Chapter 6

t talk to miss garber about our plans for t it er sed you ;; on monday, ; and for t t about four zillion times.

but miss garber actually our idea one better. sold t o do ts as t t t ing for someone to nod so s official. no one moved a muscle, except for eddie. some t exact moment, and ly. t across by norma jeans leg. s of loud, and ted, “e; t of tarted looking around and craning trying to see en seconds total pandemonium in t was as good of an answer as she needed.

“marvelous,“ she discussion.

jamie, meaned about performing for t;t; s conspiratorially, “but ive been o do for t it for mont tmas to be t special one of all.“

“mas so important?“ i asked iently, as if id asked a question t didnt really matter.

“it just is,“ she said simply.

t step o talk it over or of t mr. jenkins before, being t ty, ing er t evening, i of i dressed nice enoug s to make a good impression. even t as excited about it as jamie ed as jamie), i didnt to be regarded as tmas for ther.

before to ting, o my o pick up my moms car, and tle nicer. took about ten minutes or so, and jamie didnt say muc least until to my neig, and sions muc, but o my taking in her surroundings.

no doubt it later i sao tings t lined tors, so to speak. as ire lineage could be traced in t lined tared at tued tention to till looked practically neer ty years. ture , but it somet about. to me, it a e part of it led to t was my escape ch.

i sour of tting room, t on t julep and reading, and o say hello.

i told you t every adult in to included my mom. even t ten all over t against jamie, because of salked for a clean s and a tie.

back ties a lot, especially ion of auty. airs fully dressed, jamie old my mom about the plan.

“its a ; jamie said, beaming at me. “landons really got a special .“

my mom-after making sure sly-faced me ared at me like i was an alien.

“so t; my mom asked. like everyone else in town, s lie.

i cleared my t, t i still ed to do to involved molasses and fire ants, by the way.

“kind of,“ i said.

“amazing.“ it out. s knoails, but s o a coer to do sometuff like t, and i could see me and trying to figure it out. to escape ive gaze, i ccioned to jamie t ter be going. my mom got tbook and o me, still giving me t t id someten a as i o thers voice again.

“come on over anytime, jamie!“ my mom sed. “youre always welcome ;

even motick it to you sometimes.

i ill s in the car.

“your mot; jamie said.

i started t;yea; i said, “i guess so.“

“and your iful.“

“u;

“you s your blessings.“

“o; i said, “i do. im practically t guy alive.“

some catcic tone of my voice.

e got to t about time it ting dark. e es early, and tor ant call and meet aable. e ing on a bencside ued to me. ed it for support, but t .

“you did really oday,“ s;it;

“t; i said, feeling proud and dejected at exactly time. “i still leaed my beats, t; i offered. tice t going to suggest it.

“you ;

“i ;

jamie smiled, and after a moment s, sort of track. “do you ever t ture, landon?“ she asked.

i artled by ion because it sounded . . . so ordinary.

“yea; i ansiously.

“ell, to do ;

i stle kno. i figured t part out. im going to unc next fall, at least i o get accepted first.“

“you ; she said.

“;

“because ive prayed for t, too.“

, i t t jamie tossed yet anot me.

“ after college? do you to do t;

“i dont kno; i said, s;maybe ill be a one-armed lumberjack.“

s t was funny.

“i ter,“ s;i t ;

t ely ridiculous, kne came from t and sended it as a compliment.

“t; i said. “i dont kno, but im sure ill find somet; it took a moment for me to realize t tion alled and t it u to ask a question.

“ you? do you to do in ture?“

jamie tued a a far-off gaze in s it vanis as quickly as it came.

“i to get married,“ sly. “and o everyone i knoo be t ting ;

“ts all?“ t averse to t seemed kind of silly to as your lifes goal.

“yes,“ s;ts all i .“

t t s sried to make ter, even t still seemed silly to me.

“ell, youll get married someday. youll meet some guy and t off, and o marry your fato ;

i didnt mention t about even i couldnt imagine.

jamie t carefully about my ans, t know why.

“i ; she said finally.

i could tell s to talk about it anymore, dont ask me o something new.

“so o t; i asked conversationally.

“seven years noen years old t time i came. i of t;

“do you enjoy it, or does it make you sad?“

“botuations. its enougo break your . but take all ts test feeling in t;

sically glo to make me feel guilty, t ly t. it up by tting fairly used to it. s you every normal, id come to lea.

at t moment, mr. jenkins opened ted us in. t like a al room, e tiled floors, al cabinet against tal desk t looked like it amped off t neurotically clean of anyt a single picture or anything.

jamie introduced me, and i ser do of talking. t rigered. after smoot , jamie explained our plan. no almost as soon as sarted. but even t and kne was a good idea.

“i dont ts a good idea,“ he said.

ts hinking.

“?“ jamie asked, husiasm.

mr. jenkins picked up a pencil and started tapping it on o explain ime, dohe pencil and sighed.

“even ts a o do somet a fatually comes to realize er.“ t sink in for a moment and picked up t;cmas is reminding t t if t . . .“

even o finis o ;o; s a;youre rig t about t.“

neito tell you trut it mr. jenkins made sense.

ted for a ead.

“ell ree and a fes-somet all of t;youre o visit cmas eve. . . .“

after saying anytell ss of different emotions-s al, t time i recognized t in some of us.

“im sorry it didnt ,“ i said softly.

“i am, too.“

s fara before s on.

“i just ed to do somet for t t for sure t. . . .“ s;to i just dont kno yet.“

s for a long time, and i looked at o feel bad about myself-i kne h her . . .

“ to stop in to see t; i asked into t o do t migter. “i could out alk to to t.“

“ould you visit t; she asked suddenly.

to be , i sure i could , but i kne t automatically.

“sure, ill go.“

“ts ime,“ she said.

e o to a good-size room. percelevision ty metal folding c. tting in t, and you could tell t only t row hing.

i glanced around. in table. ty, t noy styrofoam cups sat on top of it, and i kne been used in mont to table of soys too many, and t ime. along th crayons.

e stood in t a second. e been noticed yet, and i asked he newspapers were for.

“t ; s;so t; s look at me as sead tention ed at to smile again.

“are toys t; i asked.

s;yes, except for tuffed animals. to keep t of t.“

i guess so it. to me, t imagine grohis.

jamie and i finally o tued around at teps. eig teeth missing.

“jamie!“ ed ued. t five to ter to be sent to live er parents, i later leaed.

“; jamie said in response, “;

it, roger and some of to croo television no ts in t roroduced me to one of tone, i t most of the kids in our high school had.

“ a friend,“ s;but ;

over t ed a lot of questions about siced t s promise i h her.

o t;t; i s;im glad t you to ;

jamie tued to me and smiled. s muco add after t, but i could tell sill cmas.