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Authors: Betsy Haynes
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Even
though she had made up her mind that she had done nothing wrong and shouldn't
feel bad about whatever happened, it was like waiting for the other shoe to
drop. Only it's more like the next cannon to shoot, thought Christie, because I'm
going to be dead anyway.
In her last class before noon, Christie's teacher gave her
an envelope. Christie stayed after everyone else had left with the envelope
lying in the center of her desk. She wondered if prison wardens delivered the
death sentence to convicts on death row in an envelope like this one.
She chewed her lower lip as she tore it open.
Christie Winchell:
Please see me in my office after lunch.
Mr. Neal
I might have those words put on my tombstone when I die,
Christie thought.
"I'm sorry, Christie," Mr. Neal said, after he
told her of his decision. He did look sorry, she thought, but not nearly as
sorry as I am.
As Mr. Neal had explained it, Melissa had convinced him that
it wouldn't be fair for him to wait until Wednesday to decide who would be on
the Super Quiz team. Since there weren't any clues that would prove Christie
hadn't taken the folder she was off the team.
"If we had anything that would show you
accidentally got the questions, Christie, I could do something," Mr. Neal
repeated. "But the way it is now, I have no choice."
Christie's stomach turned over. She thought she was going to
be sick.
"Come to me if you find out something." Mr. Neal
continued. "I'm going to have the team together in the media center after
school for a practice. I'll haw to tell them about the change then."
Christie left the office and plodded down the hall like a
zombie. For a second she considered faking being sick so she could go home, but
then she decided not to. That would just make Melissa McConnell, Laura McCall,
and the others feel as if they had really beaten her. She couldn't give them
that satisfaction, no matter what.
Christie put her money in the vending machine and pulled the
lever. A bag of chips dropped into the trough. She couldn't face going into the
cafeteria at noon where she would be stared at, so she walked outside and found
a quiet place to sit.
She was off the Super Quiz team. She said it over and over
to herself, trying to get used to the idea now that it was definite. How was
she going to tell her parents? They were so proud of her. Her mother
even thought she was smarter than her brothers, one of whom was an attorney and
the other in medical school. How was she going to tell them? Christie gulped
hard and stuck her chin out. And Friday after school everyone would be at the
Super Quiz match between Wakeman and Trumbull. Tears built up behind her eyes,
but she refused to let them out.
"Hey, Christie!" Jon's voice broke through the
gloom that filled her mind. "I've been looking all over for you. Where
have you been? I thought for sure I'd see you in the cafeteria."
Christie smiled at him weakly and started to explain.
"Never mind," Jon interrupted. "You won't
believe what I've got! You just won't believe it."
Christie looked at his beaming face. He was smiling from ear
to ear and his brown eyes were gleaming as she had never seen them gleam
before.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked as he held up
a small black box.
CHAPTER 14
"Of course I know what that is," Christie answered
Jon. "It's a videotape. So what?"
"It's not just any old videotape," Jon said
proudly.
"It's one I made last Thursday when The Dreadful
Alternatives were setting up on stage. Remember? Mr. Neal was doing the walk-through
with the Super Quiz team."
"Oh, yeah," Christie mumbled. She was glad that
Jon felt excited about the tape, but right now she just wanted to be alone.
"Come on," said Jon, grabbing her hand and pulling
her. "I've got to show you this." Christie went along reluctantly to
the media center.
Mrs. Karl said Jon could use a VCR, and he quickly started
setting up the tape as Christie slid into a chair.
"Okay, hold on to your seat," he said with a
smile.
though she had made up her mind that she had done nothing wrong and shouldn't
feel bad about whatever happened, it was like waiting for the other shoe to
drop. Only it's more like the next cannon to shoot, thought Christie, because I'm
going to be dead anyway.
In her last class before noon, Christie's teacher gave her
an envelope. Christie stayed after everyone else had left with the envelope
lying in the center of her desk. She wondered if prison wardens delivered the
death sentence to convicts on death row in an envelope like this one.
She chewed her lower lip as she tore it open.
Christie Winchell:
Please see me in my office after lunch.
Mr. Neal
I might have those words put on my tombstone when I die,
Christie thought.
"I'm sorry, Christie," Mr. Neal said, after he
told her of his decision. He did look sorry, she thought, but not nearly as
sorry as I am.
As Mr. Neal had explained it, Melissa had convinced him that
it wouldn't be fair for him to wait until Wednesday to decide who would be on
the Super Quiz team. Since there weren't any clues that would prove Christie
hadn't taken the folder she was off the team.
"If we had anything that would show you
accidentally got the questions, Christie, I could do something," Mr. Neal
repeated. "But the way it is now, I have no choice."
Christie's stomach turned over. She thought she was going to
be sick.
"Come to me if you find out something." Mr. Neal
continued. "I'm going to have the team together in the media center after
school for a practice. I'll haw to tell them about the change then."
Christie left the office and plodded down the hall like a
zombie. For a second she considered faking being sick so she could go home, but
then she decided not to. That would just make Melissa McConnell, Laura McCall,
and the others feel as if they had really beaten her. She couldn't give them
that satisfaction, no matter what.
Christie put her money in the vending machine and pulled the
lever. A bag of chips dropped into the trough. She couldn't face going into the
cafeteria at noon where she would be stared at, so she walked outside and found
a quiet place to sit.
She was off the Super Quiz team. She said it over and over
to herself, trying to get used to the idea now that it was definite. How was
she going to tell her parents? They were so proud of her. Her mother
even thought she was smarter than her brothers, one of whom was an attorney and
the other in medical school. How was she going to tell them? Christie gulped
hard and stuck her chin out. And Friday after school everyone would be at the
Super Quiz match between Wakeman and Trumbull. Tears built up behind her eyes,
but she refused to let them out.
"Hey, Christie!" Jon's voice broke through the
gloom that filled her mind. "I've been looking all over for you. Where
have you been? I thought for sure I'd see you in the cafeteria."
Christie smiled at him weakly and started to explain.
"Never mind," Jon interrupted. "You won't
believe what I've got! You just won't believe it."
Christie looked at his beaming face. He was smiling from ear
to ear and his brown eyes were gleaming as she had never seen them gleam
before.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked as he held up
a small black box.
CHAPTER 14
"Of course I know what that is," Christie answered
Jon. "It's a videotape. So what?"
"It's not just any old videotape," Jon said
proudly.
"It's one I made last Thursday when The Dreadful
Alternatives were setting up on stage. Remember? Mr. Neal was doing the walk-through
with the Super Quiz team."
"Oh, yeah," Christie mumbled. She was glad that
Jon felt excited about the tape, but right now she just wanted to be alone.
"Come on," said Jon, grabbing her hand and pulling
her. "I've got to show you this." Christie went along reluctantly to
the media center.
Mrs. Karl said Jon could use a VCR, and he quickly started
setting up the tape as Christie slid into a chair.
"Okay, hold on to your seat," he said with a
smile.
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