Chapter
Seven
Debate
class
“Yada yada yada,” Darcy whispered as study
hall became English class elective -
debate club. Only Me (I had permission to sit in on the class during my study
hall to collect Mackenzie’s notes), Paige, Darcy, Shiloh, Ryan and Rys stayed
in their places. We were reading on our cell phones as we waited for the
combined English-debate class. Actually, Paige was writing notes and Ryan and
Shiloh were smiling at each other – again.
Darcy sighed under his breath and rudely
stretched his legs. Paige flicked her dark hair off her face and rolled it into
a bun. Darcy put his feet on the window sill close by his desk until the
teacher entered the room and he quickly removed them. He didn’t realize he’d
have both homeroom and an elective
with the annoying Paige.
Their debate teacher, a scholastic looking
woman named Mrs Tartt who’d taught at Sunrise forever and was married to
another teacher, arrived with her folder pages falling all over the floor. Rys
and Shiloh helpfully offered to pick up the papers. Darcy just sat stony silent
and chewed the end of a pencil.
“Weirdo,” Rys whispered under his breath as
he moved back to sit beside Paige. Paige’s lack of response was evidence of her
agreement.
The junior and senior classes were studying
Shakespeare in English this semester but on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays some
of the students elected debate class instead.
“Before we start on topics, we need to
establish who is going to be captain of
debate team this semester since our last captain just went on to
Harvard.”
Mrs Tartt was clearly thrilled as she
glanced at the former senior whose photo made up the previous year’s winning
team.
“I
have only one applicant’s name put forward. So, Paige Bennet is elected if the
captaincy goes unopposed.”
Mrs Tartt looked around the room. Such a
lack of competition wasn’t good for anybody, Mrs Tartt reasoned.
Someone groaned. The class looked relatively
disinterested. Only Paige and a couple of seniors (and me) took debate club at
all seriously.
Ryan knew it would be good for his friend
to become involved in this class. He knew, when Darcy spoke, it was without
prejudice and his usual uncaring persona because he’d witnessed this phenomenon
before when they’d been at boarding school together. Darcy spoke, people
listened. He had the makings of a great speaker. After all, he had ambition.
Before he ran his own cattle station, he planned to finish law school.
Ryan knew this and with barely a moment’s
hesitation, he raised his hand and said, “Darcy Donovan is running for captain
too.”
Darcy and Paige both looked horrified.
“Ah… (he looked at his schedule because
he’d barely bothered to read his nondescript teacher’s name prior to this)
don’t you have to have already been a member of the team for six months?”
“Ah, no,” Mrs Tartt replied, “It doesn’t say
anything about those requirements here – only that the captain must be a junior
or a senior at Sunrise High School – so, that’s you and I’ll write your name
here… Ah, let’s see, Darcy Donovan – yes, now it’s so wonderful to see all my
students engaged in appropriate activities for the semester…”
Mrs Tartt went on to list every student and
their ‘activities’ with a special smile for the delightful Shiloh and her
charming new companion, Ryan. Mrs Tartt then wished all of her students were as
easy going as those two. She knew you shouldn’t play favorites but after all
these years, it was hard not to warm to some students more than others. The new
boy, Darcy, reminded Mrs Tartt so much of another boy she’d taught years ago –
Mark Knightly. Only Mark’s personality was far less... dark. The
cloud forming on Darcy Donovan’s face belied his (admitted)
handsomeness. It had to be said, there
was something about his arrogant smile which Mrs Tartt felt mildly disapproving
of.
And Paige Bennet? She’d heard all about her
from the guidance counselor at her previous school. Paige certainly had some
lessons to learn also. Well, that was what school was for. Yes, the competition
would be good for both of them.
