i have to double check on some stuff but ill let you know later today for sure, Marianne answered.

Marianne did have a plan. A plan to make sure the Ermines had a true chance to win States.

porch

When Skyla arrived on her steps, Marianne led them down the sidewalk. They headed toward Roseway Park, where spring was in full swing. In only a little over a week, school would end, and a whole new era would begin.

“Did you bring the flash cards?” Skyla asked. “I’m kind of loving the history ones. It’s absurd what they don’t teach you about American history!”

Marianne headed toward the big tree next to the playground, where they used to have pretend picnics when they were little. They each found a seat on a root.

Skyla ran her hands over the grass. “Man, I love this park,” she said.

“Me too,” Marianne agreed. “Remember when you wouldn’t climb this tree because your dads terrorized you with stories of broken bones?”

Skyla cackled and said, “Yeah, and it’s like five feet off the ground.”

“Thank God you at least made it up there by fourth grade,” Marianne recalled.

“Only after you lay on the ground and promised to catch my fall!” Skyla squealed with laughter, and they both cracked up remembering it all.

After taking in the sounds of the park—the kids screaming, the basketballs pounding the concrete, the birds tweeting as they swooped—Marianne said, “So I apologized to Mr. Garcia.”

“What’d he say?” Skyla asked her. “Is he so mad? Did he say he’ll let you compete still?” Skyla held up two pairs of crossed fingers.

“He said … Well, first of all? He is, like, super awkward in real life,” she said.

Skyla’s nose scrunched up as she laughed. “‘Real life,’” Skyla repeated. “Like school isn’t real life?”

“Okay, non-math life.” Marianne laughed, too.

In the distance, Marianne saw some kids skateboarding. “Nice bomb drop. Did you see that?”

“Nice who huh?”

Marianne moved on. “I have to go home and study in a few minutes,” she told Skyla.

“Oh. So not here? Okay, we can do it back at home.” Skyla picked some clovers and twisted them between her fingers. “My house? Oh, I forgot to tell you.” Skyla changed topics. “Julie has announced that Zara is ‘too dramatic.’ Can you believe that? She—”

“Trust me, I want to hear about this,” Marianne said. “Trust me,” she repeated. “But wait—I don’t need to study for Quiz Quest anymore. Just school.”

“Wait…” Skyla dropped the clover she’d picked. “Mr. Garcia said no to competing then?!”

Off of Marianne’s silence, Skyla made her own conclusions and snapped, “Oh no, it’s that you’re giving up? Marianne, no. You can’t give up again.”

Marianne thought of what Mr. Garcia had said.

She had to decide who she wanted to be.

This was a good start.

“Hey.” She targeted her whole self toward Skyla. “I want you to take my place on Quiz Quest.”

Skyla tossed a handful of grass at her. “Yeah, sure.”