The Blue Diamond Cup: Part 1

The morning of the Blue Diamond Cup, Quincy found himself alone in his apartment. Joy was neither sprouting on his head nor nesting in her clay pot. She had left him a note on a chilled bottle of turnip juice in the fridge.

          “Gone fishing. I will return during the school event to cheer you on.” The note had a simple drawing of an antlered girl with her legs and a fishing pole dangling at the edge of a cliffside. According to Joy’s drawing, she was fishing for stars, planets, and other celestial bodies.

          After Quincy had some breakfast, he went for his morning run. His mind was quiet without Joy chattering in his head. He was so used to Joy’s voice that the silent jog was uncomfortable.

          Before he knew it, Quincy was standing in the open field behind Blue Diamond Elementary. His right ankle was tied to Edmund’s left with a blue cloth. The sharp-eyed man looked less than thrilled to be attached to the giant, his arms were crossed and his sharp teeth drooped. The four teams were lined up awaiting an announcement that would start the three-legged race.

          The Blue Diamond Cup hadn’t even begun and it already had turned into a massive success. Quincy felt like half of the city had turned up. The school had been turned into a theme park inside and out thanks to the collective sweat of the faculty and the students�"mostly the faculty. The air was filled with a variety of delicious scents from the food stalls, the sounds of victory and defeat were bellowed from the game booths, and the bleachers that surrounded the painted grass that signified where the teachers would be competing were filled to max capacity.

          At that very moment, it all hit Quincy. He’d been so mentally preoccupied with Joy that he overlooked how many people would be watching him in the Blue Diamond Cup. A slow breath leaked out through his nostrils and his mustache fluttered. He was as stiff as a statue, a statue wearing a large white shirt with a skunk on the chest drawn by children.

          “I hope to see your A-game today, Quincy,” said Deckles whose leg was tied to Hailey’s. “If you don’t give it your all, Hailey and I will take the cup for ourselves. Maybe we’ll put some fine liquor in it and have a party.”

          “You’ve never won the cup once,” Edmund snapped. “You have no chance of beating Team Skunk.”

          “Ah, Edmund, I forgot you were here too,” Deckles said with disinterest, “just don’t slow your partner down. I don’t ever recall you winning the cup either. One thing we share in common I suppose.”

          Hailey let out a giggle, not a mocking one, but a playful one. She grabbed Deckles’ arm and pulled him in.

          “Good luck, boys. Let’s give Almond Bay a good show. There are some real cuties here and I plan to show off my stuff.”

          “This is an elementary school, Hailey,” Edmund snarled while Deckles merely cackled and coughed.

          “Single fathers need some lovin’ too, Edmund,” Hailey replied while tying her pink hair into a ponytail.

          “You guys are just going to be all talk,” interrupted T. J. cooly, “Team Dove is going to sweep this competition.”

          “Aww, thanks, T. J. We’ll do our best,” said Leena who was tied to an antsy Raven.

          “We are Team Bull, T. J.,” corrected Rowan who was grasping at his forehead and trying to keep as distant as he could from T. J. while still being attached. T. J. had a few fresh stains from wolfing down a hotdog a few minutes ago and Rowan was avoiding contact with said stains. “If you forget what team we are just look down at your filthy shirt.”

          “Yeah. What I meant was Team Bull is going to rake in all the points,” T. J. spouted with an uneasy grin and a goofy laugh. “We’ve picked out a tight spot in the cafeteria for it.”

          A hush swept over the four teams as Mrs. Reed and two men made a beeline for the broadcasting booth that was raised a bit off the ground and sandwiched between two bleachers. Agatha had abandoned her maroon dress for a deep blue one with a golden laced, ankle-long skirt. She perfectly matched the school’s colors. The booth was also decorated with the school’s colors and had a sign that said “The Blue Diamond Cup.”

          Agatha and the two men took a seat in front of their microphones. One of the men was very short, no taller than a fourth-grader, while the other man looked very distinguished in his suit and his cobalt hair was properly combed. Both of the men adjusted their microphones to their liking while Agatha grabbed hers with a commanding fist.

          “I would like to welcome you all,” Agatha boomed over speakers spread around the school inside and out, “to the thirty-fifth annual Blue Diamond Cup.”

          Quincy snapped out of his coyness from the roar of applause from the spectators. He peered over at Edmund who was rapidly shifting his red eyes and calculating to himself.

