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 turned to take any ceasing Jamie or anyt. less sometimes, especially ws of bourbon in him.
tually quite busy for me. I spent most of ternoon 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 fornication, t t. I said small prayers all day long in tion, but I sure if God my prayers on t burner, 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 turned t, so it ill lig rolled up to ed for a moment, t say, quot;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 turned 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.
quot;; I said, srepidation. quot;Im o take Jamie to t;
quot;Of course you are,quot; ;But first, I ed to talk ;
quot;Yes, sir, ts w;
quot;Cmon in.quot;
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.
quot;ts okay, sir.quot; I dont kno o call ;sir.quot; of projected t image.
quot;All rigell me about yourself.quot;
I t it ion, ory ized me, by the way, and hed seen me in church every Sunday since Id been a baby.
quot;ell, sir,quot; I began, not really knoo say, quot;Im tudent body president. I dont kno to you.quot;
;S;
quot;And . . . o ty of Nort fall. Ive already received tion.quot;
;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.
quot;I guess not, sir.quot;
quot;Do you mind if I ask you a question?quot;
quot;No, sir.quot;
of stared at me for a long time, as if t it.
quot;er to t; he finally said.
I my expression s.
quot;I dont kno;
quot;Youre not planning to do anyto . . . embarrass ;
quot;No, sir,quot; I said quickly, sion. quot;Not at all. I needed someone to go s as simple as t.quot;
quot;You dont ;
quot;No, sir. I do t to ;
t on for a fees- my true intentions, I mean-but luckily Jamie stepped out of turned 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.
quot;Youre not giving Landon a ime, are you?quot; so her.
quot;e visiting,quot; I said quickly before o respond. For some reason I didnt told Jamie about t I t noime.
quot;ell, . I tension in to ;Dont stay up too late ;
quot;I ,quot; 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.
quot;Im not exactly a dim, you kno;
I started toion Id just running through my mind.
quot;My fat like you very muc; s I hinking.
I nodded saying anything.
quot;;
I nodded again.
quot; like your fat;
I nodded once more.
quot;Or your family.quot;
I get ture.
quot;But do you kno; she asked suddenly.
quot;Not really.quot; By tty depressed.
quot;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 turned 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 turned 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 quot;joyquot; and even quot;salvation,quot; 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 quot;means business.quot; You knoalking about.
quot;Are you staring at my girl?quot; ensing up.
quot;No.quot;
quot;Yea; Angela said, kind of slurring out t;aring rig me. told you about.quot;
urned into little slits, just like s o do. I guess I on lots of people.
quot;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.
quot;I staring,quot; I said finally, quot;and I dont kno I doubt if it rue.quot;
;Are you calling Angela a liar?quot; he sneered.
Oops.
I t me rig Jamie suddenly uation.
quot;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.
quot;? ell you about me, too?quot;
quot;No,quot; Jamie said, quot;dont be silly.quot; So a time like t;I saure in your grandmas ure el.quot;
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.
quot;t; I said mumbled s Jamie-Jamie!- me strangely. quot;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 turns 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 quot;terquot; 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.
quot;Please dont tell your fat t; I said.
quot;I ,quot; s on smiling ;I ime tonigaking me to t;
ually times.