Legendary Football Superstar

"This place is dead, man. I already miss LA. Seriously, even the bars here are snooze- fests. Is there anything fun to do?"

"Try being an Asian dude walking these streets, you'll see things differently."

"Welcome to the club!"

Logan kicked things off, Luke chimed in, and Marcus wrapped it up. The three of them were chilling in some cowboy bar in Indianapolis, sipping on lemonade instead of booze. Rookie training camp was kicking off tomorrow, so they had to keep it clean. Indianapolis, the heart of Indiana, smack dab in the Midwest. It's like the crossroads of America with all its railways and highways. Fourth biggest capital city in the US, and one of the busiest spots around here.

This place screams Midwest. Mostly white folks and Catholics, making it super conservative, stubborn, and, well, boring. Racial discrimination? Yeah, it's pretty bad here. When Martin Luther King got assassinated, riots broke out everywhere except here, where white folks ruled the roost.

Luke and Marcus were cracking jokes about this. Luke's Asian, Marcus is African American.

Indy is dullsville, no doubt. Not much to do, nightlife's a joke. People here work from dawn till dusk, and even though it's a big city, it's got that small-town vibe. The only thing that gets folks riled up is the Indianapolis Colts.

Since the Colts landed here in '84, they've been the city's pride and joy. With Peyton Manning leading the charge, they hit the playoffs eight years straight and snagged the Super Bowl in '06. The Colts are the heartbeat of this place, and game days? The whole city goes nuts.

The rookie training camp happens at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts' home turf. This year, it's from Feb 18th to 22nd. After that, the 32 teams will figure out their draft picks based on the rookies' skills and what they need. The draft's set for April 28th.

A month ago, the state selection kicked off. Eight Bruins players did the basic tests, and five got invites to the rookie camp: Logan, Luke, Marcus, Rahim from defense, and a surprise pick, David Carter.

For the camp, Luke hitched a ride with Logan. They drove from LA, soaking in the road trip vibes before the grind started.

As they neared Indy, Marcus, who got there a day early, called Luke, whining about how boring and lonely it was. So, they decided to hit up a bar, even if they couldn't drink, at least they could throw some darts and chat about girls to kill time.

But man, what a letdown. The bar was dead, not even a drunk hobo in sight. Boredom was off the charts.

"How about we bail and head back to the hotel?" Luke raised his glass, staring at the milky lemonade. He smirked bitterly. Sitting in a bar drinking lemonade felt so lame, like a teenager sneaking into a bar but too scared to order booze. It was so awkward he had to facepalm.

Logan just looked around the bar, clearly not ready to leave. "Can we hang out a bit longer?" he asked, then added, "Just five more minutes, man."

Marcus and Luke exchanged a look, a smirk playing on their lips. Just as Marcus was about to say something, the doorbell rang, grabbing their attention.

Sure enough, laughter filled the air as a group of tall, young dudes walked in, about four of them. They were all smiles, strutting in like they owned the place, their voices booming. It was like their swagger brought a breeze with them, their confidence almost tangible.noveldrama

"Yo, you think they're like us?" Logan's excitement was off the charts. After sitting around for over twenty minutes, he was bored out of his mind. Seeing a group of lively dudes walk in, he couldn't help but get hyped.

Luke eyed the newcomers for a sec before nodding. "Yeah, I think so." Just like them, these guys were football players here for the rookie training camp. Their swagger and gear gave it away.

Marcus was just as pumped. "Should we go say what's up?" he suggested, all enthusiastic. "We could introduce ourselves, maybe make some new friends. Who knows, we might be future teammates?" The thought of playing together in the pros got Marcus all fired up, and he wasn't the only one.

Marcus and Logan high-fived over Luke.

"Look at these hicks drinking lemonade in a bar!" A sharp, mocking voice cut through the air, followed by a burst of laughter. Another voice chimed in, "Even chicks don't drink lemonade anymore. Must be kids who haven't even grown hair yet."

"Little babies, go home! No milk here!" A rough, grating voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the bar and causing more laughter.

What the hell?

Logan and Marcus, both with short fuses, stood up immediately, but Luke was even quicker. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of your mom," he shot back, implying he had a thing with the guy's mom, so he should call him "Dad."

"Fuck!" The big guy in front rolled up his sleeves and charged forward without a second thought. But Marcus and Logan weren't about to back down. They took a big step forward, ready to throw down. The bar's vibe instantly got tense.

"Hey! Hey! Cowboys!" The bar owner shouted from behind the counter, pounding the table to get everyone's attention. He held a shotgun and banged it on the counter, chewing gum like he didn't have a care in the world. "If you got a problem, take it outside. In my bar, everyone shuts up!"

The sight of the shotgun made both sides take a half-step back, easing the tension. But they still glared at each other, not willing to back down.

Luke calmly picked up his lemonade, took a sip, and added, "I still prefer milk."

The four guys across from them looked even angrier. Just as they were about to make a move, the bar owner tossed the shotgun onto the counter, snuffing out their rising aggression once again.

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One of the young men kicked a chair by the bar, making a loud clattering noise. "All talk. On the field, you're all just kittens."

Luke shook his lemonade, the ice clinking crisply. "Logan, did you hear someone talking?"

Logan, quick on the uptake, immediately got Luke's point. The other side was mocking Luke for being all talk, but they were the same, making it a case of the pot calling the kettle black. So Logan mimicked a cat's meow.

Marcus burst out laughing, showing no mercy.

They didn't need to look back to imagine the four guys' faces turning dark with anger. But their faces were already dark, so it wasn't noticeable. The young men were clearly losing their cool. One of them, standing slightly behind, patted the guy who had kicked the chair and started the provocation. "Don't you know who he is?" he said proudly, chin raised, speaking through his nose.

Luke and his friends exchanged a glance, barely holding back their laughter. This was the kind of immature talk you'd hear in high school. Luke then said loudly, "Sorry, Peyton, we shouldn't have been so rude."

His implication was clear: You're not Peyton Manning, so why act so high and mighty? And Peyton Manning is white, while this guy was black. With one simple sentence, Luke had humiliated the guy, shattering his confident, arrogant demeanor.

When it came to verbal sparring, Luke, with his journalism background, had never been intimidated by anyone.

Logan and Marcus were laughing uncontrollably, clutching their stomachs. The provoker couldn't hold back either. He pushed away the hand on his shoulder and stood up. "What, the latest Heisman Trophy winner, is that enough for you?"

The Heisman Trophy, the highest honor in NCAA football! The latest winner was Auburn University's quarterback, Cam Newton. So, this arrogant young man was Cam Newton?