Chapter 10

The next day, Bobby and I were sitting with the squad for lunch. Annie wasn’t there because she had a doctor’s appointment and hoped she would lose the boot and be cleared to practice. We shooed away a couple of people that didn’t normally sit with us and Kim explained our thoughts about homecoming.

“I don’t want this to come off the wrong way but Jack and I know someone is going to nominate us and a bunch of people will probably vote for us because we’re engaged and that somehow makes us better candidates. It might be fun but we really don’t want it.” There were a couple of groans, which was surprisingly nice to hear. “We want to nominate two people that no one notices but they’re really good people and they’re seniors. Mandy Simms and Trey Applewhite are both good students and we think they’re in Key Club but that’s it.”

“And you want to nominate them to be homecoming king and queen?” Jan asked.

“Why not? Why should it be us? Everyone at this table does extra stuff and has plenty to put on their college application. I don’t even know if a college would care. Maybe. But why not let them, and all the other non-standout kids see that they aren’t invisible,” Kim said.

“But they kind of are, aren’t they?” Marci asked. She had a point.

“But if they get nominated,” I said, “Even if they don’t win, I think a bunch of kids would maybe feel better about themselves. You know, the invisible people.”

About then, Ms. Bentz walked up and sat down at our table. She didn’t say anything, because she didn’t have to. She was in charge of homecoming and knew what Kim was going to propose.

“What do you think, Ms. Bentz?” Jan asked.

“This is your homecoming. It’s up to you.”

“But surely you have some thoughts on it,” Jan said.

Ms. Bentz looked around the table and it was pretty obvious we all wanted to know what she thought. “I think it would be a very nice gesture. Probably nearly every student at Porter-Gaud would guess the next homecoming queen is sitting at this table and the next king is sitting over at the jock table. If someone else won, it would probably be good for them and a lot more students who might think of themselves as second tier.”

“No one at Porter-Gaud is second tier,” I said.

“I agree, but it’s easy to forget that when you’re overshadowed by people you don’t think you can compete with. Ladies, you’re all very pretty and any of you would make a fine queen. But, be very careful,” she said with an almost sinister tone. “If Aquaman were to be king and Kim wasn’t queen, a shadow would fall over Cyclone City,” and we all busted out laughing.

“Cyclone City? That’s awesome,” Bobby said. “Cyclone City. I’m getting T-shirts made.” I couldn’t remember seeing Bobby amused by something as much as the Cyclone City remark. Porter-Gaud was the home of the Cyclones but none of us had ever heard that before and it was hilarious.

“So, you think it’s a good idea?” Marci asked.

“I think it would be a nice gesture and it would get people thinking. That’s always a good thing. Some people really want to be king or queen but usually it comes down to three or four people. I don’t think Mandy Simms and Trey Applewhite would ever imagine themselves on the back of Mr. Tuttle’s white ‘58 Vette for a ride onto the field and a coronation.”

“What do we need to do to nominate them?” I asked.

“I think you just did. Votes are on Friday. Start your campaign. I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out,” she said and stood. She looked around the table to see if there were any other questions then returned to the teachers’ corner.

When I stood, everyone knew where I was going. I’d taken about two steps when Bobby tapped me on the shoulder to let me know he was right beside me. Jay saw us coming long before we got there.

“Jay, do you have a minute?” I asked as we approached the table. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. “Rest of the season seem a little easier?” I asked the table and they laughed and nodded. Jay stood and we walked to the cafeteria door, then outside.

“What’s up, guys?”

“First, that was a hell of a game, Jay. You guys surprised everyone, especially Ben Lippen.”

“I just wish the game had been about five minutes shorter.” Bobby and I laughed and he asked why we were laughing. “Five minutes in our world is an eternity.”

“Ah. Seconds make a difference,” he said.

“Hundredths of a second. Listen, we want your take on something.” I explained it and Bobby chipped in every now and then. It didn’t take much to persuade Jay. I asked if he could persuade his guys.

“Are you kidding? After Friday night, I could talk them into anything. I think a lot of people would vote for me for Homecoming King after Friday night, but that’s not such a great reason. Besides, we play Bishop England for homecoming. We’ll be lucky to beat them.”

“After Friday night, they’re probably afraid of us,” Bobby said.