          “My, what a turnout this year,” Agatha continued. “In all my years I have never seen this many people at our little elementary school’s public event. I do hope you enjoy the food, the games, and the spectacle of our teachers fighting tooth and nail in a tournament.”

          Quincy scanned the bleachers to see several of the students scattered about with their friends and families. It brought a wide smile to his lips. He saw Diya, with six versions of herself who all appeared to be from a different point in her future, and Troy with a woman presumed to be his mother. He couldn’t spot any other of his usual students among the spectators but he could pick up their voices here and there despite that they were scattered around the school playing games and or eating greasy food. His hearing was beyond incredible if he focused.

          “For those who don’t know who the old lady is, I am Mrs. Reed, principal of this school. My fellow sports broadcasters,” she said with a bit of playfulness, “are superintendent Miles...”

          The little person stood up, clasped his hands, and shook them around in a celebratory gesture.

          Salavander H. Miles: superintedent. A little person with black hair and small round glasses. He may be the one person who could match Raven’s energetic personality. A smart, if not a bit nosey, man who tends to be a bit gullible. Quincy had the pleasure of meeting him when taking the yearlong contract to substitute at Blue Diamond. He hadn’t seen the man since then but that was desirable for Quincy since he had nearly crushed the superintendent with a door upon their first meeting and Quincy was still riddled with guilt. Salavander had already forgiven and forgotten.

          “...and our very own, Mayor Branford.”

          The mayor gave a lethargic wave. He wafted an aura of a tired, worn man. He opened his mouth to speak but was swiftly interrupted by Salavander.

          “We will have five regular games today and a sixth bonus game,” Salavander said very quickly. By his vigor, it seemed he was keen on doing the majority of the talking. “The team that comes in first will be awarded two points while the team that comes in second will be awarded one. After the third game, we will have a brief intermission, so make sure to stock up on snacks and play a few games of your own to win some prizes. After the secret game, the team with the most points will earn the Blue Diamond Cup.”

          Quincy gazed toward the scoreboards in the sky that were normally hanging over the baseball field but had been moved to hover above the bleachers. They had bright blue letters representing the names of the teams with a number “zero” resting beneath each of the letters.

          “Now line up on the white line so we can start off this event with the three-legged race. I’m sure a majority of you know the rules of a three-legged race. A pair is tied together by their ankles and must cooperate to reach the finish line on only three legs. But we have a bit of a twist on it today,” Salavander laughed with a wheeze. “On the way to the finish line we’ve planted several metal poles into the ground. The distance between each pole is slightly less than the width of two people standing side by side.”

          Quincy examined the field with dread as the silvery, metal poles sparkled in the sun’s rays. He quickly understood his team’s disadvantage. The distance between the poles was slightly less than two people touching shoulders, but just Quincy alone was nearly equal to that in shoulder width.

          “You’ll have to use wit along with speed to win this race. If you don’t, you might end up crashing together with your partner, or worse, tearing the cloth band that binds your ankles together. You’ll be disqualified if that were to happen. On my mark: three, two, one, go!”

          Team Dove, Bull, and Otter swiftly but carefully made their way through the field. Quincy and Edmund were having difficulties making it past the first two poles they’d encountered, turning every which way to try and slide past.

          “At this rate, we’re bound to lose,” Edmund snarled while watching the teams ahead of them. “Your ogreish body has put us at a disadvantage.”

          “Sorry. I can’t figure out a quick way to slip through,” Quincy grunted with a pole tight against his stomach.

          “We have to think smaller,” Edmund strained as a metal pole pressed against his cheek. “Smaller, thinner. We have to slither through, like a snake.”

          Quincy’s emerald eyes shimmered as a brilliant idea formed behind them. “Like a snake,” he repeated as he yanked Edmund back to the starting line.

          “What are you doing? We’re supposed to go forward, not backward.”

          “Trust me,” Quincy rumbled eagerly.

          Leena and Raven were halfway through the race. Their slender bodies and slippery moves gave them an advantage over the other teams.

          “It was a good thing they decided to add these poles to the field,” Raven grinned. “Our cooperation is great, but our athletic prowess would clash badly in a straight-on race.”

          “With these obstacles, I don’t need to be as fast as you,” Leena said with a triumphant nod. “Everyone is slowed down. But the two of us are limber.”

          “We got this in the bag, girl. The first two points are�"what the hell!?”

