecutive plays with the level of perfection that we displayed today. However, I felt a surge of confidence in our abilities and decided to take a calculated risk. Even if something had happened to Rollie, we would still have had our exceptional thief, Arthur, ready to step up. By repeatedly using the same play in this first match of the season, we've created a false impression that we rely on a single strategy. As we continue practicing and refining our skills, we will, of course, expand our playbook. This clever tactic will lull other teams into focusing their defenses on countering that one specific play. When we eventually face them, we'll unleash a wide variety of tactics that will catch them completely off-guard. So, if any of you feel disappointed that you didn't have your moment in the spotlight today, please don't be disheartened. We're on track for a truly phenomenal season, with a wealth of opportunities for everyone to shine. This approach is strategic, and if we maintain this momentum and dedication, we have a solid chance of clinching the season championship. Captains, do you have any thoughts or words you'd like to contribute?"

The captains shook their heads, exchanging glances. "No, other than to extend our gratitude to Rollie for playing such an extraordinary game."

Hearing my name mentioned by one of my respected peers left me momentarily stunned, but I managed a grateful smile as everyone broke into enthusiastic applause.

Upon leaving the field house and reuniting with my grandpa and Farrah outside the bustling stadium, I could barely contain my excitement. I was positively eager to hear their thoughts on the game.

"Rollie! That was absolutely unbelievable! You were nothing short of sensational out there!" Farrah gushed, wrapping her arms around me in a tight, warm hug.

"Thank you so much!"

My grandpa offered me a smile, though his expression was somewhat more reserved than Farrah's exuberant grin.

"What did you think, Grandpa?" I said.

He paused before responding. "Well, I must admit that I'm not exactly thrilled about the two penalties you managed to pick up in just one game. However, considering that this was your first official start to a season, I can't be too hard on you, my boy."

"Well, no one ever explained the rules or penalties of the game to me, so how was I supposed to know?" I said, irritation clear in my voice.

My grandpa blinked, taken aback by my outburst. "Hey, it's alright, there's no need to get upset with me. I just assumed everyone knew the rules of the game. I can't believe they didn't go over that with you."

"I can believe it," Farrah chimed in. "I think the head coaches just assume everyone knows the rules because they've been watching the pros for so long. They probably forgot that Rollie isn't from this world and didn't grow up with the game like everyone else."

I was grateful for her intervention, as it helped diffuse the tension I had unintentionally created. "That's true. No one ever told me about any penalties. But Coach Florence did say she has never seen a speeding penalty happen like that before."

"While it might be seen as impressive, it's not something to be proud of. The fewer penalties, the better. And don't go aiming at another kid's head," my grandpa cautioned, his voice firm and parental but not overly harsh.

I simply nodded in agreement. I wanted to defend myself and explain that I hadn't meant to aim at the kid's head, that everything had happened so quickly, and I had been caught up in the moment, but I knew he was right.

Fortunately, the conversation became less awkward after that. My grandpa took Farrah and me out to eat at a popular restaurant near the port of Attleton. It was a bustling place where many parents brought their kids who played in the match or were just visiting the campus. Positioned right by the water, the early evening sun began to set, and the restaurant's interior was bathed in the soft, warm glow of lanterns on wooden posts. Farrah and my grandpa took turns educating me about the rules and quirks of Dragonstryke—some aspects I was already familiar with, while others were completely new to me.

I wasn't prepared for the attention I would receive the following week at school. I remembered stepping in for our quarterback in my home world and winning the game with some amazing plays, but no one seemed to care the next day. However, as I walked through the educational building hallways and even entered the dining hall that week, I noticed girls smiling and whispering to each other as I passed. People approached me—even those from other mage groups—and said things like:

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"Rollie, that was incredible what you did on Saturday."

"Oh my gosh, dude, I have to know where you learned to play Dragonstryke like that. Do you have a private tutor or a separate coach?"

"Hey man, thanks for the win on Saturday!"

"Hi. I know I'm in Venomaus, but I really wanted to tell you that I love your style of play on the field. What you did on Saturday was one of the most entertaining matches I've ever seen."

For all these comments, I just smirked and nodded, always expressing my gratitude.

"Hey, Rollie, I know this might be a bit strange coming from an older Fyron, but I have a replica Dragonstryke trophy. Would you sign it for me?"

I actually ended up signing someone's replica statue, and I couldn't have been more thrilled to do it.

Usually, people stared at my mohawk, but that week it felt like they looked me in the eye and smiled. It was as if they saw a different side of me. I felt on top of the world as I strolled through the halls.

But then, one day, I saw Houston Smith and his Voltrun cronies trip a kid in the hallway. It appeared to be a first-year Glacien, but regardless of who it was, it infuriated me. Especially the way Houston's friends laughed, attempting to be discreet and go unnoticed. A few other people chuckled, but fortunately, most of the students in the hallway stopped and helped the Glacien kid back up.