“You think? We never beat them. Maybe this is our year. Okay. I think if I tell the guys who we want for king and queen, they’ll get behind it and tell their friends. Seems like a good idea to me.”

“Thanks, Jay. I’m really happy for you and the team, by the way. Helluva game.”

“No kidding. Just glad my dad was there to see it.”

“Makes it extra special,” I said. I couldn’t remember Ronnie seeing me compete at anything, but to have your dad watch you play so well against a team like Ben Lippen would have been awesome. “Thanks, Jay.”

We started to walk away, but Jay tapped me on the shoulder and I turned while Bobby went back to the table. “That pep talk you gave me after our loss to Goose Creek was probably a bigger deal than you know.” I nodded, and we went our separate ways as the bell sounded. Huh!

We got a test back in Chemistry and I aced it. Kim wasn’t so happy with her score. I tried to sneak a peek but she guarded her paper. I thought we should probably study together more. When class was over, I asked about it and she snapped, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Okay, fine. That was a first.

I’d walked halfway to keyboarding when I felt Kim grab my shoulder and I turned. “I’m sorry. I’m mad at me, not you. Sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped,” she said.

“I totally get it. Let’s study together next time,” I said.

“You’re not mad at me?” she asked.

“No. Definitely not. I hate it when I mess up and you do, too. You don’t need to apologize.”

“I feel like I did. Ugh. I’m going to be late and so are you,” she said. I kissed her on the forehead and she liked that. I made it to class on time.

That afternoon we warmed up in the water and Coach called us to the shallow end. “Two races today. First, we’ll do a hundred free. We’ll give you a couple of minutes to wind down and try a medley. At that point, we’ll all have a good idea what we’re starting with and we’ll work on developing individual strategies for personal improvement. Sound good?”

I won the first heat easily and ended up in the four lane for the second heat. Bobby was on one side of me and Gil on the other. Ryan and Aaron were lined up as well, and so was Pendleton. No one worked harder than Pendleton. You had to love the guy. He wasn’t going to win and everyone knew it but he would always give his best. He motivated me, that’s for sure.

Coach blew his whistle and we all left the blocks. Birch had coached me on my starts the previous season and it had made a huge difference. I had a big lead at the turn and pushed hard to the finish. I touched the wall, popped up, and looked to see who would be second. Gil outstretched Bobby and beat him by a fingertip. Wow, had he improved!

“Nice job, guys,” I said, not really knowing what else to say. “I’m having Wheaties for breakfast tomorrow. Are you sure that’s the deal, Gil?” He just smiled.

Five minutes later, we were ready for a two hundred IM. I had a pretty good idea how this would turn out and I think Coach did, too. He didn’t bother to have a preliminary race. The guys that couldn’t really hope to compete in fly were left out, but encouraged to work on it.

I had another good start and took off on my strength, or at least what I hoped would be my strength. At the turn, I saw Aaron about a length behind me. I started my backstroke length and knew Bobby was catching me. He was probably passing me. At the turn, I saw that he had. I really needed to work on my backstroke.

I caught Bobby on breaststroke, then passed him. I caught a glimpse of Gil, right behind him and gaining. When I flipped to start the last lap, I could see the order. I had the lead. Gil and Bobby were battling it out for second with Aaron, then Ryan right behind them. I touched the wall and turned to the right to see who had come in second. I couldn’t tell but I did see a big smile on Coach Miller’s face. I don’t think I’d ever seen him smile at practice before.

“Not bad, gentlemen. Lots to clean up, but we’ll start on that tomorrow. Hit the showers. Good job.”

“Bobby, who finished where?” I asked, quietly.

“No idea. You won, but I have no idea if I came in second, third, or fourth. I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

“And I seriously need to improve my back if I hope to be competitive.”

“No kidding. Your backstroke sucks and you still won. Guess we all have a lot to work on.”

“Bobby, did you just make a joke?” I asked and he just grinned. Who was this guy?

When I walked toward Kim’s truck, I saw her leaning against it, reading. I stopped to stare for a minute or two, and then wonder why. Why in the world would she go out with a guy like me? Why in the world would she say, ‘yes’ when I asked her to marry me? I wasn’t even sixteen yet, but she’d committed her life to me. It was crazy. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.

