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 oer. Sold t o do ts as t t t ing for someoo nod so s official. No one moved a muscle, except for Eddie. Some t exaent, and ly. t across by Norma Jeans leg. S of loud, and ted, "E; t of tarted looking around and ing trying to see en seds total pandemonium in t was as good of an answer as she needed.
"Marvelous," she discussion.
Jamie, meaned about perf for t;t; s spiratorially, "but Ive been o do for t it for mont tmas to be t special one of all."
"mas so important?" I asked iently, as if Id asked a question t didnt really matter.
"It just is," she said simply.
t step o talk it over or of t Mr. Jenkins before, being t ty, i evening, I of I dressed nioug 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 ook 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 liors, so to speak. As ire lineage could be traced in t liared at turention to till looked practically y 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 s and a tie.
Back ties a lot, especially ion of auty. airs fully dressed, Jamie old my mom about the plan.
"Its a ; Jamie said, beaming at me. "Landons really got a special ."
My mom-after making sure sly-faced me ared at me like I was an alien.
"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.
"Kind of," I said.
"Amazing." It out. S knoails, but s o a er to do sometuff like t, and I could see me and trying to figure it out. to escape ive gaze, I ed to Jamie t ter be going. My mom got tbook and o me, still givi Id someten a as I o thers voice again.
"e on over anytime, Jamie!" my mom sed. "Youre always wele ;
Even motick it to you sometimes.
I ill s in the car.
"Your mot; Jamie said.
I started t;Yea; I said, "I guess so."
"And your iful."
"U;
"You s your blessings."
"O; I said, "I do. Im practically t guy alive."
Some catcie 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 uro me. ed it for support, but t .
"You did really oday," s;it;
"t; I said, feeling proud aed at exactly time. "I still learned my beats, t; I offered. tice t going to suggest it.
"You ;
"I ;
Jamie smiled, and after a moment s, sort of track. "Do you ever t ture, Landon?" she asked.
I artled by ion because it sounded . . . so ordinary.
"Yea; I ansiously.
"ell, to do ;
I stle kno. I figured t part out. Im going to U fall, at least I o get accepted first."
"You ; she said.
";
"Because Ive prayed for t, too."
, I t t Jamie tossed yet anot me.
" after college? do you to do t;
"I dont kno; I said, s;Maybe Ill be a one-armed lumberjack."
S t was funny.
"I ter," s;I t ;
t ely ridiculous, kne came from t and se as a pliment.
"t; I said. "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.
" you? do you to do in ture?"
Jamie turned a a far-off gaze in s it vanis as quickly as it came.
"I to get married," sly. "And o everyone I knoo be t ting ;
"ts all?" t averse to t seemed kind of silly to as your lifes goal.
"Yes," s;ts all I ."
t t s sried to make ter, even t still seemed silly to me.
"ell, youll get married someday. Youll meet some guy and t off, and o marry your fato ;
I didion t about even I couldnt imagine.
Jamie t carefully about my ans, t know why.
"I ; she said finally.
I could tell s to talk about it anymore, dont ask me o something new.
"So o t; I asked versationally.
"Seven years noen years old t time I came. I of t;
"Do you enjoy it, or does it make you sad?"
"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 e to learn.
At t moment, Mr. Jenkins opeed us in. t like a al room, e tiled floors, al et against tal desk t looked like it amped off t ically 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.
"I dont ts a good idea," he said.
ts hinking.
"?" Jamie asked, husiasm.
Mr. Jenkins picked up a pencil and started tapping it on o explain ime, dohe pencil and sighed.
"Even ts a o do somet a fatually es to realize er." t sink in for a moment and picked up t;Cmas is reminding t t if t . . ."
even o finis o ;O; s a;youre rig t about t."
o tell you trut it Mr. Jenkins made sense.
ted for a ead.
"ell ree and a fes-somet all of t;Youre o visit Cmas Eve. . . ."
After saying anytell ss of differeions-s al, t time I reized t in some of us.
"Im sorry it didnt ," I said softly.
"I am, too."
S fara before s on.
"I just ed to do somet for t t for sure t. . . ." S;to I just dont k."
S for a long time, and I looked at o feel bad about myself-I kne h her . . .
" to stop in to see t; I asked into t o do t migter. "I could out alk to to t."
"ould you visit t; she asked suddenly.
to be , I sure I could , but I k automatically.
"Sure, Ill go."
"ts ime," 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 sed. e been noticed yet, and I asked he neers were for.
"t ; s;so t; S look at me as sead tentio to smile again.
"Are toys t; I asked.
S;Yes, except for tuffed animals. to keep t of t."
I guess so it. to me, t imagine grohis.
Jamie and I finally o turned around at teps. eig teeth missing.
"Jamie!" ed ur five to ter to be sent to live er parents, I later learned.
"; Jamie said in response, ";
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 h school had.
" a friend," 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 turo me and smiled. S muco add after t, but I could tell sill Cmas.
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