          The girls looked back to see Team Skunk approaching quickly. They were not running chest forward, they were coming at them shoulders first. Quincy and Edmund were sidling very quickly, shuffling their feet so fast they were knocking blades of grass into the air. The girls gasped as Team Skunk weaved and slithered their way through the poles and passed them in a flash.

          “That’s... just incredible,” Leena said, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped.

          “I’ve never seen anything so ridiculous,” Raven added with a twitch of her brow.

          Quincy and Edmund slashed through the blue ribbon at the finish line with their arms outstretched toward the open blue.

          “We did it, Quincy. That was genius!” Edmund exclaimed before smothering his excitement and replacing it with his usual bitter look with a cough. “I mean, above-average job, I suppose.”
          Quincy threw up a large thumb accompanied by a mustached-covered grin.

          “Team Skunk has been disqualified,” Salavander wheezed. “Their binding has been broken.”

          Quincy and Edmund peered down at their ankles to see an absence of cloth tying them together. They simultaneously raised their gaze toward the field filled with metal poles to see bits of blue cloth scattered about, dancing in a gentle breeze.

          Edmund said nothing as he sat, grabbed his knees, and shoved his face into his legs. Quincy gently patted him and optimistically chuckled, “We’ll win the next game.”

          “You can put your thumb down now,” Edmund muttered through his legs.

          “Right, sorry...” Quincy smiled sheepishly while rubbing his bald, currently flower-free head.

          “Team Dove comes in first place,” Salavander squeaked as Raven and Leena crossed the finish line. “They earned themselves two points. Team Bull has crossed and earned second place netting themselves one point. Team Otter finishes third and, due to disqualification, Team Skunk has placed fourth. Unfortunately, neither of them has earned any points. Great work everyone. There’s still five more to go so it could be anyone’s game.”

          The scoreboard’s blue digits flickered and jumbled around for a few seconds before settling on the numbers that reflected the current scores. Team Skunk had lost, but the tournament had just begun.

          A group of large men dashed into the fields from the sidelines. They were volunteers for the Blue Diamond Cup, all fathers of children attending the school. After several minutes, the field was cleared and the holes filled in. Hailey made eyes at the men as they worked which made them extremely uncomfortable. She ceased her flirting and pouted after she heard a group of wives in the bleachers cheering in unison at their husbands’ hard work below.

          “The next event is the sack toss,” Salavander boomed over the speakers. “Gentlemen, if you please.”

          The volunteers brought out a folding table, upon which baskets filled with blue and gold bean bags sat, and placed them at arm’s length for the waiting teams. Two more men dragged out a large, square, wooden board and propped it at an angle. The board had a clown’s face painted on it. The image of the clown was unpleasant at best. The raised board had holes punched through it with a number printed below each hole. The holes in the eyes were especially unnerving.

          “He’s sooo cute!” Leena squealed and bounced.

          “Is that blood leaking out of his ears?” T. J. asked with a hard swallow and a shiver. “This is why I don’t like clowns.”

          “I think they used too much red paint,” Rowan said with a hand on his chin.

          “Let’s get right into the next event,” Salavander announced. “I’d like to thank our art teacher and shop teacher from Blue Diamond High School for making the star attraction of the bean bag toss: Fernando.”

          “Fernando?” Leena puked with displeasure. “That’s not a cute name at all.”

          “What name would’ve you called him?” Edmund asked out of passing curiosity.

          “Grumble,” Leena smiled childishly.

          “Right...”

          “Every team member gets three bean bags and must stand behind the white line,” Agatha said over the loudspeaker. “Their goal is to net as many points as they can as a team. The order in which they throw is entirely up to them. The smaller the hole, the more points one would obtain. The nose of the clown is worth one point, the cheeks worth three, the eyes worth five, and the one on the forehead, well that one is worth ten if you can actually make it.” Agatha let out a soft, witchlike laugh.

          T. J. pressed the edge of his hand above his eyebrows. “I think that hole is smaller than the bean bags. That’s cruel.”

          “We will go in order of first to last from the three-legged race. Team Dove will go first.”

          “Leena, you take the lead. I’m in no hurry,” said Raven as she rotated and stretched her shoulder.

          “I’m just going to aim for the nose to be safe. My throwing is terrible, but if I go for the largest hole I’ll at least get us some points.”

          Leena carefully tossed three underhand throws, each one she swayed her arms a couple of times before releasing the bean bag from her grip. She sunk the nose every time and earned them three points.

