with you?”
Amos grinned. “Yeah. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Dunc turned the key in the door of the motel room. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you to sit with Melissa, Amos.”
Amos plopped onto the nearest bed. “Why do teachers always have to make you sit in alphabetical order? It must be something they learn in teacher school. You probably can’t graduate unless you sign something stating you promise to seat every future student alphabetically.”
“Don’t worry. I think you managed to get Melissa’s attention anyway.”
Amos sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“It might have been better if you had just waved from where you were sitting and not stood up in the seat. That way the driver wouldn’t have pulled over and yelled at you.”
“I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”
Dunc continued. “And I really think you went too far when you took your T-shirt off and used it as a flag to signal her.”
Amos rolled over.
“Probably the worst thing was when you crawled under the seats, trying to get to Melissa, and you miscounted and came up under Mrs. Wormwood’s dress. She was really serious about sending you home until I told her you were looking for my contact lens. I hope she doesn’t find out that I don’t wear contacts.”
Amos sat up. “Thank you so much for giving me a review of this morning’s events. You’ve really made me feel so much better. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Melissa thinks I am a complete dweeb.”
Dunc shrugged. “I was just trying to tell you that I think Melissa noticed you. Sheprobably thinks you’re interesting. Kind of unique. Girls go for guys that are out of the ordinary.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
Amos jumped off the bed and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To Melissa’s room. I’m going to try out my John Wayne impressions on her.”
Dunc grabbed his arm. “Hold on. We have to be at the legislative building in ten minutes. Besides, I think you’ve given Melissa enough to think about for one day.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’ll let her take it all in and spring the impressions on her at breakfast.”
Dunc took his suit out. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”
Amos shook his head. “I think I’ll wear what I have on.”
“Mrs. Wormwood said we have to wear a suit. All legislative pages wear suits and ties.”
“My mom did buy me a suit but we had to have the pants shortened. She gave it toa tailor at our dry cleaners. That’s when the little switch happened.”
“What switch? Just put on the suit. We’re running out of time.”
“When she went to pick up my suit, the cleaners had made a mistake, and they’d given it to someone else. The only other suit they could find that would fit me was the one Herbie Pittman wore when he played the part of a banana in the summer festival of fruit last year.” Amos pulled a bright yellow suit out of his bag.
Dunc stared at the suit. He tried to think of something positive to say. Nothing came to him.
Amos’s shoulders drooped. “That’s what I thought too. How would it look if I clipped a tie on the front of my T-shirt?”
“It’s a toss-up, but I think you’re stuck with the suit. One thing about it—you’ll be easy to find.”
Mrs. Wormwood led the group of students inside the carved double doors. She motioned for them to sit in the balcony. The first afternoon they were supposed to watch the session, and tomorrow they would begin their duties as official pages.
Heads turned as Amos made his way down the aisle. He had chosen a black tie to go with his yellow suit, and he looked like a large walking banana with a rotten place in the front.
Dunc took notes for the full hour. Amos slept through most of it.
When the last senator was through speaking, Dunc shook Amos’s elbow. “Wake up. It’s time to meet the senators we’ve been assigned to work with all week. Come on.”
Amos rubbed his eyes. “I wasn’t
Amos grinned. “Yeah. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Dunc turned the key in the door of the motel room. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you to sit with Melissa, Amos.”
Amos plopped onto the nearest bed. “Why do teachers always have to make you sit in alphabetical order? It must be something they learn in teacher school. You probably can’t graduate unless you sign something stating you promise to seat every future student alphabetically.”
“Don’t worry. I think you managed to get Melissa’s attention anyway.”
Amos sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“It might have been better if you had just waved from where you were sitting and not stood up in the seat. That way the driver wouldn’t have pulled over and yelled at you.”
“I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”
Dunc continued. “And I really think you went too far when you took your T-shirt off and used it as a flag to signal her.”
Amos rolled over.
“Probably the worst thing was when you crawled under the seats, trying to get to Melissa, and you miscounted and came up under Mrs. Wormwood’s dress. She was really serious about sending you home until I told her you were looking for my contact lens. I hope she doesn’t find out that I don’t wear contacts.”
Amos sat up. “Thank you so much for giving me a review of this morning’s events. You’ve really made me feel so much better. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Melissa thinks I am a complete dweeb.”
Dunc shrugged. “I was just trying to tell you that I think Melissa noticed you. Sheprobably thinks you’re interesting. Kind of unique. Girls go for guys that are out of the ordinary.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
Amos jumped off the bed and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To Melissa’s room. I’m going to try out my John Wayne impressions on her.”
Dunc grabbed his arm. “Hold on. We have to be at the legislative building in ten minutes. Besides, I think you’ve given Melissa enough to think about for one day.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’ll let her take it all in and spring the impressions on her at breakfast.”
Dunc took his suit out. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”
Amos shook his head. “I think I’ll wear what I have on.”
“Mrs. Wormwood said we have to wear a suit. All legislative pages wear suits and ties.”
“My mom did buy me a suit but we had to have the pants shortened. She gave it toa tailor at our dry cleaners. That’s when the little switch happened.”
“What switch? Just put on the suit. We’re running out of time.”
“When she went to pick up my suit, the cleaners had made a mistake, and they’d given it to someone else. The only other suit they could find that would fit me was the one Herbie Pittman wore when he played the part of a banana in the summer festival of fruit last year.” Amos pulled a bright yellow suit out of his bag.
Dunc stared at the suit. He tried to think of something positive to say. Nothing came to him.
Amos’s shoulders drooped. “That’s what I thought too. How would it look if I clipped a tie on the front of my T-shirt?”
“It’s a toss-up, but I think you’re stuck with the suit. One thing about it—you’ll be easy to find.”
Mrs. Wormwood led the group of students inside the carved double doors. She motioned for them to sit in the balcony. The first afternoon they were supposed to watch the session, and tomorrow they would begin their duties as official pages.
Heads turned as Amos made his way down the aisle. He had chosen a black tie to go with his yellow suit, and he looked like a large walking banana with a rotten place in the front.
Dunc took notes for the full hour. Amos slept through most of it.
When the last senator was through speaking, Dunc shook Amos’s elbow. “Wake up. It’s time to meet the senators we’ve been assigned to work with all week. Come on.”
Amos rubbed his eyes. “I wasn’t
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