“I decided I like neon pink,” I said as I approached. Her blouse was so bright you could probably see it from the moon.

She looked down, then at me, and very seriously said, “It’s fuchsia.”

“I decided I like neon fuchsia.” That brought a smile and she opened the door and climbed in. I did likewise and saw what she was reading. Chemistry.

I looked at the book, then her. She pursed her lips and looking up from the book, asked, “Why do I need to know about covalent bonding?”

“Because your fiancé wants to share some electrons with you?”

“You just want to get your hands under my fuchsia top.”

“Busted.” I waited. “That was a joke. Get it? Busted?”

“You’re a dufus. That was a fact.”

“How bad was it?” I asked, referring to her chemistry test.

“Seventy-eight. Seventy-eight!”

“Mr. Trent is probably thinking about sending you back to Earth Science. Come on, Baby, that’s not that bad. It’s a C plus and you can pull it up. Still early in the semester, and it was only one test.”

“I’ve done the math. I have a B. That’s fine, except I’ve looked ahead. We have thermodynamics and quantitative analysis in front of us. Ack! This is supposed to be the easy part,” she complained.

“That’s the stuff I can’t wait for. We need to study together. I know you can do it. It’s just going to take more work than biology did. We’ll study together.”

“What did you get?” she asked as we turned onto my street.

“One hundred,” I said, not sure how she would respond.

“And you’re taking biology at the same time. I bet that’s easy for you, too.”

Biology wasn’t easy. It was super easy. “That’s a good thing, though. First, I’m going to major in engineering so it’s important that I get this stuff. Second, it means I can help you. After we lift, we can go back to your house and practice covalent bonding,” I said with a smile.

She had been serious and tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t do it. “Fine. I’ll seek solace in remedial bonding.”

“Remedial? Remedial? I thought I was pretty good at bonding.”

“You’re a dufus. Help me get a better grade on the next test and I might let you see what’s under my neon pink top.”

“Now you’re talking. It’s fuchsia.”

It was a push day and probably our least favorite. I always worked chest and shoulders but saved a lot for triceps. I decided to really hammer the bench press and managed a personal best of two-thirty. Mom managed one-seventy and Kim did one-thirty for six reps. I checked Dr. Legare’s chart and all three of us had busted into the ‘elite’ range for the first time on any exercise. Unfortunately, by the time we got to our poor triceps, we were all shot. Next time.

I threw my bike in the back of Kim’s truck and hopped in for the short ride back to her house. After deciding we were too sweaty and yucky for covalent bonding, Kim took a shower. I waited about two minutes and joined her. We enjoyed some squeaky-clean bonding in the shower. Neither of us lasted long.

We stood there, enjoying the shower, holding each other close. Then I shifted and we made a rubbery squeak sound and we started laughing. It was a pretty fun way to end the afternoon. I dried off thoroughly. Every time we did something like that, I was afraid we’d somehow do something that would tip people off to how we were spending our time. I promised Kim I’d help her with chemistry, we kissed and I biked home.

Tuesday at lunch, Annie was back without her boot and we were all happy for her. “I have to go to physical therapy, at least for a week. Probably no cheer for at least a week after that.”

“How soon?” Mel asked.

“Up to the therapist and Mom says I have to go by that. The doc said I should take up something safer like bungee jumping or bull riding. I told him I’d already done bull riding so I would try bungee jumping.” Some of us remembered Annie on the mechanical bull at Kim’s birthday party. She had lived up to her nickname then. Fling!!!

“Are you cleared for bungee jumping?” Marci asked. “I want to try it but no one else does.”

“When I said that, Doc Timerick just looked at me like I was crazy.”

“You are crazy, Annie,” I said and that got a laugh. It was good that she was back, sort of.

Swim practice that afternoon was pretty normal. Coach had taken a bunch of notes while we were racing. Coach liked to use the low-hanging fruit approach. That’s what he called it. Work on the issues that will yield the biggest results first, and the biggest issue was Ryan’s windmill freestyle technique.

I had no idea how to get him to fix it so I grabbed the next lane over so I could watch. I had tried to help him fix it but nothing I suggested worked. I’d only done four laps when I looked over and saw Ryan swimming smoothly with no windmill whatsoever. I couldn’t believe it. I stood up in the shallow end and watched.

