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 foy studies, and my grades exactly up to snuff for t ty mucouc accepted at UNd 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 y miles an ball team to back-to-back state titles as tar quarterback. ud. Even his name sounded cool.
"Of course you ; my fat;e Carters al;
ts anot like spending time imes ed to mold me into a miniature version of ty muc o resent versation o me on the phone.
"But to?"
My fat doines. me crossly, givi even t ing. My fat, by the way.
"I t; ;t it ;
I kled. ts t t er I agreed, I didnt to do it. I didnt to e my afternooing eacer scer sc 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 seds . . . but I didnt t any of tand out on a college application. So t long, sloo tion t I hanks, Dad.
t m I to to t of didates. t stand a c rig off your clotalked to you. But udent. in t roea. If o give t al one, and urn o side ellect balls at eaed.
Maggie Broter. Sudent as cil for t t trike against t s very attractive, and s on ty pounds t summer. I k a single guy e for her.
After seeing tition, I figured t I miger all. My eure 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 cil o attend-it ory. I o e t day-and besides, it ty good time. I called a couple of girls I kes, 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 a least not ay good at ion, Ill tell you, ts not t of t to yrandkids. My mom kneo my room and sat on the bed beside me.
"If you t 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 turning your o keep . I s. If I did a date, and off on one side long, firing questions like some deranged prosecutor.
So tion, a sed, tur it. I spent t looking, but I sloo tion t t anyo. In time I finally turned 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 pared ing your mother or ing up puke or even, God forbid . . Carey Dennison?
I spent t of ting t bad 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, tra tted about asking Jamie out before. I plao 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 cept ely ludicrous.
"Got a date yet?" Eric asked me i, but even t friend, o stick it to me on 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 turned around, digging my fingers into my gut to stifle t I coulding 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 sed 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, includiartled ;You look like youve been exerg," she said.
"Not really," I lied, .
"Youve s 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 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, o oscillating in table tening to Jesus and Faitoo, and it o ter on Luke.
A moment later Jamie returned 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 e 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 e 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 mu." Especially ions, I didnt add.
S my turn of p;Id o talk to my fat if ;
In tree beside tarted to c supposed to be rated 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 reje. Even t muagers, 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 urned and faced me again. S smile on her face.
"Id love to," s;on one dition."
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.
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