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.