“Coach Miller, how did you do that?”

We watched him swim another lap before he answered. “What’s he doing differently, Pierce?”

“Well, he’s not windmilling, that’s for sure.”

“That’s the effect. What was the cause?” Oops.

“No idea, Coach.”

“Watch. What else is he doing differently?” I watched then shook my head. I didn’t see it. “The problem was his breathing. He was lifting his head and turning too far. He had to windmill to give himself enough time for all that nonsense.”

I watched again. “That’s it. One change like that made a huge difference.” We watched him swim another lap. “What about me, Coach? Give me one thing I need to stop doing.”

“You need to stop standing around in the shallow end and put in some miles while I work with Aaron.” Funny guy. I put in some miles.

If he made corrections like that with Aaron, we’d have some amazing competition. Ryan was already going to be a lot faster and he was just getting used to his new stroke. What a difference.

After the three of us had lifted personal bests on Monday, none of us expected to have a good Tuesday but we were wrong. Mom started things out with a personal best on lat pulldowns. She managed six reps at one thirty-five. I checked the chart. “You’re just below the elite level, Mom. Five more pounds is all you’d need.”

“Ugh.”

All three of us were at the advanced level in everything we did on pull days. Back and biceps were our best muscle groups. When we finished, the three of us went inside and Mom gave us another round of dancing lessons. It seemed like I could get the steps down or I could get the rhythm down, but getting both down at the same time was a challenge. At least I didn’t step on Kim’s toes.

Franklin showed up with Chinese food and Kim went home. Mom made a plate for Dane and set it aside, then the three of us had an early dinner. I grabbed my Chinese pajamas and we were ready for another round of Wing Chun.

Sifu Chen asked about our specific goals. We agreed that we weren’t training to be ninjas or grow up to start our own schools. We wanted it for self-defense and fun and we both enjoyed the challenge.

“I will tailor what I teach to what you want to learn. Not everything I teach will seem like what you want to learn.”

“The first part sounded good but I don’t get the second part,” I said and Franklin agreed.

“Today, you are a boxer. Boxing is a sport. There are rules that not everyone follows. You cannot punch below the belt, poke someone in the eye, or kick them in the groin. I will teach you how to do that. But I must also teach you how to keep from having that done to you.”

“Okay, and since we’re not used to those kinds of attacks, you have to teach both sides of it, the attack and the defense against it,” Franklin said.

“Exactly. Until today, you did not have to protect your knees or groin. You have more to defend than in boxing.”

“Timex’s rule number one was, ‘don’t get hit’,” I said.

“Yes, yes. And rule number two?”

“Hit,” I answered.

“Exactly. In that, we are the same. But,” he said, getting into a boxing stance. “From this stance, I can deliver punches very quickly with either hand. But look how many targets I’ve exposed. Now you,” he said, moving me into a boxing stance. “Look,” he said then showed me targets I didn’t even know I had.

With that, our training began in earnest. We started with stances, turning our bodies to protect potential targets and minimize the exposure of others. We learned how to defend against kicks to the groin and sweeps to the leg. The next week, we’d learn the basics of how to throw those kicks.

“Well?” Franklin asked on the drive home.

“So far, he hasn’t said anything I disagree with and you sure can’t find holes in his thinking. Plus, it makes you think. Like he said, not everyone who picks a fight is a boxer.”

“How many times has he said we should take away the other man’s reason for fighting?” Franklin asked.

“I get the idea. Not sure I can figure out how, though. I suppose he’s going to give us some hints on that, too. It’s definitely not something Timex would say, that’s for sure.”

“The first of many radical differences. How do you suppose those two know each other, anyway?” I had no answer for that.

Franklin dropped me off and I went to the kitchen for a snack. “You look beat, Buddy. Are you getting enough sleep?” Mom asked.

“Busy day, I guess. I don’t have any homework. Can I have the rest of this chili?”

“It’s almost nine and you’re going to eat that? Sure. It’s your stomach. Must be nice to have an iron stomach.”

I put cheese on top and didn’t add hot sauce. It must have worked because I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I woke up Wednesday morning, still dressed from the day before. I put my Chinese pajamas in the wash and got ready for school. I had to laugh that I’d nicknamed my kung fu uniform ‘Chinese pajamas’ because that’s how they fit, then fallen asleep in them.

