Page 26 of Playing to Win
Chapter 10
“Callie, you really need to come up with something new, something inventive, something that will wow the professors who will be critiquing your senior project. You need something that shows what you’ve learned in the four years you’ve been in college, especially in the Gaylord School of Journalism.” Callie’s academic advisor, Lillian, stared at her from across the massive desk between them. Her dark brown eyes peeked out from under one of her fabulous wigs she always sported. This one was a myriad of curls in a rich chocolate color that perfectly coordinated with her caramel-colored skin. Lillian had been her advisor from the time she walked on campus four years ago as a little fish in a huge pond. Her advice had been so critical in so many junctures of Callie’s education; she didn’t know if she would have survived OU if it hadn’t been for her. Lillian was a lifesaver.
“Thoughts? Ideas? You gotta give me something, girl.”
Callie sat and stewed. Truth be told, she had no clue what to do for her senior presentation. It was supposed to be this semester long project, but every idea Callie had had crashed and burned along the way. Now, here it was, the fourth week in March, and she had zilch. Nada. A big goose egg. No clue as to how she was going to wow anyone.
Lillian tried to disguise her sigh as a yawn. “Nothing?”
Callie shrugged her shoulders. “Every idea I had burst into flames the moment I tried to expand on it in any way. What am I going to do? If I don’t have a senior project, I don’t graduate! This is awful!”
“Now, now,” Lillian said, patting Callie’s head that she had banged on Lillian’s desk after her outburst. “We’ll think of something. You want to broadcast, right? Aren’t you doing that internship at the news station? Would someone there let you do something?”
“No, it has to be something I’m not currently involved with,” Callie moaned, lifting her head up and rubbing her forehead. “Besides, all I really am at the station is a glorified gopher, anyway.”
“Gopher?”
“Yeah. I go for this, I go for that, go for coffee, go for a towel to wipe up spilled coffee on the news desk. Haven’t you ever heard of that?”
“Can’t say that I have.” Lillian bit back a smile.
“Well, they never tell you in internships you basically do nothing but sit back and watch all the action happen around you. It’s the experience of the environment you’re really getting is what I always get told,” Callie grumbled.
“Weren’t you on the school news team last year? I know you did interviews on campus for our local news station. You were even an anchor once or twice, too, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, since you have that experience, you could expand upon that. Maybe find someone interesting to interview. An athlete on campus or a coach. Someone you could use to really give us insight to who you would be as a sports broadcaster. You could then present it to the panel as a newsreel, just as if they were watching it on TV. I suggest you use your editing skills as well, so you can really show off what you have learned in your time at our great university. But it has to be something catchy, someone interesting. Would that be feasible?”
An idea started to form in Callie’s mind. A crazy idea that she didn’t even know if the other person would be on board doing. But what a show stopper it would be. The plan that was forming held infinite possibilities. Unfortunately, it also included one stud of an athlete with a dimple Callie had a feeling was going to be her undoing. “Yeah, I actually think it would. Thanks, Lillian. As usual, you’re a lifesaver. Gotta run see…about a boy, actually.”
“I hope that means you have a plan!” Lillian called to her retreating back.
“It does! A really good one!”
The Thunder’splane had just touched down in Salt Lake City. Their lead in the conference had clinched their spot in the Western Conference finals with the first round matching them with the Utah Jazz. This was game four and the Thunder were leading the series three to one. This win would get them to round two.
Kyle turned his phone off of airplane mode and immediately received three incoming text messages. He hoped one of them would be from Curly. It seemed like forever since they had hung out at her dad’s house. And dang if he didn’t miss her. He knew she planned on still keeping their relationship platonic. But lucky for him, he still had three times to hang out with her to try to win her over. He looked at his first message.
Kacia: Just reminding you that I’m coming to watch the next game.
Of all his siblings, he was closest to Kacia. She was the second youngest and the only one who had any sort of athleticism other than him in their extremely non-athletic family. At six-one, she was killer on the volleyball court. She had even gotten a scholarship to play at a small university after high school, where she thrived. While their family supported them in every sporting event they had, they didn’t really understand either game that muc, sohe and Kacia had bonded over sports and the fact that, as the two youngest children in the K-clan, they were bound to get picked on the most.
Kyle: Awesome! I’ll try to keep you away from Garrett this go round.
Kacia: Yeah, you owe me one. He’s lucky he still has his testicles after him grabbing my butt the way he did.
Kyle: If he wasn’t my teammate, I would’ve killed him.
Kacia: Aw, gotta love brotherly love. Silly brother. I can hold my own.
Kyle: You’re still my sister. It’s my job to protect you.
Kacia: And that’s why I love you. I’ll see in a couple of days. Gotta get back to teaching the youth of America.
Kyle: Good luck. As Meemaw would say, they’re going to hell in a hand basket.
Kacia: There’s still good ones left. ;) Love ya!
