The F Factor

by Diane Gonzales Bertrand

  “Do that, Mr. Ávila. You and Mr. Berlanga here will set the tone of this program from day one. Everyone in this school watches and learns from you two.” One hand whipped from his hip and Mr. Q. pointed directly at Javier and Pat. “I don’t understand why a new teacher would choose sophomores over seniors, but you two got selected first string. There’s a lot of time and money invested in this new equipment, gentlemen. Do better than your best!”

  Javier felt a large boulder drop on his shoulders. He struggled to sit still, his back stiff against the cafeteria chair. “Yes, Sir.”

  Mr. Quintanilla nodded at all of them, turned his tall frame away, and walked down the side of the cafeteria.

  Andy was the first one to speak. “Ha-ha! No pressure! It’s like a spy movie with a ticking bomb.”

  Ignacio picked up his fruit cup and placed it on Javier’s tray. “You can do this, Jack—uh—Javier. Remember, just be Mr. Cool.” Then he looked at Pat as if he was studying a difficult math problem. “I hope you got his back, Berlanga. There’s no falling asleep on TV or pretending you can’t talk. Our buddy here needs you to step up.”

  Javier looked at Pat, wishing he knew the guy better, could trust him and depend on him like he could his two best friends. He wanted more time to plan for the bumps in the road. Javier didn’t want to wipe out again, especially in front of the whole school.

  Pat had picked up his hamburger and looked ready to take another bite. Instead, he turned to Javier and said, “If you need a ride to the game Friday night, my sister can take us. I know where you live. It’s no problem.”

  Javier waited for Andy to say something stupid about getting a ride with Feliz Berlanga, but Andy just nodded. “Cool! You’ll be at the game.” Then he started tapping on his tray again. “It’s about time, right, Ignacio?”

  But his friend still watched Pat. Under a sweaty brow, Ignacio’s dark eyes could have given Mr. Q some competition in a Most Intimidating Glare contest.

  Javier tried to bring Ignacio back to a better mood by saying, “You realize if the freshmen don’t perform well at half-time, Mr. Q’s ticking bomb might be sitting in your lap next.”

  “You, me, and Andy … we can handle the pressure.” He raised one eyebrow, still focused on the guy sitting across from him. “What about you, Pat?”

  Pat didn’t blink an eye. He pointed at Ignacio with his burger as he said, “You’re going to have to wait and see what happens tomorrow, just like everyone else.”

  When Javier entered Mr. Seneca’s room after school, he expected to see Kenny standing beside the camera untangling cords. However the sight of his new English teacher, Ms. Maloney, adjusting the camera onto the tripod made him stop and look around for other surprises—like the principal, Brother Lendell, standing behind Landry and Steve at the computers and listening to Mr. Seneca give directions. And who expected Brother Calvin to be sitting beside Pat in the desk area shifting white note cards around on the table like puzzle pieces?

  Javier slowly dropped his backpack on the nearest table and walked toward the desk area. He noticed the two microphones already positioned on it. “Am I late? I walked as fast as I could from chemistry class.”

  Pat shook his head. “No, the rest of us have Brother Lendell’s theology class last period.”

  “Is that why he’s in here?” Javier asked, feeling his stomach twist and turn at the extra stress that comes when your school principal’s in the room. “To watch us?”

  “Yeah. Kenny told him what we were doing after school. We set up pretty quick, didn’t we? I put out the microphones but nothing’s turned on yet.” He was still looking down at the cards in front of him. Some had typed words, and others were handwritten sentences.

  “What are the cards for?” Javier asked.

  “These are your note cards for tomorrow,” Brother Calvin said. “I gathered up the announcements in the front office and put them in a better format.” One long finger pointed at a card in the middle of the table. “You must start with this announcement. It’s the most important.”

  “Then it should come later,” Pat answered and looked up at Javier. “The guys are still going to be shocked that announcements are on TV. They won’t hear the first couple things we say, right, Javier?”

  “I disagree.” Brother Calvin spoke up before Javier could respond. “I watch the news every night. I’ve seen the newscasters start with what they call ‘the top story of the hour.’ This financial aid deadline is very important to the seniors. It needs to be announced first.”

