SuperFan by Jeff Gottesfeld

to them by Skype.
    â€œHi, Dad!” Shawn exclaimed as soon as he was in range.
    â€œHello, SuperFan!” His father laughed with joy. The connection was awesome. His father could have been in the same room, instead of half a world away. “I’m back at base. It’s good to see you!”
    â€œAre you okay? What was it like? Did you read all the e-mails? Did you see Rey’s video? Did you—”
    His father grinned and held up a hand. “Hold on. One at a time! Yes, I’ve seen the video. And yes, I’ve read all the e-mails. And now, I’d like to see your mom and brother in the same picture. Squeeze in, okay?”
    They did, with Carla in the center and the boys flanking her. They held that position for a full twenty seconds until Sanford offered a gentle wave.
    â€œI love you, guys,” he said simply. “Okay. We’ve got fifteen minutes. I want to hear everything. Talk fast!”

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    â€œStudents, faculty, and staff. This is a momentous day. Never before has a student brought us so much positive attention. Tonight, he leaves for Atlanta, and WrestleMania XXVII. Welcome to Shawn Reynolds Day at Columbia East Middle School!”
    Huge cheers filled the auditorium at the principal’s greeting. Shawn gazed out at the packed auditorium. During the last few weeks, the kids who had been jealous or mean to him seemed to have come around to his side. Even Jeff Harrison. Now he couldn’t change classes without kids wishing him good luck. In some odd way, his status as a finalist had brought his school together.
    What if he came back a loser? He didn’t want to find out.
    Mr. Kwan waited for silence and then continued. “I just know that Shawn’s going to make us all proud! Now, please turn your attention to this video.”
    The lights dimmed, and Shawn’s classmates started hooting and hollering. The video was hosted by the SuperFan mentors—Rey and Natalya got cheers from the crowd, while Punk and The Miz earned boos—and featured segments on the four finalists, WWE’s WrestleMania reading competition, and great moments from WrestleManias past.
    It ended with a surprise. Rey Mysterio had recorded a special segment just for Shawn’s school where he talked about how much he’d enjoyed working with Shawn.
    â€œHow far can Shawn go?” Rey asked. “I can tell you with confidence that your classmate has worked his butt off. Shawn? I’m proud of you, buddy. See you in Atlanta! Booyaka, 619!”
    The video ended, and the students went wild. Shawn leaned toward his mother and brother. “I wish Dad could have seen that.”
    â€œMe too,” Carla said sadly. They’d been in close touch with Sanford, who was spending a lot more time at his base. His dad had said the odds looked really good that he would be able to watch WrestleMania with his friends, and even Skype with the family while they were in Atlanta.
    The cheering went on. Shawn saw Alex jumping and waving his arms. Alex’s mother was letting him travel to Atlanta alone with the Reynoldses. His English teacher was applauding. His gym teacher was pumping his fist. Even Jeff Harrison was clapping his hands rhythmically. Principal Kwan let the celebration go on for quite a while. Then, from somewhere near Jeff Harrison—maybe Jeff himself started it, Shawn couldn’t tell—a chant started.
    â€œSpeech! Speech! Speech!”
    Oh no.
    The chant spread through the student body like a virus, touching everyone and everything. “Speech! Speech!”
    A speech? No! No speech! No speech! I’d rather go one-on-one with Sheamus in a Tables Match. I’d rather they were chanting, “Weenie!”
    Principal Kwan grinned and made his way over to Shawn. His mother and brother looked at him with concern. They knew all about his stage fright.
    â€œWhat do you say, Shawn?” Principal Kwan was full of enthusiasm. “Make