Chapter 3

as a general rule, soutists dont dance. in beaufort, a rule t rictly enforced. ter before -dont ask me of a lax vie sc, tradition of sorts. by time came along, it oo late to cty muco a sc kno all.

i admit t i also sometell to t-ser and one of ts o be special. most of t nes, and tograpo take our pictures. i kne going to buy a nely ering a profession of course ministers in it for monetary gain, t for t i mean. but i didnt o o sc so muc t cold-ed-but because of say. i didnt people to make fun of hing.

t eric didnt rib me too bad about tuation because oo busy t e. aking margaret our sc test bulb on tmas tree, but salking about o double-date i tued to take any ceasing jamie or anyt. less sometimes, especially ws of bourbon in him.

tually quite busy for me. i spent most of teoon o decorate to get to jamies about a ed to talk to me, t kno t say i ly t of it. i figured o talk about temptation and t can lead us to. if up foication, t t. i said small prayers all day long in tion, but i sure if god my prayers on t buer, if you kno. i ty nervous just t it.

after i s on my best suit, s to pick up jamies corsage, to me borro on treet directly in front of jamies tued t, so it ill lig rolled up to ed for a moment, t say, “ill be rig; but exactly racing to t ood tes or so, looking at ttle cracks in to t jamie and i in just a fe in ill tued in te direction. i guess t sat t couple of days.

finally t coming from ts face slig of reflected ty-t time id ever seen ranslucent, even more so than id imagined.

“; i said, srepidation. “im o take jamie to t;

“of course you are,“ ;but first, i ed to talk ;

“yes, sir, ts w;

“cmon in.“

in c rig-s. ioned for me to sit on t in from tc;im sorry it took a little omorro; he said.

i sat down.

“ts okay, sir.“ i dont kno o call ;sir.“ of projected t image.

“all rigell me about yourself.“

i t it ion, ory ized me, by the way, and hed seen me in church every sunday since id been a baby.

“ell, sir,“ i began, not really knoo say, “im tudent body president. i dont kno to you.“

;s;

“and . . . o ty of nort fall. ive already received tion.“

;anyt;

i o admit, i of ter t. part of me ed to pick up table and start balancing it, giving y seconds te it.

“i guess not, sir.“

“do you mind if i ask you a question?“

“no, sir.“

of stared at me for a long time, as if t it.

“er to t; he finally said.

i my expression s.

“i dont kno;

“youre not planning to do anyto . . . embarrass ;

“no, sir,“ i said quickly, sion. “not at all. i needed someone to go s as simple as t.“

“you dont ;

“no, sir. i do t to ;

t on for a fees- my true intentions, i mean-but luckily jamie stepped out of tued our t. finally stopped talking, and i breat on a nice blue skirt and a unately s er in t. it too bad, i o admit, till be underdressed compared t er if s it do t ted to say. jamie looked like . . . ly like s at least s planning on bringing oo muco live down.

“youre not giving landon a ime, are you?“ so her.

“e visiting,“ i said quickly before o respond. for some reason i didnt told jamie about t i t noime.

“ell, . i tension in to ;dont stay up too late ;

“i ,“ ly. even ell afraid to s. it me t he problem.

e said good-bye, and on our o told o put it on once in t in as s period of time, jamie he flower.

“im not exactly a dim, you kno;

i started toion id just running through my mind.

“my fat like you very muc; s i hinking.

i nodded saying anything.

“;

i nodded again.

“ like your fat;

i nodded once more.

“or your family.“

i get ture.

“but do you kno; she asked suddenly.

“not really.“ by tty depressed.

“i t all t do you t;

to myself.

i doubt if t to knorut of my friends kept tance, and jamie didnt o begin most of our time alone. even tued out t my presence even required anymore. to t t carey couldnt get a date, and t left me feeling pretty miserable about t about it. but because of exactly take , sime; even i could see t. sions id up, s t telling me e t of mumbled t s a trace of energy, jamie te. to be , i least t seem to notice.

jamie o be someo arted tued out t sty good dancer, considering it ime and all. sty a dozen songs, and after t ables and resembled an ordinary conversation. sure, s;fait; and “joy“ and even “salvation,“ and salked about ters off t s so damn ay down for long.

so t too terrible at first and really no ed. it until le sour.

tes after upid t-s, camels in from t didnt take a genius to realize s test fasiced s ladylike called c gum, c almost like a cow working her cud.

ell, good old learted getting tipsy. by time teac, most of tting t glassy look in t anyto o girl id ever frenceetoget time ried it t i saars and o take aspirin w ill had feelings for her.

so tting ening as sc of tted me looking at ion and dragged o table, giving me one of t “means business.“ you knoalking about.

“are you staring at my girl?“ ensing up.

“no.“

“yea; angela said, kind of slurring out t;aring rig me. told you about.“

ued into little slits, just like s o do. i guess i on lots of people.

“so youre t; he said, sneering.

no mucer. t i ty muc t one ed to cry even before t rouble staying aure, and besides, no one ever messed eric somewhe bleachers.

“i staring,“ i said finally, “and i dont kno i doubt if it rue.“

;are you calling angela a liar?“ he sneered.

oops.

i t me rig jamie suddenly uation.

“dont i kno; s at imes jamie seemed oblivious of situations t of ;ait-yes, i do. you o on foster road, by t;

a look of confusion crossed lerying to put togetoo many pieces.

“? ell you about me, too?“

“no,“ jamie said, “dont be silly.“ so a time like t;i saure in your grandmas ure el.“

le jamie as talks gro of her ears.

mean sitting doo take a breat dancing. it sure gets out to join us? eve got a couple of co ;

s it t le knoo do. unlike to t of tood t or trying to decide if t sounds confusing to you, imagine o leroleum-damaged brain.

responding, taking angela ten arted anyo t so drink. jamie and i cance away, i ex even realized id been h.

“t; i said mumbled s jamie-jamie!- me strangely. “for ; s exactly spell it out for rigo ory about bible sc all. but time i found myself actually listening to least i could do.

it tus out t it t evening. t t i sa angela doing too ion o clean ake eac about it. getting drunk suspension, maybe even expulsion, if s caught.

jamie, bless , didnt t to oto t t angela ion of ts rules for proper be fro didnt get ion, inct must aken over. sook one look at angela and t “ter“ or somet and took immediate cuation. i off and located eric beo stand guard at t in to tidy it up. angela ell you. t toilet. t ask me . so t t blue suit, o avoid in t place. and jamie, my date, oo, doing exactly thing.

i could practically ance.

e ended up sneaking out table by asking old to o angela, t if so t of my car, immediately, alt before sed once more on t o keep from gagging, and to angelas ra long. ook one look at er, and broug so muc o say to uation pretty mucself.

by time en forty-five, and raigo jamies. i prayer

a to o explain to en to jamie if sold it, but i o blame me anyway.

so i ood outside under t. jamie crossed tle, looking just as if sroll ed ty of the world.

“please dont tell your fat t; i said.

“i ,“ s on smiling ;i ime tonigaking me to t;

ually times.