  Javier frowned, wondering why Ol’ Calavera thought he was in charge. Shouldn’t he and Pat be working on the order of announcements? He tried not to sound annoyed. “Thanks for your help, Brother Calvin. Pat and I can handle this job, can’t we, Pat?”

  Pat nodded before he stared at the older man and said, “Actually, you’re in Javier’s chair. Could you sit someplace else?”

  Javier knew he couldn’t laugh but he wanted to.

  “That was rude, Mr. Berlanga, but I’m a man who knows how to take a hint.” Brother Calvin stood up and gave a quick look to both boys. “I still don’t understand this pairing. I expected Javier in front of the camera right away, but you, Mr. Berlanga? I’m slightly disappointed by Mr. Seneca’s choice to be honest.”

  Pat’s shoulders stiffened against the chair. There was no mistaking the dark glint of hurt shining in Pat’s eyes. The unwarranted cruelty made Javier angry. He spoke without thinking about good manners. “Pat and I might not be everyone’s first choice, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do a helluva job.” He ignored Brother Calvin’s narrow glare. “You’ll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow, just like everyone else.”

  When Pat heard his own words echoed, his eyebrows lifted. Quickly he stood up beside the school counselor and said, “Thanks for your help, Brother Calvin. Javier and I will take it from here.”

  The man didn’t look at either of them as he stepped away from the desk. He wandered toward the computer area, leaving Javier with an odd taste of relief and worry in his mouth. He couldn’t wait for the first practice, first broadcast, first everything to be over and done with.

  Ignoring an itchy tingle inside his shoes, Javier motioned for both of them to sit down. “Okay, Pat, so what do we have for announcements?”

  “The usual crap.” Pat picked up a nearby card. “No wonder everyone falls asleep during announcements. I never cared until I saw these. They’re so boring!”

  Javier grabbed a couple of cards, read them over quickly, and said, “Well, we don’t have to be Entertainment Nightly. We’re supposed to get the word to the students. That’s all.” He sighed. “I just hope our first broadcast isn’t a gigantic flop.”

  Pat crumpled the card in his hand. “If you think we’re going to blow it, you might as well quit now.” He gave Javier a harsh, angry glare. “I don’t plan to look stupid on school TV, so you better get on board with me! I got your back. Do you have mine?”

  “Yeah … yes,” Javier said slowly. Except for the mention of Feliz, he had never seen Pat so riled up. He blinked at his partner as if seeing him for the first time.

  Sounds of female laughter made them both turn and look at the camera. Ms. Maloney had laughed at something Kenny had said. Kenny looked like he had scored a three-point shot. He casually draped his arm over the camera and grinned. “Yeah, it’s really true. You need to come to the basketball games and watch me play.”

  Javier didn’t know Kenny well, but he could recognize a snake charmer when he saw one. He suddenly felt Pat’s elbow poke him.

  “Hey, you missed the real top story of the hour,” Pat said. “I think there’s something cooking between Mr. Seneca and Ms. Maloney. She walks in after school and he tells everyone she has experience with media equipment and wants to help get Guardian TV started off on the right foot. Then Mr. Seneca turns all goofy and actually makes a joke about not having two good feet and needing one of hers.”

  Javier’s eyes widened. “He said that
in front of Brother Lendell and Brother Calvin?”

  “No. They came in later. Just us guys from the broadcasting class heard it.” Pat gave a wicked smile as he flattened out the card he had crumpled. “Maybe we’ll be writing a wedding announcement before the school year is over.”

  At that moment, Ms. Maloney called out, “Smile, guys! The cameras are working now. Kenny and I have you in our view.”

  Pat over-gritted his teeth toward Ms. Maloney like a cartoon character in a dentist’s chair.

  Javier nudged him and said, “If you and I don’t get serious, we’ll soon be writing our own obituaries.”

  Pat replied, “Hey, they’d be a whole lot more interesting than these announcements from Brother Calavera.”