Weaving through the students in front of me, I shoved Houston Smith's friend, who had tripped the kid.

Houston and his other friend on the right spun around and glared at me. The guy I shoved was shocked. Once he realized I was the one who pushed him, he glared at me.

"You're done, kid," Houston threatened, rolling up his sleeve and clenching his hand into a fist.

I took a step back. Despite having a decent amount of muscle, Houston had a larger frame than I, and he could probably beat the daylights out of me. Not to mention, I wasn't trying to fight anyone. There was no way I wanted to risk getting kicked off the Dragonstryke team when I had finally been allowed to play.

"How does that make any sense?" I barked. "Your friend tripped a kid smaller than him, and I wanted to even the score. You want to mess with someone? Cool, just prepare for it to come back and bite you in the ass."

Houston marched up to me, but I remained still. I wanted the world to know that if he hit me, I didn't provoke him, nor did I fight him. Houston stopped within three feet of me before his gaze shifted to something behind me.

"Rollie Magpie! I saw that shove of yours! There will be no violence in this school of any kind! You will have to serve detention immediately!" Professor Hawthorne shouted.

I sighed and turned to Hawthorne. "I didn't do anything wrong, I swear."

"He shoved me! He should go pay a visit to Principal Pine!" Houston's friend hollered.

"He should go too because he's the one who tripped a kid," I insisted.

The Glacien who had been tripped came running toward us. He was a foot shorter than I was and exclaimed, "It's true! It's true! That kid tripped me."

Professor Henderson had drifted over, listening to every word that was exchanged.

"Rollie, as far as I see it, you owe me a detention!" Professor Hawthorne snapped.

"Now, now, Professor Hawthorne," Professor Henderson said, holding his finger high. "I don't think it's fair to assume Rollie was solely responsible for all of this. I happened to notice a student fall in the hallway, and a little crowd gathered around him. Then I saw Rollie come to his defense and join the fray. While both actions aren't necessarily appropriate or tolerated here on campus, I believe that at the beginning of the year, we sometimes need time to adjust to the rules. From my perspective, and I'm sure the perspective of other professors here, it's best to let everyone off with a warning. Detention seems rather unnecessary, don't you think?"

"No! Detention seems perfectly appropriate for Rollie's behavior!" Professor Hawthorne said. A vein popped in his neck.

"But it seems this whole squabble would have never happened if Houston's friend hadn't tripped another student. Rollie's heart was in the right place, defending a younger student, but violence isn't tolerated here on campus."

"Exactly! Which is why Rollie deserves detention."

"If anything, both of them deserve detention, but I think giving them a warning to correct their behavior rather than cutting into their study time with detention is the better choice. And I won't back down from this. We can even take this to Counselor Jonathan or Principal Pine. Whichever you'd prefer, Hawthorne, but remember, you'd be wasting many people's time." Professor Henderson had a cold but confident stare.

Watching the whole scene was awesome. It felt like a verbal game of chess, with Henderson having won and Hawthorne unwilling to accept it.

Hawthorne scoffed." If I see any more misbehavior from Rollie or Houston or his friends, I will be handing out detentions like candy with a smile on my face. But let the record show that Henderson was delighted in allowing no disciplinary action to take place." Professor Hawthorne stormed away from us all.

Henderson watched him leave and said, "The rest of you should really head to class now. But, Rollie, may I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure thing."

We stepped off to the side of the hallway. The Glacien kid walked away but patted my shoulder, saying, "Hey, uh, thanks for the help back there. Houston and his friends are the worst."

"You're welcome," I replied. I was short with him because I didn't want to draw more attention to the scene. Besides, I still had to talk to Professor Henderson. I was about to go to his class, so I wasn't worried about being late.

"Rollie, I just wanted to let you know that you need to be cautious with your behavior here. I think you're a good kid and a good student, but the more missteps you have, the more likely you are to get expelled. And I would hate for that to happen because you show a lot of promise, especially on the Dragonstryke field."

"Right, I understand. Thank you for letting me off with a warning."

Professor Henderson frowned. "You especially need to be careful around Professor Hawthorne. I get the feeling that he doesn't like you."

I chuckled. "Really? What gave you that idea?" I said sarcastically.

"Rollie, be cautious of him. I think if he could, he would give you detention every day. He has told the other teachers to watch out for you as a troublemaker."

I raised my eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. If you notice any of your professors treating you with initial disrespect, it's probably because of him."

"Other than what just happened in the hallway, I've been on my best behavior this year."

"Of course. Well, that's all I wanted to say. Let's get back to class, shall we?"

I nodded. Going into Henderson's class felt like a safe haven for me. Although I had a hard time focusing on Professor Henderson's lecture. All I could think about was Professor Hawthorne going around and talking to all of the instructors, telling them how bad of a student I was.

It boiled my blood.