The Sacrifice by Robert Whitlow

the golf course. Frank is a little moody, but he’s probably bored and unchallenged. I’m hoping he will respond to you since you’re a lawyer.”

    Without a weather report, a gathering storm isn’t seen until dark clouds billow on the horizon. The plans of darkness for Catawba High School were not yet visible, and no one was available to forecast the future. The clear lines of demarcation that characterize spiritual conflict in the heavens are often blurred and fuzzy by the time they reach the earth. No one knew about the darkness beyond the horizon. No one knew how soon or how quickly it would grow and take shape. No one knew that random relationships held the potential for extraordinary significance. No one knew that choices made in the present would have exponential importance in the future.

9
    They have no lawyers among them.
    S IR T HOMAS M ORE, “O F L AW AND M AGISTRATES ”
    T he second meeting of the Catawba Mock Trial Team began that evening at 7 P.M. Janie Collins, Dustin Rawlings, and Alisha Mason were present. The first time Kay passed around an attendance sheet, Frank Jesup wasn’t in the room, but two minutes later his tires squealed outside as he parked beside the modular unit.
    Scott pointed to a slender, brown-haired girl with high eyebrows who was sitting very straight and attentive in her chair. “Your name, please?”
    â€œYvette Fisher.”
    â€œPlease stand up.”
    Yvette slid out of her seat.
    â€œHave you read the materials?” Scott asked.
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œIncluding the witness statements?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œOkay. You are no longer Yvette. You are now Betty Moonbeam.”
    Yvette looked puzzled. “The passenger in the car? I thought it was Barry Moonbeam?”
    â€œThe rules of the competition do not dictate the gender of the witnesses. We may use Barry; we may use Betty.”
    Yvette stood up a little straighter and said, “Okay, I’m Betty Moonbeam.”
    â€œYou’ve got that right,” Frank Jesup said as he slid into his seat.
    â€œNo comments,” Scott said. “You’ll regret it when it’s your turn.” He turned back to Yvette.
    â€œBetty, you are now under oath. Did you go to an end-of-the-year cookout and picnic at Sarah Rich’s house?”
    â€œUh, yes. I was there.”
    â€œHow did you get to the party?”
    â€œI think I went with Ralph Risky.”
    â€œHow do you know Ralph?”
    â€œWe go to school together.” Yvette hesitated. “But I’m not sure how we know one another.”
    â€œMake something up,” Scott said.
    Yvette thought for a moment. “Okay. He plays football, and I’m on the flag corps that performs at halftime.”
    â€œGood,” Scott said. “You added facts about the witnesses not on your sheet. That’s fine if it doesn’t affect the important points of the problem. The judges like creative witnesses so long as they don’t cross the line into creating facts that affect the legal issues in the case.”
    â€œAre you dating Ralph?” Scott asked.
    â€œNo, we’re just friends. I needed a ride to the party because my parents took away my driving privileges.”
    Scott acted surprised. “Why did they do that?”
    â€œI’ve had a few wrecks recently.”
    â€œHow many is a few?”
    Yvette looked around as if embarrassed and answered in a quiet voice, “Five.”
    â€œI’m sorry. I didn’t quite hear you.”
    â€œFive—since January,” she said a little louder. A few students laughed.
    â€œWere they all your fault?”
    Yvette nodded. “Yes,” then she added quickly, “but no one was hurt, and I promised my dad that I would be careful. I cried and begged, but he told me I couldn’t drive again until I went to the Fender Bender Driving School and passed their safe driver test.”
    â€œHave you taken