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Once they arrived at the stadium, they made their way to a private suite that belonged to Coach Yao, one of the Great Wall’s team owners, where a full buffet was laid out. It was complete with burbling chocolate fountains and towering ice sculptures in the likeness of the Great Wall’s best player, Lonnie’s brother, Li’l Shang. Li’l Shang used to coach R.O.A.R. at Auradon Prep, but had turned pro a few weeks ago.
“Great seats,” said Jay, as they filled their plates with an array of delicacies.
“Thanks,” said Lonnie with a wink. “I know the owner.”
Today’s game was tournament-style, which meant pairs of fencers squared off, and whichever team won the most matches won the tournament. The arena showed several matches at the same time. The Summerland Sevens had taken an early lead, with Happy’s eldest son, Hap, scoring the most points by the break. The ferocious dwarf had defeated one of the best imperial players. The Summerland Sevens had the advantage of being physically much smaller than the Great Wall team, which meant there were fewer places to hit them at swordpoint.
But Li’l Shang was up next, against Doug’s brother Derek. Derek was a hulk of a dwarf, with rippling muscles underneath his R.O.A.R. uniform. He came out swinging, slashing his sword to and fro and racking up points quickly. But Li’l Shang came rushing back, and soon didn’t let Derek score another point.
Jay and Lonnie stood and cheered. Jay was so excited he threw his popcorn everywhere. He admired both teams’ grit and finesse. Watching Li’l Shang take a flying leap off the edge of the arena to win the match point was positively thrilling.
The players came to the owner’s suite after the game, and Li’l Shang grinned when he saw his younger sister and his protégé. “I hoped you guys would be here! What’s been going on? How’s Auradon Prep?”
“Great! We lost the Kingdom Cup, but we came really close,” said Jay, referring to the championship R.O.A.R. game the Auradon Prep team had played several weeks before. “How’s life on the pro circuit?”
“Can’t complain,” said Li’l Shang. “We travel by first-class carriage all the way. Thousands of fans screaming in packed arenas.” He pulled open his R.O.A.R. jacket to show Jay a T-shirt with his face on it, SHANG LIFE written in huge letters on the front. “Look! I’m famous!”
Jay laughed. “Dude, you made it!”
“Been trying to get my sister here to join the team, but she says she still hasn’t made up her mind whether to go pro or go to college.” Li’l Shang rubbed Lonnie’s head. “Suit yourself, sis.”
Li’l Shang and Lonnie introduced Jay to Coach Yao, who had been a soldier in Mulan’s army, along with his partners, Ling and Chien-Po.
“Jay, son of Jafar, of course! I’ve heard you’re one of the best at R.O.A.R.!” he said, shaking Jay’s hand. “Ever think of going straight to the pros?”
“Skipping college?” asked Jay.
Yao nodded. “You could be playing in this arena in a few months!”
“You’ll have to sign him first,” Lonnie reminded him.
“Right, right,” said Coach Yao. “And see your moves. We’ll be at Auradon Prep next Saturday. We’ll check you out.”
“Next Saturday?” asked Jay with a frown.
“Is there a problem?”
Jay scratched his head. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I have…a conflict.” He never remembered important dates, but he knew this one.
“Oh,” said Coach Yao.
Lonnie frowned. “You do?”
“Yeah, I’m supposed to go back to the Isle of the Lost with Mal, Evie, and Carlos. We’re going to try to get more kids to apply to Auradon Prep,” he told them sheepishly.
“Do you have to?” asked Lonnie. She took Jay aside. “I mean, if you want to be considered for a pro team, this is the only day they’ll come to Auradon Prep. It’s kind of a big deal.”
Jay thought about it. If he missed the recruiting session, Coach Yao wouldn’t see him play, and Jay would be passing up the chance to play professionally. He looked around at the arena. He could just imagine it thundering with a thousand fans calling his name. He could do this. He was one of the best. His future was open.
But he couldn’t let his friends down. Time with his friends was precious, and it would be even rarer after graduation. They had to stick together. Plus, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to play professionally; there was still college to consider.
“I don’t know,” said Jay. “I don’t really know what I want to do yet.”
Lonnie nodded. “I understand. You’ll figure it out.” They went back to the party.
“Jay?” asked Coach Yao. “Shall we put you down on our list? Will we see you next Saturday?”
“No, you won’t. I’m so sorry, but I have other commitments,” said Jay.
