t talk to Miss Garber about our plans for t it er sed you ;; On Monday, ; and for t t about four zillion times.
But Miss Garber actually our idea one better. Sold t o do ts as t t t ing for someone to nod so s official. No one moved a muscle, except for Eddie. Some t exact moment, and ly. t across by Norma Jeans leg. S of loud, and ted, quot;E; t of tarted looking around and craning trying to see en seconds total pandemonium in t was as good of an answer as she needed.
quot;Marvelous,quot; she discussion.
Jamie, meaned about performing for t;t; s conspiratorially, quot;but Ive been o do for t it for mont tmas to be t special one of all.quot;
quot;mas so important?quot; I asked iently, as if Id asked a question t didnt really matter.
quot;It just is,quot; she said simply.
t step o talk it over or of t Mr. Jenkins before, being t ty, ing er t evening, I of I dressed nice enoug s to make a good impression. Even t as excited about it as Jamie ed as Jamie), I didnt to be regarded as tmas for ther.
Before to ting, o my o pick up my moms car, and tle nicer. took about ten minutes or so, and Jamie didnt say muc least until to my neig, and sions muc, but o my taking in her surroundings.
No doubt it later I sao tings t lined tors, so to speak. As ire lineage could be traced in t lined tared at turned tention to till looked practically neer ty years. ture , but it somet about. to me, it a e part of it led to t was my escape ch.
I sour of tting room, t on t julep and reading, and o say hello.
I told you t every adult in to included my mom. Even t ten all over t against Jamie, because of salked for a clean s and a tie.
Back ties a lot, especially ion of auty. airs fully dressed, Jamie old my mom about the plan.
quot;Its a ; Jamie said, beaming at me. quot;Landons really got a special .quot;
My mom-after making sure sly-faced me ared at me like I was an alien.
quot;So t; my mom asked. Like everyone else in town, s lie.
I cleared my t, t I still ed to do to involved molasses and fire ants, by the way.
quot;Kind of,quot; I said.
quot;Amazing.quot; It out. S knoails, but s o a corner to do sometuff like t, and I could see me and trying to figure it out. to escape ive gaze, I ccioned to Jamie t ter be going. My mom got tbook and o me, still giving me t t Id someten a as I o thers voice again.
quot;Come on over anytime, Jamie!quot; my mom sed. quot;Youre always welcome ;
Even motick it to you sometimes.
I ill s in the car.
quot;Your mot; Jamie said.
I started t;Yea; I said, quot;I guess so.quot;
quot;And your iful.quot;
quot;U;
quot;You s your blessings.quot;
quot;O; I said, quot;I do. Im practically t guy alive.quot;
Some catcic tone of my voice.
e got to t about time it ting dark. e es early, and tor ant call and meet aable. e ing on a bencside urned to me. ed it for support, but t .
quot;You did really oday,quot; s;it;
quot;t; I said, feeling proud and dejected at exactly time. quot;I still learned my beats, t; I offered. tice t going to suggest it.
quot;You ;
quot;I ;
Jamie smiled, and after a moment s, sort of track. quot;Do you ever t ture, Landon?quot; she asked.
I artled by ion because it sounded . . . so ordinary.
quot;Yea; I ansiously.
quot;ell, to do ;
I stle kno. I figured t part out. Im going to UNC next fall, at least I o get accepted first.quot;
quot;You ; she said.
quot;;
quot;Because Ive prayed for t, too.quot;
, I t t Jamie tossed yet anot me.
quot; after college? do you to do t;
quot;I dont kno; I said, s;Maybe Ill be a one-armed lumberjack.quot;
S t was funny.
quot;I ter,quot; s;I t ;
t ely ridiculous, kne came from t and sended it as a compliment.
quot;t; I said. quot;I dont kno, but Im sure Ill find somet; It took a moment for me to realize t tion alled and t it urn to ask a question.
quot; you? do you to do in ture?quot;
Jamie turned a a far-off gaze in s it vanis as quickly as it came.
quot;I to get married,quot; sly. quot;And o everyone I knoo be t ting ;
quot;ts all?quot; t averse to t seemed kind of silly to as your lifes goal.
quot;Yes,quot; s;ts all I .quot;
t t s sried to make ter, even t still seemed silly to me.
quot;ell, youll get married someday. Youll meet some guy and t off, and o marry your fato ;
I didnt mention t about even I couldnt imagine.
Jamie t carefully about my ans, t know why.
quot;I ; she said finally.
I could tell s to talk about it anymore, dont ask me o something new.
quot;So o t; I asked conversationally.
quot;Seven years noen years old t time I came. I of t;
quot;Do you enjoy it, or does it make you sad?quot;
quot;Botuations. Its enougo break your . But take all ts test feeling in t;
Sically glo to make me feel guilty, t ly t. It up by tting fairly used to it. S you every normal, Id come to learn.
At t moment, Mr. Jenkins opened ted us in. t like a al room, e tiled floors, al cabinet against tal desk t looked like it amped off t neurotically clean of anyt a single picture or anything.
Jamie introduced me, and I ser do of talking. t rigered. After smoot , Jamie explained our plan. No almost as soon as sarted. But even t and kne was a good idea.
quot;I dont ts a good idea,quot; he said.
ts hinking.
quot;?quot; Jamie asked, husiasm.
Mr. Jenkins picked up a pencil and started tapping it on o explain ime, dohe pencil and sighed.
quot;Even ts a o do somet a fatually comes to realize er.quot; t sink in for a moment and picked up t;Cmas is reminding t t if t . . .quot;
even o finis o ;O; s a;youre rig t about t.quot;
Neito tell you trut it Mr. Jenkins made sense.
ted for a ead.
quot;ell ree and a fes-somet all of t;Youre o visit Cmas Eve. . . .quot;
After saying anytell ss of different emotions-s al, t time I recognized t in some of us.
quot;Im sorry it didnt ,quot; I said softly.
quot;I am, too.quot;
S fara before s on.
quot;I just ed to do somet for t t for sure t. . . .quot; S;to I just dont kno yet.quot;
S for a long time, and I looked at o feel bad about myself-I kne h her . . .
quot; to stop in to see t; I asked into t o do t migter. quot;I could out alk to to t.quot;
quot;ould you visit t; she asked suddenly.
to be , I sure I could , but I kne t automatically.
quot;Sure, Ill go.quot;
quot;ts ime,quot; she said.
e o to a good-size room. Percelevision ty metal folding c. tting in t, and you could tell t only t row hing.
I glanced around. In table. ty, t noy Styrofoam cups sat on top of it, and I kne been used in mont to table of soys too many, and t ime. Along th crayons.
e stood in t a second. e been noticed yet, and I asked he newspapers were for.
quot;t ; s;so t; S look at me as sead tention ed at to smile again.
quot;Are toys t; I asked.
S;Yes, except for tuffed animals. to keep t of t.quot;
I guess so it. to me, t imagine grohis.
Jamie and I finally o turned around at teps. eig teeth missing.
quot;Jamie!quot; ed urned. t five to ter to be sent to live er parents, I later learned.
quot;; Jamie said in response, quot;;
it, Roger and some of to croo television no ts in t roroduced me to one of tone, I t most of the kids in our high school had.
quot; a friend,quot; s;But ;
Over t ed a lot of questions about siced t s promise I h her.
o t;t; I s;Im glad t you to ;
Jamie turned to me and smiled. S muco add after t, but I could tell sill Cmas.