  Everybody in the room stared with gaping expressions at the desk area. Unfortunately, Ms. Maloney had turned on the microphones too, and for Javier and Pat, this discovery was not funny.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Fear dried out Javier’s throat, burned down his body, crackled across his feet.

  Kenny’s fingers above the camera signaling: Five …

  Oh man, Oh man! St. Peter, pray for me!

  Four …

  It’s happening. Don’t screw up! Don’t screw up!

  Three …

  Stare at the camera. Don’t look at the guys watching you.

  Two …

  Breathe, breathe.

  One!

  “Good morning. I’m Javier Ávila. Welcome to Guardian TV and the new version of the morning announcements for Saint Peter’s High School here in San Antonio, Texas.” He felt like the man in the iron mask as he turned his head toward Pat. Was he awake?

  Sitting up straight in the chair beside Javier in the desk area, Pat stared into the camera with an easy smile. “Good morning! I’m Patricio Berlanga. You are now asked to stand for the morning prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance.”

  Using the few seconds it took for students in Mr. Seneca’s room to stand up, Landry used the computer to switch the image on the television screen from Javier and Pat to an image of a crucifix. With a slow and steady reverence, Javier read the prayer Brother Lendell had provided yesterday. Then the image on the screen switched to an American flag while Pat read the Pledge of Allegiance in a somber, respectful way.

  Silently, Javier counted one two three four five, giving students time to sit back down before he started reading the first announcement. He began speaking, his voice trembling with every word. Out of the corner of his eye, Javier saw Mr. Seneca’s long arm pointing back and forth from the television to the guys on the computers. Javier slowed his words but didn’t stop because Mr. Seneca had warned them at yesterday’s practice if the camera was turned on, not to stop talking, no matter what happened. Javier barely finished the first announcement with, “Tickets for the varsity game are now on sale in the business office. Be there to cheer on our champion Guardians.”

  Pat’s voice interrupted quickly. “I know you are still seeing the flag as my buddy Javier is talking. This is one of our new visual images that we can show during the morning announcements. We hope to get digital pictures from the game, all the student activities, and of course, pictures of our cheerleaders! You don’t want to just stare at two guys in broadcasting class for five minutes, do you?”

  The guys in the classroom laughed but stopped with the next breath when Mr. Seneca slashed his hand across his throat to signal silence. The stern glare he gave the upperclassmen watching and sitting behind Kenny reminded everyone that audio in the room was sensitive to the slightest noise. He had repeated that warning a dozen times the past two days, even saying he was helpless to move and help when the camera started rolling because he knew his crutches made too much noise.

  Javier saw Kenny circle his fingers above the camera again, and Pat never missed a beat when he started the next announcement they were supposed to read. As Pat read about the deadline for seniors to mail their college financial aid packets, he sounded enthusiastic and interested in what he was reading. Javier was so impressed he almost forgot to read the next announcement himself, but he read on cue. He tried to sound like he was reading out loud from the most fascinating information ever written.

  The whole experience lasted about three minutes, and Javier would never call it “fun,” but as Pat ended the broadcast with, “And there you have it! Today’s announcements—live! See you tomorrow, Guardians!” Javier felt a swell of pride in the first ever broadcast on the school network. He pushed away the nervous worries about doing the whole thing again tomorrow.

  “And we’re off the air!” Mr. Seneca announced loudly. The guys sitting behind Kenny started clapping and cheering.

  Javier grinned at Pat, who had released a sigh that lifted his shoulders up and down with the weight of what they had just done and done well.

  “Good save, Berlanga!” Kenny called out. “I didn’t know you could think that fast.”

  “You made it seem like we wanted to leave the flag image on the monitor,” Landry called out from his seat at the computers. “You turned our screw-up into a good thing. Way to go!”

  Pat just shrugged and moved his chair back from the desk. “Any of you would have done the same thing.” He stood up and looked down at Javier. “You sounded a little nervous when we started. You okay, now?”

  “Sure,” Javier answered, although he didn’t feel as calm as Pat looked. He still felt impressed and surprised by Pat’s ease and enthusiasm in front of the camera. Who would have guessed the guy who slept in class had a knack for public speaking?

