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Eighteen years old/12th Grade/January
Unsure of where to begin, I looked at the stuff strewn out on my bed. And this was quite possibly the very beginning of this kind of stuff. Wearing just my boxer briefs, I flopped down on my desk chair and picked up my Worry Wart from my bookcase. I tossed Mr. Mint into the air while I let the ceiling fan cool me off from my shower. I could procrastinate a bit longer.
I picked up the pale green sheet of paper from my desk and read over it for the hundredth time while I held Mr. Mint in my hand. It was the itinerary for my very first promotional event in Las Vegas at TCF headquarters. TCF had to wait until I turned eighteen to hold an official event with journalists and other invited attendees from the industry.
Mom, Dad, Patrick, and I were flying to Vegas tomorrow right after school for the event on Saturday. Grandpa and Grandma were coming over to stay with Morgan and Chase while we were gone. We’d stay Friday and Saturday night and then fly home Sunday. Mom, Dad, and TCF wanted to ensure I was home with a little time to recoup from the quick trip and be ready for school Monday. I had entered the last semester of my senior year and I wanted it to go by quickly.
I wasn’t exactly nervous for the trip, but I felt unsure of exactly what to expect. Corey had sent me some tapes to watch of other newcomer promo events, but he’d said they expected my event to be unlike any of the others. That was what had me a bit unsure. I didn’t know what Corey meant exactly.
TCF Presents: Meet & Greet
Hollis Ward & Team Dragon
8:00 a.m.: Arrival/Collect badge and Team Dragon promo bag—Breakfast & Coffee.
8:45 a.m.: Introduction from CEO of TCF, Vin Hasselbeck
9:00 a.m.: Meet Hollis Ward and Team Dragon
9:30 a.m.: Press conference
10:30 a.m.: Photo opportunity for press
11:00 a.m.: Peek at Hollis Ward in the cage
12:00 p.m.: Lunch
1:00 p.m.: VIP & Special Guests question & answer session. Photos and autographs
Autographs.Who would have ever guessed? I’d live up to the hype, though. I was confident of that. It helped that I already had a full team of trainers and an agent.
“Hey,” Patrick said as he came into my room and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Hey,” I replied.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just cooling off under the fan for a minute and looking over the schedule for Saturday.” I set the itinerary on my desk and looked at him. “In all the tapes we’ve watched, none of them looked like what’s on that paper.”
Patrick shrugged.
“Maybe those were prior to their change in format or something.”
I nodded and then stared at my bed that had clothes, my gloves, shorts, and a bunch of toiletries strewn on it. My suitcase was open on the floor, with a pair of dress shoes in it. I looked at Patrick, and he was looking at my suitcase.
“I came to see if you needed any help packing,” he said.
“What, are you all packed already?”
“I am,” he said as he gave me a cheesy grin. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. “Hey, come on. Let me help you.”
I nodded but hadn’t moved from my chair.
“I don’t know how you got packed so fast.”
“It was easy. I’m supposed to wear a Team Dragon polo with jeans on Saturday during the day, then nice pants, a shirt, and a tie for dinner Saturday night. Your mom helped me iron them, and your dad let me use a garment bag.”
I welcomed Patrick’s help, and I knew he liked helping and being needed. A half hour later, I was all packed and had flopped down on the bed.
