Chapter 72: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Saturday, January 15, 1983

I picked up a bunch of kolaches, and then my passengers, and headed off to Strake Jesuit. By now, we’d just made a plan that I’d bring breakfast and people would reimburse me. Perhaps this should’ve been Meg’s job (she didn’t have to compete, after all) or Steffie’s. However, I think it pleased both of them that students were stepping up and taking responsibility (what we’d call ‘owning’ things, a bit in the future).

Our rounds weren’t notably different from yesterday’s, but we had some frenemies today. In third round, we ran into Brenda and Natalie from Duschene, and ran over them, too, I thought. They didn’t look happy after the round, anyway, though I knew they knew it wasn’t personal.

A round later, we ran into Ryan and Nick from Bellaire. I’d gotten the impression that Strake Jesuit had paired fourth round high-high, so it made sense we’d run into them.

The funny thing was, we ran over them, too, and did so while running our own case, the one we knew they knew and had prepped for. I considered the possibility that they were sandbagging, but discarded it. Maybe, though? With a loss, they’d be 3-1 and there was every chance we’d see them again. But that might put them against Janet and Lizzie, who they tended to beat. Given that we already thought they were a bit ... underhanded ... it was certainly possible.

Lunch turned out to be Jack in the Box, fetched by Amit and Sheila. Jaya and Jeff, who seemed to maybe be a bit of a tentative couple, went along to help carry, and the rest of us met them in the parking lot. As many teenagers as we had, we went through a lot of food. Yes, well over half of us were girls, but it wasn’t just boys who found themselves hungry after a morning of mostly non-physical activity.

After lunch I made the rounds just a bit, talking with a few people I knew. I nodded once to Marshall, but that was it. Still no point letting anyone else know that we knew each other. Perhaps we could ‘meet’ at some point in the future.

When I saw them posting breaks, I headed back to our tables. Much better to let Cammie and Paige handle it. Well, them, or perhaps Sheila and Megan, who’d been doing that at the other tournaments.

Turned out it was indeed Cammie and Paige. I think Sheila and Megan were happy to let them handle it.

Paige went first.

“Okay, y’all. First up is Humorous. Breaking are me, Carole, Jasmine, Sara, Angie, Steve, Danny, Debra, and — her first time ever — Marsha.”

We all clapped for a blushing Marsha.

“Dramatic breaks are me again, Jasmine, Lexi, Sheila, Caitlyn, and — her first time ever — Carla.”

More applause. Carla wasn’t nearly as red.

“And, in duo ... to heck with it. All of us.”

And more applause, this time on general principles.

“That’s it! Over to Cammie.”

Cammie got up. “Thanks! So ... Extemp. That’s where we have the biggest group. So ... me, Amit, Sue, Angie, Steve, Janice, Linda, Darla, Bree, Megan, Kenzie, and Jaya.”

And that, right there, was why schools had been limiting our signups. We’d have over a third of the Extempers in elimination rounds.

“In CX ... somehow Sue and Amit and Linda and Darla didn’t break. So we have four of eight. Also ... Lizzie and Janet ... get some revenge, dudes.”

Janet growled. “Them?”

Cammie nodded. “Them.”

“Ugh! Bogus!”

“Finally, in LD ... Callie, Kenzie, Bree, and Jaya. Yes, half. None of you have to face each other. Yet.”

I was ... skeptical ... of the CX and LD results. It was a bit convenient that we’d broken four teams in both. I wondered if they’d found some rule that let them prevent a school from taking more than half the slots in elims or some such. Who knows? Meg would be on it, if there was anything to be on.

Our quarterfinals opponents were a couple of guys from Alief Elsik that I’d seen around a few times but barely knew. Charitably ... Sue and Amit were much better than these guys. Linda and Darla would’ve been close, too. My skepticism wasn’t abating.

I couldn’t imagine that the Strake Jesuit team would break the rules to our detriment, but bending some rule in such a way that it created a barrier to our dominating everything? That could happen.

Of course, it’s also possible that Sue and Amit had just screwed up one of their rounds, or perhaps a judge had made an unusual decision, or perhaps both. Sometimes the line between breaking and missing out is a narrow one.

During an idle moment between rounds, I noticed Linda giving me a few looks. Darla, too. With them out of the running, I guess other thoughts were taking over. I nodded to Linda the next time I saw her glance my way, and she blushed, then gave me a tentative nod back. I gestured to the side and she headed over that way.

“Um...” she started.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so busy,” I said. “We definitely should go out again. I really enjoyed it.”

“Yay! Me, too. I’m sorry you were so sick, and so busy, too!”

“I’m always busy,” I said. “Just a fact of life.”

She chuckled a little. “I see that! I think I’m busy and it’s nothing compared to you, or Jessica, or Angie or Jasmine or Megan or Cammie...”

“It’s not a competition. We’re happy being busy, I suppose, or we’d stop saying ‘yes’.”

“So...?”

“This weekend? Or next weekend? I should talk to Darla first, just because...”

“We’ve talked. Of course. She’s busy this weekend. Next weekend is out, obviously, but the weekend after that, if you’re not busy...”

“Pretty sure that works. Let me double-check with Jasmine. She occasionally decides we’re doing something without letting me know about it.”

“A female prerogative! Get used to it, buster!”

“I am!” I really was, too. Well over twenty-five years used to it. Jasmine had nothing on my ex-wife for committing me to things without letting me know about them.

“I’ll assume next weekend unless you let me know otherwise.”

“Tentatively, Friday. That seems the most likely.”

“Friday’s good for me!”

She gave me a quick kiss, then scooted off. As I’d expected, Darla came right over after they’d exchanged a few words.

“Before you say it, I completely understand about you being busy and sick. No worries!”

“I really enjoyed spending time with you, and I’d love to, again.”

“And you already know I’ve got something this weekend, and we’re much too busy next weekend, so...”

“Friday the fourth.”

“Works for me. Tell me when it’s not tentative!”

“I will.”

“Looking forward to it!”

I chuckled, then went off to talk to Jasmine. She was, of course, amused, and also confirmed that both evenings would be just fine, as long as we got Saturdays. I had no problem with that at all.

Another round, another report, as always. Cammie went first this time.

“In Extemp, we had the most, so the most to lose. Still going are me, Amit, Sue, Steve, Darla, Bree, and Jaya.”

That figured. I felt bad for Ang, but I knew she’d be fine.

“In CX ... congrats, dudettes!”

Janet and Lizzie high-fived each other. I think they very nearly kissed, but this wasn’t the right environment for that. Thank goodness they’d finally gotten their win against their real nemesis, and if it’d been a ploy, thank goodness it hadn’t worked.

“Also, Steve and I will be facing Angie and Gene next round.”

“Bogus!” Angie yelled.

Meg rolled her eyes. “Need I remind you?”

All four of us somehow managed to say “Yes, Missus Ames!” in perfect synchronization. We hadn’t even practiced that.

Meg rolled her eyes again.

“And ... in LD, Callie and Kenzie.”

Sucked for Bree and Jaya, but great for the twins.

Paige took over.

“Switching up the order: in Duo, it’s still all of us. In Dramatic, me, Jasmine, Lexi, and Carla!”

That got another cheer. Go Carla!

“And, in Humorous, me, Jasmine, Angie, Steve, and Debra.”

Quite a few gone there, but we were still strong.

Steffie grinned. “Good going, y’all!”

“Very good,” Meg said.

“Now, go kick some butt! Except for the four of you debating each other. Be gentle, there!”