t day I talked to Miss Garber,  tion, and got t. Eddie, by t upset at all. In fact, I could tell ually relieved about to let me play tom ton,  of relaxed rig;Y-y-yes, a-a-absolutely,quot; uttering. quot;I-I-I un-un-understand.quot; It took ically ten seconds to get t.

    For y,  role. tely mute, but t  one point in to tell te bum t God c for rodden. t ip-offs to t s from  ed it to be real clear ion, and it certainly  going to be a fey gs  of nowhere.

    Rearted t il  all t;little bugsquot; out of our performance. By little bugs, I mean our tendency to accidentally knock over t fifteen years ago,  year, by toby Bus of roving s for t.  traigally  once a day.  o to sooto ly s  all own.

    But   allooby really didnt knorict environment. As a result, t  obvious rig. After a feo fall apart, and  took it upon o keep toget  t too good at t, rusty nails sticking out all over, poking t o ly  ourselves or topple over, making little nail age floor. After a couple of years tage o be resurfaced, and t exactly close to , to be more careful in ture. t meant ice in til  t;little bugs.quot;

    Fortunately   involved ual production of tering duties. t role fell to Miss Garber, and t told us to do o memorize our lines as quickly as possible. e didnt ime as ted for re possible day in November, and  didnt  to be performed too close to Cmas, so as not to interfere ;its true meaning.quot; t left us only to get t rig a han usual.

    t t day t really surprising.   soo, as  t, and Id be looking do a stack of pages, trying to figure out  line s ing for a burning buse bums, at least on t first day, and all of a sudden I ually envious of Eddie, at least in t regard. to be a lot of  exactly ed whe class.

    My noble feelings about doing t;rig; my friends didnt understand it at all, and t. quot;Youre doing ; Eric asked . quot;Youre doing t plain stupid?quot; I sort of mumbled t I   let it drop, and old everyone around us t I , of course,  rue, and tell t person tories kept getting oo-by lunc I ting engaged. I actually t it. S ual except for t t s  couldnt ignore. uffed into ted oacky antique so be , it sort of gave me the willies.

    I guess t ed to resent Jamie again. I kno  , but I aking t, ly gone out of  of o make me feel o stumble t fe really even attempting to learn t for Jamie and Miss Garber. After reo put t of my mind, and I  even boto pick up t. Instead Id joke  tell fibs about  hing.

    Jamie, t going to let me off t easy. No, s me rig s, righe old ego.

    I  urday nigs tive state cball, about a er rearted. e  terfront outside of Cecils Diner, eating creet. Sill a urning o side,  old broer again and carrying  must e for o be out, and it ranger to see  of tourned my back to , but even Margaret- who she was looking for.

    quot;Landon, your girlfriend is ;

    quot;S my girlfriend,quot; I said. quot;I dont ;

    quot;Your fiancée, t;

    I guess salked to Sally, too.

    quot;Im not engaged,quot; I said. quot;No off.quot;

    I glanced over my so see if sted me, and I guess soended not to notice.

    quot;; Margaret said, and giggled.

    quot;I kno; I said.

    ty seconds later s again.

    quot;Sill coming.quot; I told you she was quick.

    quot;I kno; I said tted teet  for  drive you as crazy as Jamie.

    I glanced around again, and time Jamie kneurned a later sanding right beside me.

    quot;; so me, oblivious of my scorn. quot; . . .quot; S around t of mumbled quot;; and tried not to stare at the Bible.

    Eric . Jamie could even make Eric feel guilty if so  one time, and Eric alks before. Be;tion Lady,quot; in obvious reference to tion Army. quot;S; o say. But ory. In   to be in her bad graces.

    quot; seen you around mucly.quot; Sill talked to ime.

    ed from one foot to t  guilty look for all it h.

    quot;ell, I  been to cely,quot; he said.

    Jamie smiled t glittery smile. quot;ell, ts okay, I suppose, as long as it doesnt become a  or anyt;

    quot;It .quot;

    No beell t about all ts t to Jamie. For a second I t o call ;maam.quot;

    quot;You  a beer?quot; Margaret asked. I trying to be funny, but no one laughed.

    Jamie put o ugging gently at ;O really . . . t;

    Sly at me  glo so ask me off to to be  I t urn out better, but I guess t  in her plans.

    quot;ell, you did really  re; so me. quot;I kno a lot of lines to learn, but Im sure youre going to get t ed to teering like you did. Youre a real gentleman.quot;

    quot;t; I said, a little knot forming in my stomacried to be cool, but all my friends elling trut Miss Garber forcing it on me and everyt.

    quot;Your friends s; Jamie added, putting t t to rest.

    quot;O; Eric said, pouncing. quot;Very proud.  Landon, eering and all.quot;

    Oh no.

    Jamie smiled at urned back to me again, ;I also ed to tell you t if you need any ime. e can sit on to.quot;

    I sa;like ; to Margaret. t going  all. By no in my stomach was as big as Paul Bunyans bowling ball.

    quot;ts okay,quot; I mumbled, ;I can learn t ;

    quot;ell, sometimes it o read ; Eric offered.

    I told you ick it to me, even though he was my friend.

    quot;No, really,quot; I said to ;Ill learn t;

    quot;Maybe,quot; Eric said, smiling, quot;you t of t it dotle better. Sort of a dress reo see it.quot;

    You could practically see Jamies mind start clicking at tion of t  button ;Do you t; she asked.

    Eric nodded seriously. quot;Im sure of it. Landon  of it first, but I kno if I   exactly t;

    quot;Me too,quot; Margaret chimed in.

    As t  scene from Julius Caesar abs  tu, Eric?

    quot;It ; s me, and I could tell sill mulling it over.

    But Eric  about to let me off t easy. No  to do  me. quot;Youd like to do t,  you, Landon?quot; ;;

    It  exactly someto, ?

    quot;I reckon so,quot; I said under my breataring at my best friend. Eric, despite the remedial classes he was in, would have been one hell of a chess player.

    quot;Good, ts all settled. ts if its okay ; , it could y.

    quot;ell . . . yes, I suppose Ill o talk to Miss Garber and tor of t if ts okay, I t ;

    And tell s it.

    Ce.

    t day I spent fourteen  of control. My senior year certainly  turning out t it  if I o perform for a buncainly didnt  to look like an idiot.