Brenda escaped Calculus as soon as the bell rang, cramming textbook and calculator into her already overstuffed bag as she bolted for the library. Between band practice, homework, and college applications, she'd barely had time to look into debate topics for Civics, and she flatly refused to be shown up by the Ice Queen.
Especially after that moment. That instant on the field she hadn't been able to forget.
Dammit.
Shaking herself, Brenda searched the shelves until she found the book she was looking for.
"Hello," said that cool voice, and she looked over her shoulder to see none other than Sharon Raydor.
"I've already got us a table," the other girl continued. "Shall we begin?"
Hiding a grimace, Brenda nodded. May as well get this over with.
Her jaw hit the floor when Raydor handed her an exact copy of the book she held in her own hands.
"You want to do the Patriot Act?"
Raydor visibly braced herself. "I think it's an issue that has two equally justifiable but diametrically opposed sides. And it's an issue most people don't think about. You know the others are going to do abortion or gay marriage or gun rights, and all we'll see are a couple of strawmen going back and forth hitting points we've heard a thousand times before. But this…"
"This could be a real debate that educates people. Including us. About something that affects our lives every day whether or not we see it."
"Exactly." Even the ice queen couldn't keep the shock off her face. Since when did the queen bee have a functioning brain good for anything more than twirling routines and makeup?
"Unless you think you're not up to the challenge," Raydor added, a smirk on her face.
Ooooh, that woman!
Brenda's eyes narrowed. "Raydor, I am up to anything you care to throw my way."
"Oh," said Raydor, trying for sarcasm, but even she couldn't keep the slightest trace of hope from her voice, because some small part of her knew that she might have just met her match. "I hope so, Johnson. I do hope so."
Standing in the school's library, Sharon Raydor couldn't stop herself from reeling.
Clearly, under all that blonde hair and lipgloss, the captain of the majorettes possessed more than a few functional brain cells, and Sharon found herself increasingly uncomfortable as her illusions shattered around her. Johnson had instantly and accurately grasped precisely why Sharon wanted this topic so badly, and what's more, she'd obviously agreed with Sharon's assessment of what the rest of the class was likely to do without even realizing it.
Suddenly Sharon flashed back on the classes she'd seen the girl leaving over the past week without even registering it. Calculus, AP Literature, AP Biology, Organic Chemistry, German V – how had she missed this?
She shook herself suddenly, realizing that she'd been staring at the other girl for an uncomfortably long time. "Unless you think you're not up to the challenge," she added, trying to keep up appearances. No need to let on to her sudden epiphany.
Johnson's eyes narrowed instantly. "Raydor, I am up to anything you care to throw my way," she snapped, clearly annoyed.
Oh, yes, there were some definite possibilities here. Sharon might just survive this after all.
As long as she didn't kill her debate partner in the process.
"I hope so, Johnson," she said, feeling hope for the first time in days. "I do hope so."
Brenda spent the weekend immersed in the Patriot Act and in her choreography, barely coming up to breathe for German, Calculus, and AP Bio. Fritz left three separate messages on her phone, only to be called back at midnight on Saturday with, "Sorry, sweetheart, I barely have time to eat. Rain check?" He had taken the rebuff with good grace, in no small part because his homework load was not all that much lighter than her own, but Brenda was a bit surprised at how engrossing her debate topic really was. The complexities of the controversial legislation had her spending hours buried in books and government websites, trying to sort fact from fiction and more determined than ever to give the class a debate they would never forget.
By the time she scrambled into Civics on Monday, her head was swimming, but she was beginning to get to grips with the whole thing.
Which was when Pope made them all announce their debate topics, and Sharon Raydor surprised her yet again.
"Howard, Flynn, topic?"
"Legalizing marijuana," Flynn said instantly, and Sharon had to give him credit; the topic seemed frivolous, but if they could pull it off, they might just be able to get into the nuances of the topic that got lost in the general discussion. Howard was a smart guy, and she knew Andy had a brain in his head no matter what he liked to pretend; this would be interesting to watch.
But it got steadily more predictable from there. Sanchez and Taylor took gun rights, which didn't surprise Sharon in the least. Watson and Tao went for gay marriage, and Provenza and Gabriel took abortion.
Across the aisle, Johnson caught her gaze and flashed one, then two, then three fingers in the air, then rolled her eyes and mouthed "Three for three" as Pope finished writing down Gabriel and Provenza's debate topic.
In answer Sharon raised an eyebrow to say "I told you so," then had to stop herself from laughing as Johnson stuck her tongue out in Sharon's direction and blew a silent raspberry.
Caught up in the byplay, Sharon bit her lip and shrugged as if to say "It's not my fault I'm just that good," only to blush bright red when she realized Pope was staring at her.
"Johnson? Raydor? Something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"
"No, sir," she and Johnson chorused at the exact same time as Sharon ducked her head in pure humiliation.
But when she snuck a glance out from under her bangs a few moments later, Johnson caught her eye and winked. And, still a bit stunned at what had just happened, Sharon smiled back.
"So what was that bit with Raydor all about?" Fritz asked Brenda as they made their way to German.
"Oh, nothing," Brenda said dismissively, but Fritz didn't buy it, and gave her The Look.
Brenda sighed dramatically.
Fritz raised an eyebrow.
"Something Raydor said when we met to decide a debate topic on Friday," Brenda said at last, unable to resist him as always. "She suggested the Patriot Act before I could open my mouth, and I asked her why, and… well, it ended with her predicting that someone would pick abortion, someone would pick gay marriage and someone would pick gun rights."
Fritz stared at her, then erupted into laughter. "Smart girl," he said through his chuckles. "I know you can't stand her, babe, but you have to admit she's clever."
"Oh, she is at that," Brenda admitted grudgingly. "She might even be bearable if she didn't have a broomstick rammed up her…"
"Yes, I get it," Fritz cut her off. "Just… try not to kill her, okay, Brenda?"
"What makes you think I'd do any such thing?" she snapped indignantly, hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder and ducking a particularly enormous football player.
"I know you," said Fritz pointedly, and Brenda sighed, a wisp of hair falling into her face. "Come on." Fritz slung an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against him. "Let's muddle through German so we can get to the part of our day that really matters."
"And this is why I love you," said Brenda cheerily as she pecked him on the mouth, all smiles again.
As she strolled through the door with her boyfriend at her side, she didn't think to wonder why the one image still stuck in her head was Sharon Raydor's smile.