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.