Chapter 2

after o go to ty of nort ced me to go to on like some of t possible. not t i udent. i just didnt focus on my studies, and my grades exactly up to snuff for t ty mucouc accepted at unc, and ter, a place me over top. id just finis ing do;i tudent body president,“ ;youll be graduating in june, and i t oo, by t;

my mot speak muc me. sometimes i to see me squirm, even t.

“i dont t ; i said. t kid in sc popular. t o eric er, my best friend. almost ninety miles an ball team to back-to-back state titles as tar quarterback. ud. even his name sounded cool.

“of course you can ; my fat;e carters al;

ts anot like spending time imes ed to mold me into a miniature version of ty muc o resent conversation o me on the phone.

“but to?“

my fat doines. me crossly, giving me t even t ing. my fat, by the way.

“i t; ;t it ;

i kne tled. ts t t er i agreed, i didnt to do it. i didnt to e my afteoons meeting eacer scer sc of trying to decide reamers ss really all ts did, at least back like students o actually decide anything meaningful.

but t. if i ed to go to unc, i o do somet play football or basketball, i didnt play an instrument, i in t excel in t excel at muc, i started listing tually could do, but to be , t t mucie eig types of sailing knots, i could across asp fartically on my finger for ty seconds . . . but i didnt t any of tand out on a college application. so t long, sloo tion t i hanks, dad.

t moing i to to t of candidates. t stand a c rig off your clotalked to you. but udent. in t roeacion. if o give t al one, and u o side ellect balls at eacued.

maggie broter. sudent as council for t t trike against t s very attractive, and s on ty pounds t summer. i kne not a single guy e for her.

after seeing tition, i figured t i miger all. my entire future ed my strategy. eric to agree.

“sure, ill get all team to vote for you, no problem. if ts .“

“ too?“ i asked.

t ty mucire campaign. of course, i to tes like i o, and i passed out t; ill do if im elected president“ fliers, but in t four udents, so getting tic vote ical, and most of t give a

just the way i planned.

i ed student body president y of te. i trouble it ually lead me to.

steady real girlfriend, t lasted for only a fe before sc out for ty years old and ribute, as far as i could tell, e t-s o t t;; w i mean.

ell, anyuation, i still didnt e. everyone on tudent council o attend-it ory. i o e t day-and besides, it ty good time. i called a couple of girls i kne tes, so i called a fees, too. by tting pretty slim. to talked ly a bed for beauties any to find somebody. i didnt to go to t a date- look like? id be tudent body president ever to attend t long or mopping up ts dates usually did.

gro of panicky, i pulled out tarted flipping t not e. first i looked t of t college, a feill around to t. i couldnt find anyone, at least not anyone ty good at ion, ill tell you, ts not t of t to your grandkids. my mom kneo my room and sat on the bed beside me.

“if you cant get a date, ill be o go ; she said.

“t; i said dejectedly.

t even t down.

t, by ted treasurer, and ill didnt e, eited to spend time all, and ted of proportion, as if opped groomac i mean. calking-its ions. “ fun? did you see any girls?“ even for an ansly as o keep tuing your o keep . i s. if i didnt get a date, and off on one side long, firing questions like some deranged prosecutor.

so tion, a second, tued t it. i spent t looking, but i sloo tion t t anyone left. in time i finally tued back to ure and looked again. s bad looking, i told myself, and s. s. . . .

i closed ts daugely not. my friends me alive.

but compared ing your mother or cleaning up puke or even, god forbid . . carey dennison?

i spent t of ting t back and fort in to me. i o ask jamie to t o ask her.

it i realized someterrible, sometely frig same t no if ? jamie say no to ically sion dead unity saints. sen to careys squeaky voice, see ting from , and accept rig.

so tting in my room, frantic y t jamie mig go to t t nigell you, trangest t tted about asking jamie out before. i planned to ask till jamie in scy, tried to get out of sc excuse, too, but jamie a. to ts or just sitting around playing games sneaking out to t at cecils diner or anyt concept ely ludicrous.

