"Ugh. Texas. Why does it have to be Texas?"

"Mr. Millstone, if I were you, I would be more worried about your closing and less about the location in which you will be giving it."

Asher Millstone looked up from his muttering, falling silent despite the unrepentant look on his face. Along with his mock trial coach, Annalise Keating, he sat in an American Airlines 757 on the tarmac of Philadelphia International Airport.

Annalise, without looking up from her book, continued to speak. "I know I don't have to remind you that USCTA is the foremost singles mock trial competition in America. Which means you have to go up against this nation's best student advocates all by yourself."

Asher sniffed. "I can take them."

Finally, Annalise looked up and over at her former student. "I'm well aware that you can. The question is whether you will. You have an excellent command of the rules of evidence. You know how to use them to limit an opponent's examinations. But you lack Ms. Castillo's eloquence, and she isn't here to close for you in this competition." Annalise paused, weighing the merits of tough love and encouragement. "Look, you've worked hard over the last couple months. But so has everyone else. Don't sleep on their efforts and abilities. I know born-and-bred New Englander like yourself isn't thrilled about going down to Dallas. But think of it as going to USCTA. Once you're in a courtroom, it really doesn't matter where in the world you are."

Asher sighed, finally showing a crack in his usually impenetrable air of confidence that some might call arrogance. "I know. And I know I shouldn't be worrying about the things I can't control. Lord knows I'm wracking my brain over the things I can. It's just that that I wish the thing was somewhere more fun and interesting. Especially since I'm giving up spring break to compete. And sure, I've never been to Texas, but there are plenty of places that are more appealing. Like pretty much anywhere."

Annalise chuckled. "It's not my favorite state in the union either, but at least it's not Alabama. Just relax and enjoy the flight. Because once we hit the ground in Dallas, you're going to wish for the Annalise Keating who roasted you over the coals as a 1L. I'm not going to accept anything less than a national championship from you and you'll see that there's plenty more I can do to push you between now and Sunday."

"I just wish the thing was somewhere more fun and interesting."

"I thought you liked Dallas, Colt."

Colt Burris, looked over at his coach, Jefferson Wyatt, who was riding in the passenger side of Colt's Chevy Silverado. After a moment, Colt returned his eyes to the next stretch of I-35E. "Well, yeah I like Dallas a lot. But you watch everyone else go to cool places for their competitions and I'm like 'Oh yeah, I get to go to Dallas.'"

"Don't be a brat. Regionals were in New Orleans."

Colt flashed a huge grin. "Exactly, and that was cool. I go to Dallas all the time. I'd never been to New Orleans." After a few moments of silence, he frowned. "Wait a minute, didn't you tell me that part of the reason you took your job in Waco was to get away from Dallas?"

"You do realize that we're going up there for you to compete, right?"

"I know, I know."

A few minutes passed with a Carrie Underwood ballad replacing conversation as the truck rolled north past a patch of wild bluebonnets. Finally, Jefferson turned back to Colt. "Let me give you a bit of advice."

"Hey, you promised you were just Jeff until the sun goes down tonight. No coaching during the road trip."

"Shut up and listen. This isn't about the case." The older man paused one more time before continuing. "Year after year, I see Baylor competitors go into USCTA with this 'us against the world' attitude where they're outwardly polite but feel like the other competitors are part of Santa Anna's marauding horde. I get it. I was that way when I was in law school too. But as the only Texas school, we're the de facto host, even if the competition is a hundred miles north of the law school. Go to the social events. Get to know the other competitors as long as they aren't huge dicks."

Colt struggled to contain an amused grin. "So you want me to pass on decades of Baylor Law tradition – something that you got to enjoy – and play nice with people who are coming to invade my state and try to take my title?"

"Pretty much. Think you can manage that?"

After taking an extended moment to feign indecision, Colt let out a silent laugh. "Of course. I'm not Scott. I saw how he acted last year and that's not really me. I'm sure there are some great people coming down."

Jefferson nodded, satisfied. "Good. They may not end up practicing in Texas, but you never know how mock trial people can come back into your life."