Monday morning at the Pritchett-Delgado house felt like a military operation, if that military were led by a woman in five-inch heels and a boy obsessed with the perfect espresso shot. Gloria was frantically packing a lunch that could feed a small infantry—mostly empanadas and fresh fruit—while Jay stood by the kitchen island, nursing a coffee and eyeing me with a silent, expectant nod.
"Mason, you have the schedule? You have the map? You have the emergency whistle?" Gloria asked, her voice reaching a pitch that made the windows vibrate.
"I have everything, Mom," I said, adjusting the strap of my backpack. I was wearing a clean white t-shirt that fit exactly right and a pair of dark jeans. Simple, but on a body with the Peak Athlete Physique, it looked like a calculated fashion statement. My posture was naturally perfect, my movements efficient.
[INTERVIEW - GLORIA]Gloria is looking at the camera, her eyes wide.Gloria: "In Colombia, the first day of school is very dangerous. You have to look strong so the older boys do not take your shoes. But here, the danger is different. Here, the girls... they have the 'eyes.' I saw them looking at him at the supermarket yesterday. I told Mason to keep his head down, but how can he? He is a beacon!"
The drive to school was quiet until we pulled into the lot. Haley was already there, leaning against her car with her friends, looking like the undisputed queen of the sophomore class. When Jay's car pulled up, I saw her go stiff. She hadn't expected the "miracle survivor" to actually show up looking this... present.
As I stepped out of the car, the chatter in the courtyard didn't stop—it shifted. It was a physical sensation, the way the attention moved. I could feel the invisible cameras of my Total Recall panning toward me. This was the episode where the "new kid" arrives, but I wasn't the awkward transfer student. I was a Delgado-Pritchett returning from the dead.
"See you later, Jay," I said.
"Give 'em hell, Mason. And stop by the coach's office. I put in a word," Jay said, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
I walked toward the main entrance. I wasn't just walking; I was moving with a confidence that felt alien to a high school hallway. My hearing, enhanced by my physique, picked up the whispers like a radio broadcast.
"Is that Haley's cousin?""I heard he was in a coma for a year.""He doesn't look like he was in a coma. He looks like he was in a GQ shoot."
[INTERVIEW - HALEY]Haley is in the hallway, looking frantic.Haley: "I told him! I literally told him to stay away from my friends. And what does he do? He walks in like he's the star of a CW show. Every girl in my cheer squad just stopped mid-routine. It's social sabotage. He's taking all the oxygen out of the room. How am I supposed to be the pretty one if he's standing right there?"
I navigated to my first period: Honors History. According to my recall, this was the class Haley struggled in the most. I walked in just as the bell rang. The teacher, Mr. Hill, was a man who had clearly given up on life sometime around the mid-90s.
"You must be the miracle," he droned, not looking up from his ledger. "Mason Delgado-Pritchett. Take a seat next to... Dunphy. Since you're family, she can show you where we are. Though she hasn't found where she is yet."
The class let out a low "oooh." Haley turned bright red, burying her face in her notebook. I walked over and sat down. The chair felt small under me, my presence occupying the space in a way that made the boy behind me sit up straighter.
"Hey, Haley," I whispered.
"Shut up," she hissed back, though she didn't look angry. She looked overwhelmed.
[INTERVIEW - ALEX]Alex is in the library, peering over a stack of books.Alex: "I checked his transcript from his old school. He was 'above average.' But today in the hallway, I saw him correct a senior on his Mandarin pronunciation. In Mandarin. He's not just physically 'peak.' He's... he's a glitch in the matrix. Or he's using some kind of advanced mnemonic device I haven't cracked yet. I'm going to have to bait him into a chess match. It's the only way to be sure."
The morning was a series of small victories. In Algebra, I finished the worksheet in ten minutes, my Total Recall providing the formulas like a heads-up display. By lunch, the myth of Mason was growing. I sat at a table in the center of the quad, not because I sought it out, but because the flow of people seemed to gravitate there.
Luke found me during the break, looking frantic. "Mason! Some guy in my grade says you can jump over a car! Can you? Do I need to get the car?"
"Maybe later, Luke," I laughed.
[INTERVIEW - LUKE]Luke is holding a pogo stick, looking determined.Luke: "I've decided I'm Mason's manager. If he can jump over cars, we're gonna be rich. I just need to find a car that belongs to someone who won't get mad if he misses. Maybe the mailman's."
As the final bell rang, I headed toward the locker rooms. Jay's "word" to the coach was unnecessary, but appreciated. I stepped into the gym, where the football coach, a man with a whistle that had seen better days, was eyeing the prospective players.
"You the Delgado kid?" he barked.
"Mason," I corrected.
"We'll see. Get in the pads. Let's see if you're a miracle or just a growth spurt."
I looked at the field. I knew the plays. I knew the injuries that were supposed to happen this season. I knew which players would go on to be stars and which would flame out. But as I strapped on the helmet, I realized I wasn't just here to follow the timeline. I was here to dominate it.
Haley was watching from the bleachers with her friends, her phone for once held at her side instead of in front of her face. I caught her eye and gave a small nod. She quickly looked away, but I saw the corner of her mouth twitch.
[INTERVIEW - MASON]Mason is sitting in the backyard, looking calm and relaxed.Mason: "People think the first day of school is about fitting in. It's not. It's about setting the tone. In the show, the Dunphys and Pritchetts were always the underdogs, the ones struggling to keep up. That stops now. This family is the main event. And I'm just the opening act."
I stepped onto the turf. The air was crisp, the stadium lights were humming, and for the first time in two lives, everything was exactly where it was supposed to be.
[ DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE POWERSTONE ]