“Seriously, what are you doing Sunday afternoon?”
“Oh, it’s the greatest thing ever. You know about Camp Left Turn, right?”
“Who doesn’t?” Jamie said. It was a camp put together by churches and Christian drivers that gave sick kids a chance to go to camp for a week.
“Well, I’m going to be a camp counselor, and the orientation meeting is Sunday.”
“What do you have to know?” Jamie said.
“With these kids, you have to have some medical knowledge about their disease or be able to give them support. I fit both. I’ve been giving myself insulin shots for years.”
“Is diabetes what the kids have during your week?”
“It’s why I signed up. My mom heard about a couple of people who had to back out and told me about it. I’m really excited. You should come! It would be so much fun.”
“I’ve seen the videos of those kids going down water slides and climbing rope ladders. It does look like fun.”
“I’ve heard their faces just light up when a real driver comes and talks to them. I can get you a form to fill out—and since your dad’s a driver, I’ll bet they’d let you help.”
“Let me consider it,” Jamie said. “I can hardly think past this weekend with the end of the school.”
“With that license in your pocket, you’ll be able to think a lot better,” Cassie said. “You’ve always dreamed of this.”
“It’s going to be tougher than I thought. Plus, the license doesn’t really let me do anything. I still have to go through the process—”
“That’s my Jamie,” Cassie said. “Always seeing the glass half empty. Listen, girl, do you know how many drivers would love to have that license? Some big team sees your potential, you sign a contract, get a bunch of seat time in a car, and you’re off to your dreams.”
Jamie smiled. It was Cassie who always saw the glass as half full. When they were little, she’d pray for dead animals on the side of the road even though they’d been there for days. The eternal optimist. “I’ll think about the camp,” she said, changing the subject.
“Good. I’ll talk with the people Sunday and tell them about you.”
Jamie talked until her cell phone ran out of battery. Then she called Cassie with the room phone, and they talked some more. It was like old times. Except Jamie had a feeling that her life was about to change. Whether it was for good or bad, she didn’t know.
Chapter 19
Better than Tim
TIM HAD KEPT THE DVD of the Talladega accident to himself but he still couldn’t get it out of his mind. Who had given it to him? And for what purpose? Was it someone on the Maxwell race team? Could it have been Dale?
Dale drove up to the racetrack, and the family got out of the Suburban.
Kellen was his usual chipper self, trying to get Tim to laugh. “I’ll bet those guys have no idea what they’re up against with Jamie. She can be all pretty with perfect nails and silky hair, and the next thing they’ll know, they’ll be staring at the decals on her bumper as she pulls away.”
“That’s enough, Kellen,” Mrs. Maxwell said. “We don’t want to give the other racers a reason to beat her. Like her bragging little brother.”
The family checked in at the entranceto the track, which was no Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but it wasn’t bad. The stands held several thousand fans, and the garage area was big compared with other tracks. They received their garage and pit passes that hung on lanyards around their necks and found Jamie. Tim had a hard time not staring at her because she was so pretty. Her hair was soft and silky, like Kellen had said, but her fingernails were short and her hands greasy, as if she’d been working on an engine. He couldn’t believe a girl who looked like this wanted to race, but here she was in her fire suit and sunglasses, smiling at her family and hugging her mom. She punched Kellen on the shoulder when he made a comment about her muscles and called them guns. She nodded at Tim and he
“Oh, it’s the greatest thing ever. You know about Camp Left Turn, right?”
“Who doesn’t?” Jamie said. It was a camp put together by churches and Christian drivers that gave sick kids a chance to go to camp for a week.
“Well, I’m going to be a camp counselor, and the orientation meeting is Sunday.”
“What do you have to know?” Jamie said.
“With these kids, you have to have some medical knowledge about their disease or be able to give them support. I fit both. I’ve been giving myself insulin shots for years.”
“Is diabetes what the kids have during your week?”
“It’s why I signed up. My mom heard about a couple of people who had to back out and told me about it. I’m really excited. You should come! It would be so much fun.”
“I’ve seen the videos of those kids going down water slides and climbing rope ladders. It does look like fun.”
“I’ve heard their faces just light up when a real driver comes and talks to them. I can get you a form to fill out—and since your dad’s a driver, I’ll bet they’d let you help.”
“Let me consider it,” Jamie said. “I can hardly think past this weekend with the end of the school.”
“With that license in your pocket, you’ll be able to think a lot better,” Cassie said. “You’ve always dreamed of this.”
“It’s going to be tougher than I thought. Plus, the license doesn’t really let me do anything. I still have to go through the process—”
“That’s my Jamie,” Cassie said. “Always seeing the glass half empty. Listen, girl, do you know how many drivers would love to have that license? Some big team sees your potential, you sign a contract, get a bunch of seat time in a car, and you’re off to your dreams.”
Jamie smiled. It was Cassie who always saw the glass as half full. When they were little, she’d pray for dead animals on the side of the road even though they’d been there for days. The eternal optimist. “I’ll think about the camp,” she said, changing the subject.
“Good. I’ll talk with the people Sunday and tell them about you.”
Jamie talked until her cell phone ran out of battery. Then she called Cassie with the room phone, and they talked some more. It was like old times. Except Jamie had a feeling that her life was about to change. Whether it was for good or bad, she didn’t know.
Chapter 19
Better than Tim
TIM HAD KEPT THE DVD of the Talladega accident to himself but he still couldn’t get it out of his mind. Who had given it to him? And for what purpose? Was it someone on the Maxwell race team? Could it have been Dale?
Dale drove up to the racetrack, and the family got out of the Suburban.
Kellen was his usual chipper self, trying to get Tim to laugh. “I’ll bet those guys have no idea what they’re up against with Jamie. She can be all pretty with perfect nails and silky hair, and the next thing they’ll know, they’ll be staring at the decals on her bumper as she pulls away.”
“That’s enough, Kellen,” Mrs. Maxwell said. “We don’t want to give the other racers a reason to beat her. Like her bragging little brother.”
The family checked in at the entranceto the track, which was no Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but it wasn’t bad. The stands held several thousand fans, and the garage area was big compared with other tracks. They received their garage and pit passes that hung on lanyards around their necks and found Jamie. Tim had a hard time not staring at her because she was so pretty. Her hair was soft and silky, like Kellen had said, but her fingernails were short and her hands greasy, as if she’d been working on an engine. He couldn’t believe a girl who looked like this wanted to race, but here she was in her fire suit and sunglasses, smiling at her family and hugging her mom. She punched Kellen on the shoulder when he made a comment about her muscles and called them guns. She nodded at Tim and he
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