          “My turn.” Raven cracked her neck and dropped her brows. “I took up baseball for a year in middle school and struck out the batter nearly every time with my fastballs. Let’s see if I’ve picked up some rust over the years.”

          Raven brought up her knee and tossed the bag like a fastball. Each one she threw blurred through the sky. Her throws went through two eyes and one cheek. Team Dove’s total score was sixteen.

          Rowan went up next. His first two throws slapped the clown’s ugly mug and slid to the grass below but the third one sunk into an eye earning Team Bull five points.

          When T. J. swapped positions with Rowan, his generally carefree smile was nowhere to be seen. He scowled with a combination of fear and anger. “I’ll admit you’re pretty good, Raven,” he told the olived-skinned P.E. teacher. “I can tell that you are a bit rusty, but you got your team thirteen points by yourself.”

          “Think you can do better, T. J.?” Raven asked him playfully.

          “I’m normally a chill dude, nothing ever bothers me. But, whenever I see a clown, my fight or flight responses kick in, and right now they’re on full fight. Haaaaaa!”

          Each throw ripped through the air and was followed by a primal yell. T. J. had an inferno in his pupils, and his veins bulged as he sunk one bean bag into each eye and nailed his final shot through the forehead earning Team Bull twenty points by himself. Team Bull’s total score was twenty-five.

          “Whew,” T. J. blew cooly as Raven dropped to her knees in utter defeat. “Guess I have a lot of repressed anger that needed to be vented.” He walked over to Raven and helped her back to her feet. “No hard feelings, right, Watson?”

          “With you, T. J.?” Raven muttered with a scowl at first, then she stuck out her tongue and lightly tapped his head with the bottom of the palm of her hand. “Nah, never. There are at least a hundred other sports I could beat you in.”

          “Ouch.” T. J. rubbed the back of his neck. “But true.”

          Both Raven’s and T. J.’s bones shivered when a gold blur screamed past their ears. They were just quick enough to witness it go right through the forehead of the clown. They both turned slowly in the direction from where the bean bag had come from to see Deckles and Hailey both appearing thuggish in their postures and devilish in their smiles.

          “I’m afraid,” Deckles sneered slowly, “that neither of your teams are going to win this.”

          “Deckles’ ‘Emily sense’ went off,” Hailey cackled and held on to Deckles like she was his right-hand woman. “And wouldn’t you know, she’s right there in the crowd. Deckles always goes above and beyond when Emily is involved.”

          Team Bull and Team Dove scanned the bleachers to find Emily sitting there with her father and mother. She was playing with a toy she had easily won in one of the game stalls.

          “You two are merely children to me now,” Deckles declared with his hands clawed and slightly raised to a shrug. His greasy, long, black hair had been pushed back and his drowsy, pale expression twisted into a look that could kill. “And I’m not the only one to worry about.”

          “A bunch of muscular, handsome sailers just came in,” Hailey hummed as she fawned over the group of men trying to find a spot on the bleachers. “They’ll see that I am trophy wife material when I am through with you!” She swore this while giving the ugliest, most unattractive face anyone had ever seen her wear.

          “You’ve got serious issues, lady,” T. J. quivered as both he and Raven recoiled.

          “Ms. Breeze, if you will,” Deckles commanded casually with a wave.

          Hailey accentuated her body as much as possible while throwing all three of her bags simultaneously. Like a shotgun blast, the bags blasted through both eyes and the forehead consecutively.

          “Amazing!” Salavander bellowed. He was now standing where the microphone once rested and towered over Agatha and Mayor Branford. “Ms. Breeze just earned twenty points all at once. And on top of that, Mr. Kraw had already earned ten points making their total score thirty points!”

          “Emily!” Deckles yelled to the young girl in the bleachers. He stole her attention. “Watch as uncle Deckles destroys these fools. This is dedicated to you, my adorable Emily.”

          Emily growled and hid against her mother as Deckles launched another bean bag like a bullet and it passed through the clown’s right eye.

          “Thirty-five points!” screamed Salavander. “And he still has one bag to toss. Team Otter is dominating this event.”

          In the bleachers, Emily whispered into her mother’s ear and Emily’s mother took the young girl by the hand and led her down the bleachers and off toward the school. Emily glared back at her uncle and stuck her tongue out.

          “No, wait, Emily,” Deckles whimpered as he chased after his sister and niece. Before he left the field, he tossed his last bag over his shoulder without any intention of scoring, but it managed to pass through the nose of the clown.