  “Not bad, not bad,” Mr. Seneca said as he slowly walked up to the desk area. “You two did well for the first go ‘round. We’ve got a lot more technical areas to smooth out, but we’re off to a good start, guys.”

  Dylan waved off the teacher’s compliment. He raised his chest like he had scored the first touchdown. “Just wait ‘til the seniors get on TV, then you’ll really see something special.”

  Omar spoke up. “And we won’t have any screw-ups, that’s for sure.”

  Mr. Seneca frowned at the three senior football players before he shifted on his crutches, turning his back on them. “Javier, Pat, you two will be our on-camera team through Labor Day weekend. That will give us time for the students to get used to our program and time for everyone in the class to learn the routine.” He turned toward the juniors and seniors sitting together in the middle of the classroom. “The next pair on television is going to audition for the job. Since you’re all in football, you’ll need to practice reading well on your own time. If you guys aren’t as good as these two, you’ll sit the bench.”

  “That’s not fair!” one of the juniors said. “Football or no football, we shouldn’t have to just sit back and watch all semester. Why can’t I run a camera or work the computer?”

  “Want a job? Then you need to get off your butt and watch and learn from the sophomores during the broadcast,” Mr. Seneca replied. “You need to ask questions, learn the routine. Think you can do as well as the guys putting in the practice after school?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned and started walking toward the teacher’s desk.

  No one said anything to Mr. Seneca, but every upper-classman glared at Javier and Pat. Even Kenny—super-star basketball player that he was—got the mean looks.

  For a moment, Javier felt intimidated, but he decided not to let a bunch of football players ruin his good mood. He stood up and followed Pat out of the desk area. They sat down in their usual seats as Mr. Seneca prepared the equipment for everyone to watch the broadcast on tape.

  As the media class watched the playback, Javier wanted to hide his eyes. Not only did his skin look yellow, but his ears stuck out. There seemed to be a shadow over his forehead that looked like he had a horn. And his voice! Javier hated that he sounded like a cartoon character. Pat was right—it was Bugs and Daffy on TV!

  No sooner had the tape stopped when Pat spoke up. “Okay, all that white in the background has got to go. Javier and I look li
ke a pair of sock puppets.”

  Everyone started laughing, even Mr. Seneca. He turned off the television and maneuvered himself to face the class. “Pat’s right. We need to add something in the background. Any ideas?”

  “We could get the cheerleaders to draw posters,” Ram suggested. “We could hang them up like they do in the main hall.”

  Javier shook his head. “We can’t have words behind us. It would be too distracting.”

  “Ooooh, distracting! That’s an SAT word, right?” Dylan said with a nasty laugh that raised a pitch after Omar offered his hand for a low-five.

  Javier ignored them and said, “On TV news, I’ve seen an outline of San Antonio.”

  Mr. Seneca looked at the students. “Maybe we could use markers on the whiteboard and outline a landscape.”

  “That’ll take a long time to draw,” one of the juniors said. “It’s a big space.”

  “Spray paint would be faster than markers,” Pat said.

  “You talking about graffiti on school property?” Omar slouched in his chair. “Like Brother Lendell is going to go for that! Man, sophomores are stupid!”

  “No, you moron. I’m talking about spray paint on sheets of paper,” Pat said, his annoyance with Omar obvious in his tone. “It would be something like that breakaway between the goal posts that you football players run through.”

  “Pat, are you volunteering to draw an image for the background?” Mr. Seneca asked.

  Javier expected Pat to say, “No way,” but he didn’t.

  “I know someone who can do the job with my help. Javier, he can help us too. It might take us all weekend, but I think we can bring in a backdrop for Monday’s show,” Pat answered in a fairly confident tone.

  But Javier wasn’t eager to volunteer to draw something to be shown to the whole school. He turned around and gave his TV partner a frown. Unfazed by the look, Pat clapped him on the shoulder. “Trust me, Javier, we can do this.”

  Javier’s feet started itching and didn’t stop the rest of the day.