“Yep,” I agreed. “Sorry if I’m not myself, just nerves.”
“No problem. I’m in no hurry to get up there myself.” He was being so nice it made me want to apologize.
Mom beamed at me, so excited to be at a school event. I think she’d even made friends with one of the single dads; I could see a date in her future. The thought of leaving for college the following year and my mom being a single nurse who worked nights was just too depressing. The clouds, they were beginning to part. Mr. Winthrop rang the break bell and I went back up on stage to my competition table.
By luck, it was Mr. Bridge who drew the slip of paper for the final round.
“And the final competition is…” he swallowed hard, “Free-form. Best two out of three wins, with each team member taking one question, starting with the te