          “Mr. Kraw has left the field! Is this grounds for disqualification? What do the rules say?” Salavander quickly questioned in a blind panic, flipping through the stack of papers before him.

          “His team has finished throwing all of their bags,” said a cool, smooth, dreamy voice over the loudspeaker that made young, available women around the school pause and perk up. The mayor had spoken for the first time. “I see no reason why Mr. Kraw should be disqualified. Though, I find it very lacking in sportsmanship.”

          “Well, if the mayor says so. Team Otter is not disqualified and takes the lead with thirty-six points.”

          Deckles’ little show stirred up so much commotion from the spectators that no one noticed Edmund was in position peering down at his clenched fist.

          I need to aim for the forehead, Edmund calculated. It’s the only way we’ll stand a chance to win this.

          He raised his arm, drew it back, and slung it forward, but before he released the bag he stopped, his throw interrupted by a voice. The voice was in his head, a distant one, one from a memory he earned when he was in middle school.

          “Why are you even on the baseball team, Eddy? You can’t pitch, you can’t catch, you can’t even hit the ball. The only thing you are good at is passing out. Coach should just kick you off the team.”

          Edmund’s arm dropped to his hip and swayed. He stared at the grass, then raised his ruby eyes to the clown. He gnashed his sharp teeth and threw. It slapped the board and tumbled to the ground.

          A different voice took home between his ears. “Are you listening, Edmund? I will not tolerate sleeping in my classroom. If you’re so tired, go to the nurses’ office. Out!”

          Edmund started to feel lethargic, but he threw his second bean bag. It never even made it to the clown, just hit the ground right in front of the chin.

          Why now? In front of all these people.

          Edmund felt a light tap on his shoulder. He peered over at Quincy who looked concerned.

          “Are you all right, Edmund?”

          “I’m fine, just need to catch my breath. I don’t need your help.”

          “I’ll throw mine while you take a breather.”

          Before Edmund could protest, Quincy grabbed three bean bags into his fist and stood in front of Edmund who was so weak he had no choice but to sit down in the grass. The number of people pointing and whispering about him was growing by the second until...

          Boom!

          The entire school fell into silent disarray at Quincy’s first throw. The speed the bag traveled rippled the air around it creating a mini sonic boom. It pierced through the forehead of the clown and created a small crater where it landed on the other side.

          “I debated on whether or not to join the Blue Diamond Cup. When Agatha came to me asking if I wanted to participate, I so badly wanted to say no.”

          Boom. The second throw was even faster and louder than the first. It made the hair on everyone’s arm stand at attention. The crater that one created was even larger.

          “You see, I fear being the center of attention. Given the way I am, it has been an unavoidable situation I end up in often. When I’m teaching in the classroom, it’s different. A small environment with people that I know don’t bother me. When it comes to strangers though, I freeze up. I’m terrified.”

          Boom. The third throw was louder than the first two combined. When the bean bag passed through the hole of the clown’s forehead, it singed the edges a bit. Plumes of smoke danced before quickly vanishing into the sky.

          “You’re terrified? Are you trying to mock me, Quincy?” Edmund wiped his mouth with his arm. “I’m not afraid of a group of people like you. I just... well, doesn’t matter. If you didn’t want to be in front of all these people then why did you say yes?”

          “Because, I was afraid,” Quincy muttered softly while offering his giant hand to assist Edmund on his toes.

          Edmund glared at the hand, then up at Quincy towering over him. He snorted and snickered and shortly after that, it was a full-blown laugh aimed at the clouds.

          “Thank you for the pearls of wisdom,” Edmund said sarcastically, but it was a bit less harsh than his usual sarcasm, it was nearly endearing. “But you can save those words for your students or a helpless fool who truly needs them. It seems you’ve forgotten...”

          Edmund’s last bean bag flew through the recently singed hole thanks to a fastball done in perfect form. It was a throw only seen in the big leagues.

          “...I’m a teacher too.”

          “Amazing,” Salavander leaped. “Just when we thought this was all over, Team Skunk overtakes Team Otter by earning forty points. Team Skunk takes first place with Team Otter taking second.”

          “Skunk, Skunk, Skunk,” cheered several children.

          Quincy and Edmund turned their toes toward the enthused onlookers. More of Quincy’s kindergarten class had come to watch the event and were cheering him on. Edmund received similar treatment from fourth-graders.

