period, it’s your responsibility to ask for it.”
She tried to think if there was anything else she should tell them about the meet. There were only two sophomores this year, both recommended by the Scholars’ Bowl coach at the junior high. They would know how all this worked.
“Any questions?”
“Can we ride with you, Ms. Sloan?”
Tammy Evans was one of the new members. Apparently she was speaking for the other tenth grader, Jamie Rouse, as well. That would surely be the arrangement their parents would prefer.
“Sure. I have room for one more. Anybody need a ride?”
“I’m good. Paul and Stewart can go with me.”
Roy McClain was one of her four seniors. Paul Dabbs and Stewart Reynolds were juniors, so that probably took care of everyone who didn’t have his or her own car.
“What about the rest of you?” Lindsey called to the boys who had taken the tables off the stage to return them to the rack. “You have transportation on Monday?”
“Providing it starts,” Steven Byrd said. “And that’s never a sure thing. If it doesn’t, I can ride with Mary.”
The best player on the team, Mary DeWitt possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of minutiae. Lindsey wished she could take credit for any of that, but Mary was the daughter of another of the military retirees who had settled in the area. Before she’d arrived at Randolph, Mary had lived all over the world and attended a dozen schools. Most of the local guys were intimidated by that, as well as by the fact she made no effort to hide her ability.
The boys on the team, and most of those in the gifted program, tolerated her brashness and lack of social skills because they recognized how bright she was. Another reason, in Lindsey’s book at least, for the kind of accelerated academic track this high school offered. It gave a place for the Marys and the Stevens and even the Justin Carrs of the world to fit into the landscape of rural Alabama.
“Todd? Dale? Jean?”
“I’ll need a ride over,” Todd Bates said. “My dad’s picking me up.”
“You can come with me,” Steven said. “Or in case of a lack of ignition, I guess we’ll all go with Mary.” As he put both hands flat on the edge of the stage to vault up onto it, Steven smiled at the girl he was clearly attempting to flirt with.
Lindsey hadn’t been aware of Steven’s attraction, but they would make a good couple. Smart, polite, and probably destined to spend their lives somewhere other than the Wiregrass.
“You said you have room for one more?” Jean Phillips’ thin body tilted as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
“That’s right.”
“Okay if I come with you?” Jean secured a strand of straight fair hair behind her ear as she waited for an answer.
“Of course,” Lindsey said.
“And I’ll ride with Steven. If you’ll take me home?” Dale Carter, another junior, was one of the students who came to Randolph-Lowen from outside the county in order to be able to participate not only in the honors and Advanced Placement classes here but also in the activities like this.
“The more the merrier.” Steven drew the final word out, so that it sounded like “marrier,” obviously a play on Mary’s name.
Roy shook his head, catching Lindsey’s eye and grinning. The look said that as a senior he was beyond that kind of silliness, but being good natured, he didn’t see any need to openly embarrass Steven’s fledgling efforts.
“All right. Then I guess we’re set. Quarter of three in the north lot,” Lindsey repeated, knowing once was never enough.
“You said ten till,” Jean corrected.
“Let’s aim for quarter of and maybe they’ll all be there by ten till,” Lindsey said, smiling at the girl. “Okay?”
Jean nodded. “I won’t be late.”
And she wouldn’t. Lindsey had no doubt of that.
She watched as the team began to leave the auditorium, Steven trailed Mary, talking as they crossed the stage toward the stairs leading down to the
She tried to think if there was anything else she should tell them about the meet. There were only two sophomores this year, both recommended by the Scholars’ Bowl coach at the junior high. They would know how all this worked.
“Any questions?”
“Can we ride with you, Ms. Sloan?”
Tammy Evans was one of the new members. Apparently she was speaking for the other tenth grader, Jamie Rouse, as well. That would surely be the arrangement their parents would prefer.
“Sure. I have room for one more. Anybody need a ride?”
“I’m good. Paul and Stewart can go with me.”
Roy McClain was one of her four seniors. Paul Dabbs and Stewart Reynolds were juniors, so that probably took care of everyone who didn’t have his or her own car.
“What about the rest of you?” Lindsey called to the boys who had taken the tables off the stage to return them to the rack. “You have transportation on Monday?”
“Providing it starts,” Steven Byrd said. “And that’s never a sure thing. If it doesn’t, I can ride with Mary.”
The best player on the team, Mary DeWitt possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of minutiae. Lindsey wished she could take credit for any of that, but Mary was the daughter of another of the military retirees who had settled in the area. Before she’d arrived at Randolph, Mary had lived all over the world and attended a dozen schools. Most of the local guys were intimidated by that, as well as by the fact she made no effort to hide her ability.
The boys on the team, and most of those in the gifted program, tolerated her brashness and lack of social skills because they recognized how bright she was. Another reason, in Lindsey’s book at least, for the kind of accelerated academic track this high school offered. It gave a place for the Marys and the Stevens and even the Justin Carrs of the world to fit into the landscape of rural Alabama.
“Todd? Dale? Jean?”
“I’ll need a ride over,” Todd Bates said. “My dad’s picking me up.”
“You can come with me,” Steven said. “Or in case of a lack of ignition, I guess we’ll all go with Mary.” As he put both hands flat on the edge of the stage to vault up onto it, Steven smiled at the girl he was clearly attempting to flirt with.
Lindsey hadn’t been aware of Steven’s attraction, but they would make a good couple. Smart, polite, and probably destined to spend their lives somewhere other than the Wiregrass.
“You said you have room for one more?” Jean Phillips’ thin body tilted as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
“That’s right.”
“Okay if I come with you?” Jean secured a strand of straight fair hair behind her ear as she waited for an answer.
“Of course,” Lindsey said.
“And I’ll ride with Steven. If you’ll take me home?” Dale Carter, another junior, was one of the students who came to Randolph-Lowen from outside the county in order to be able to participate not only in the honors and Advanced Placement classes here but also in the activities like this.
“The more the merrier.” Steven drew the final word out, so that it sounded like “marrier,” obviously a play on Mary’s name.
Roy shook his head, catching Lindsey’s eye and grinning. The look said that as a senior he was beyond that kind of silliness, but being good natured, he didn’t see any need to openly embarrass Steven’s fledgling efforts.
“All right. Then I guess we’re set. Quarter of three in the north lot,” Lindsey repeated, knowing once was never enough.
“You said ten till,” Jean corrected.
“Let’s aim for quarter of and maybe they’ll all be there by ten till,” Lindsey said, smiling at the girl. “Okay?”
Jean nodded. “I won’t be late.”
And she wouldn’t. Lindsey had no doubt of that.
She watched as the team began to leave the auditorium, Steven trailed Mary, talking as they crossed the stage toward the stairs leading down to the
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