Wednesday seemed like it was going to be a pretty vanilla day. I expected to get a test and a paper back but I didn’t have any big assignments due, nor were there any tests on my schedule. I was pretty happy with that since I was still sort of recovering from Tuesday. In Precalculus, Mr. McClusky’s voice came over the intercom and Mrs. Haggerty answered. He was trying to be quiet but we could all hear him.

“Are Mr. Pierce and Ms. McTighe in your class?”

“They are. Do you need them for something?”

“No. Just double checking.” And then, almost a whisper, “Are they dressed okay?”

She looked over at us. I smiled as big as I could and Kim elbowed me. “They’re fine. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes. Just checking,” he said and we all heard the speaker click off. There were a few “ooh, you two are in trouble,” kind of remarks and we got back to the business of assessing errors in functions and modeling.

When Biology was over, I waited for Kim to get out of geology in the next class next door. “What do you think that was about?” she asked.

“I don’t know but I can’t stop checking myself to make sure my fly’s not down or something.”

“Me too. That was weird.” We walked to the cafeteria together and as soon as we went in, we knew something was up. Mr. McClusky was talking to someone and there was a big inverted silver umbrella with lights shining on it and a couple of seats in front of it. It didn’t affect Kim or me so we sat down with the squad.

“You’re at the wrong table,” Jan said.

“What? We nearly always sit here,” Kim answered.

“Not today,” Mel said, laughing.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Mr. McClusky said with a hand on each of our shoulders. Uh-oh.

“I didn’t do anything. I swear,” I said, and for the second time in one day, Kim elbowed me in the ribs.

“Why don’t you two come with me? There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

We followed him to the inverted umbrella, and as we got closer, I started to get a bad feeling about it. There was a camera on a tripod across from the umbrella and the camera cases were a pretty big tipoff.

“Hi. I’m Debby Dare from Live Five News. You must be Aquaman and Ms. McTighe,” she said holding out her hand. I reluctantly shook it and so did Kim.

“What’s going on?” Kim asked.

“I’d like to interview you both. Human interest story. Art tells me you two are engaged. At sixteen, that’s news, especially when you both attend an elite college prep school. Our viewers would love to hear your story,” she said, as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

“I’ve spoken to both of your parents,” Mr. McClusky said. “As minors, Live Five needs their permission and they have it. It’s up to you.”

“Oh, can I see,” Debby Dare from Live Five News said, as she reached out for Kim’s hand. The cameraman looked bored, waiting to see if he had work to do or not. Kim held her hand out and Debby Dare from Live Five News made the appropriate clucks and comments, then, “Come on, you two. It will be fun.”

“Can we have a minute?” I said and Kim and I walked a few feet away without asking.

“How the hell did they find out about this?” I asked.

“No idea.” We looked over at the squad but didn’t see any sly smiles. “What do you think?”

“I think I’d rather go eat lunch,” I said.

“Come on. It will be fun,” Kim said, mocking Debby Dare. “Is that her real name?”

“Highly unlikely. I don’t really want to be on the evening news. But, if you do, I’ll go along.”

“Wait,” she said, obviously having thought of something. “No, I don’t think so. What are we trying to do this week? We’re trying to stay out of the spotlight so Mandy Simms and Trey Applewhite could be in it for once. This would totally hijack that,” Kim said.

“I hadn’t thought about that but you’re right. Let’s just tell them ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”

She nodded and we walked back. Debby Dare looked at us expectantly and pointed toward the seats. “Ms. Dare, we appreciate the opportunity,” I said, “but if it’s all the same to you, we’re going to decline.” I’m certain she wasn’t prepared for that.

“Ooh, really? Can I ask why not?” she asked.

“Are you sure, Mr. Pierce?” Mr. McClusky said.

“Yes, sir. We’re sure,” I said and looked at Kim. She nodded agreement.

“Good enough for me. Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked, and right then I liked him even more. He didn’t try to talk us into it or out of it and when we decided, he took it at face value. He treated us like adults. I wanted to be like him when I grew up, which was kind of funny to think about.

“Most people jump at the chance. Can I ask why not?” she said.