“got a date yet?“ eric asked me in bet, but even t friend, o stick it to me once in a while.

“not yet,“ i said, “but im .“

doo me a beady glare looking.

ts t was.

tes ticked by slo-if carey and i got out at time, id be able to get to , arted to psycook off from sc a full clip. i a arted to get kind of tired, and t in. pretty soon all i could do t cramp really started to get to me, and i o bend over and moving. as i made my reets of beaufort, i looked like a wre dame.

be i cer. i tued around, digging my fingers into my gut to stifle t i couldnt see ting tard, t guy. you couldnt trust e.

i started to stumble along even faster, and pretty soon i reacreet. by ting all over-my s ook a second to catce my fevered ruso ic side assumed t carey me orious look in essentially meant “sorry, partner, youre too late.“

but it carey time in my life i sao a bun, sually be cute if sunity.

“landon,“ s;t; jamie o see everyone, including me, tartled ;you look like youve been exercising,“ she said.

“not really,“ i lied, .

“youve s clean t.“

“o?“ i looked at my s. “ts not s a lot sometimes.“

“maybe you s cor.“

“ill be okay, im sure.“

“ill say a prayer for you any; s as he club.

“t; i said.

s of s for a moment. “ell, id invite you in, but my fat allo around.“

“o; i said dejectedly, “ts okay. e can talk out ; if id his inside.

“ould you like some lemonade ; s;i just made some.“

“id love some,“ i said.

“ill be rig; so t s took a quick glance around. ticed, tidy, one t oscillating in table tening to jesus and faitoo, and it o ter on luke.

a moment later jamie retued ook a seat in ted, i sa, o us. jamie ed my c mrs. ings couldnt see my face. even to ask jamie to t anyone-even mrs. ings-to see me t sed careys offer. it o actually go o be rejected by her in favor of a guy like carey.

“ are you doing?“ jamie asked me. “youre moving your co t;

“i like t; i said. s, t immediately i could feel t and making me s again.

“if ts ,“ s;so, to talk to me about?“

jamie reacarted to adjust moved at all. i took a deep breatrying to gat i couldnt force myself to come out just yet.

“so,“ i said instead, “you today?“

jamie looked at me curiously. “no. my fat tors office.“

“is ;

s;;

i nodded and glanced across treet. mrs. ings see anyone else in ty. t i still ready.

“sure is a beautiful day,“ i said, stalling.

“yes, it is.“

“arm, too.“

“ts because youre in t;

i looked around, feeling t; t a single cloud in t;

time jamie didnt respond, and in silence for a fes.

“landon,“ s;you didnt come o talk about t;

“not really.“

“t;

t of trut.

“ell . . . i ed to knoo t;

“o; sone made it seem as if s suced. i fidgeted in my seat and ed for her answer.

“i really planned on going,“ she finally said.

“but if someone asked you to go, you mig;

it took a moment for o answer.

“im not sure,“ s;i suppose i mig to a ;

“t; i said quickly. “not too muc fun.“ especially ions, i didnt add.

s my tu of p;id o talk to my fat if ;

in tree beside tarted to c supposed to be rated on trying to calm my nerves. just t it, but suddenly tening to myself as i spoke the magic words.

“ell, o go to t;

i could tell s ttle lead-up to tion probably o do imes teenagers sent t to “scout terrain,“ so to speak, so as not to face possible rejection. even t muceenagers, im sure s, at least in theory.

instead of ans a sinking feeling in my stomaco say no. visions of my motted toimes id teased or or simply made fun of o avoid carey for five ued and faced me again. s smile on her face.

“id love to,“ s;on one condition.“

i steadied myself, sometoo awful.

“yes?“

“you o promise t you fall in love ;

i kneimes, i o admit, jamie ty good sense of humor. i smiled and gave her my word.