I looked at Kim and she nodded for me to go ahead. “As long as it doesn’t end up on the news.”

“You have my word. Personal curiosity.”

“Okay then. Two reasons, really. Next week is homecoming. We don’t want to be king and queen. We’re already kind of famous with the people here. We nominated a couple of other kids that should get it, but are never in the spotlight.”

“And if you were on the news tonight, that would put the spotlight back on you,” she said, understanding.

“Exactly, and we don’t want that,” Kim said.

“There’s another reason. A friend of mine in another state just lost a friend to suicide. They had counselors at the school all day because if one person does it, then other people might think about it, even if they hadn’t been thinking about it before,” I said.

“I see that,” she said. “But what does that have to do with you two? You’re not ... No.”

“No. Neither of us are depressed or anything. But we know how young we are and we know that getting engaged this young is unusual. That’s why you want us on the news. But if we were, on the news then maybe someone else might get engaged because they thought it was the cool thing to do or something.”

“Not a good reason,” Kim added.

“I guess Art was right. He said you wouldn’t do it and I didn’t believe him. Courtney warned me, too.” There it was. Cortney from Lowndes Grove had told her about it. We must have had some sort of telltale looks on our faces because she quickly said, “Casual conversation. She’s a friend and she mentioned you two in casual conversation. This wasn’t her idea.” We both relaxed. “What caught my attention is that she said you knew the exact date over two years from now.”

“His birthday. It’s the day he turns eighteen.”

“Oh, my goodness. Are you sure you won’t let me interview you?” she asked.

“I think you just did,” Kim said, and she laughed.

“Maybe it’s better this way. If you change your mind, give me a call,” she said, handing me her business card. “I bet it would be a fun interview.”

She started to leave and I had to know. “Ms. Dare,” I said and she turned back. “Is that your real name? Debby Dare?”

She laughed. “Heavens, no. I was born Clarissa Schmultz.”

“No!” Kim said.

“I know. It’s horrible. Can you hear it, ‘And now, here’s Clarissa Schmultz with the latest in the Lowcountry.”

“Oh, my gosh. No wonder you’re Debby Dare. What do your friends call you?” Kim asked.

“My friends call me Lisa. You can call me Lisa. It was wonderful to meet you. I hope I didn’t keep you from your friends too long.”

We thanked her for understanding. We didn’t have much time to eat lunch and I was starving. Kim could go a couple of days without eating which I never understood. Everyone had questions and I just wanted to eat. Kim explained it while I wolfed down a meatloaf sandwich, a banana, and a tiny little pudding cup that was hardly worth the effort. As soon as I finished eating, I nudged Kim and pointed to her lunch but she wanted to finish explaining.

Mr. McClusky came over just as the bell sounded. “Sorry to ambush you two. I didn’t find out about it until second period. Relax and finish your lunch. I’ll write you a note.”

He sat next to Kim as the rest of the table took off for class. “She said you knew we wouldn’t do it,” I said.

“Just a hunch. How are you doing?” I shrugged and Kim smiled as she ate her salad. “I bet you remember me telling you things would be different.”

“You, and about a dozen other people. What’s weird, sir, is that nothing changed for us. It’s just that everyone around us changed how they see us. That’s not true. Our closest friends know us. I guess you know us, too.”

“You’re hardly low profile.”

“I was. Until she came along,” I said.

“Careful,” he said and I thought Kim was going to snort, but she managed to hang on.

“We’re doing okay. I think we’re both trying to do what you and Ms. Bentz said, you know, to be examples. Dane says we’ve been in a goldfish bowl since I proposed. I’d never heard that before but I get it.”

“Yup. Listen, you two have good hearts. I heard about your efforts on behalf of Miss Simms and Mr. Applewhite. I also heard that Mr. Spencer has enlisted the help of the football team and a lot of their friends. Perhaps that’s what Debby Dare should have covered.”

“You could invite her to the homecoming dance,” Kim said and we laughed.

“You don’t have anything special dreamed up for that, do you?”

“No, sir. Trying to be more low-key.”

“Good luck with that, Aquaman,” he said, scribbling out a couple of notes for us.

His note got us into class okay. What it didn’t do is stop everyone from bugging us about Debby Dare and her visit. Debby Dare. Who thought of that?