          “It seems like your class has chosen their side,” Raven whispered to Leena. “That’s rough, dude.”

          “It’s alright. Doesn’t bother me anymore. I’ll admit, I was jealous of him at first. But since I’ve gotten to know Quincy a little bit better, I’ve come to understand why the children quickly got obsessed with the big lug. I’ve learned that there are things that I can do that he can’t. He’s awful at reading stories. That odd accent he has makes any voices he does sound silly.”

          Raven propped her hands behind her neck and cracked her back. “Better enjoy our school celebrity while we can. The year will be over before we know it.”

          “Yeah...” Leena whispered to herself, melancholy at the sudden fact Raven had dropped on her like a ten-ton weight. “Before I know it...”

          Raven and Leena absentmindedly gaze at the clouds for a few minutes. They drank in the air and listened to the muffled chatter, laughs, and cries of the people around them. It wasn’t until T. J. sauntered up to the two that they returned to reality.

          “Didn’t you hear the announcement? We have to clear the field so they can set up the egg relay. You pair are in the volunteers’ way.”

          The volunteers strained to hold back propped-up tires from rolling down a slight incline. The treadless tires were thin and had wide openings, but no doubt they were heavy. The gentlemen were sweating and straining and running out of patience.

          “Sorry,” they apologized together while flushed, and bolted off the field.

          One by one, tires were laid until the field resembled a boot camp scene straight out of “The War Between Us”. Halfway through the meadow of black rubber, there was a gap stretching across horizontally where no tires were placed.

          “Once Mr. Duval returns from the school kitchen with the eggs, we will start the next event,” Agatha announced. “While we wait on him, I will read you the rules of the egg relay. The teams will be split into two with one person at the starting line and the other at the halfway point. The first person must carry their egg to the halfway point and hand it off to their partner who will take it the rest of the way to the finish line. You’re only allowed to carry the egg and hand it off with a spoon. No touching it with your hands or any other part of you once you have crossed the starting line. If the egg breaks, you’ll have to start from square one.”

          “We’ve added the tires to increase the likelihood of egg-smashing goodness,” Salavander interjected. “I know I personally want to see a big mess out there. Ah, here’s Mr. Duval with the eggs. Bring them here first, if you please.”

          Rowan was the human engine of a silvery cart. The wide, deep pot and eight spoons rattled on the cart from the uneven grass. He brought the cart to the broadcasting stand and removed the lid from the pot. Salavander grabbed an egg.

          “I expect to see a yolky mess out there!” Salavander yelled enthusiastically before slapping the egg over the mayor’s head. The snotty mucus and golden ooze that was expected to dribble down the mayor’s hair wasn’t present. The shell cracked a bit but the egg bounced and rolled to the base of the mayor’s microphone. Agatha, Mayor Branford, and Salavander slowly followed the egg with their eyes then looked at the overly proud Rowan Duval.

          “Rowan,” Agatha said slowly while covering the microphone, “did you hard boil these eggs?”

          “Of course I hard-boiled them,” Rowan responded with a raised brow. “Uncooked eggs would make a terrible mess. T. J. is daydreamy enough as it is. I could already foresee the outcome if I didn’t cook them properly.”

          “Well, that makes it less exciting,” Salavander mentioned to the group while also covering his microphone. “Our lunch man has gone out of his way to cook the eggs so the volunteers have less clean up to do later. What a thoughtful man,” Salavander told the crowd. “Will give the teams a hot five minutes to figure out their rally positions.”

          The teams talked it over. Quincy, Leena, T. J., and Hailey took their positions at the starting point right before the tires that were laid out like a field of land mines. Rowan, Deckles, Raven, and Edmund stood firmly at the halfway point. The first four had their spoons at the ready, each one cupping an egg.

          “You ready? I’m ready! Three, two, one, go!”

          Watching Quincy stomp through the tire field kept Edmund’s palm glued to his forehead. He would make it about three tires in then drop the egg, having to go back to the start for another.

          The other teams weren’t doing any better. Leena couldn’t even make it past the first row of tires without tripping. T. J. was going nowhere fast. He was staring at his toes to navigate the tires, which worked pretty well, but he failed to realize that he was walking in circles. Rowan yelled incoherently to guide him but his words fell on deaf ears. And Hailey... she kept stopping to gawk at the group of sailors.

          “At least the crowd is amused,” Edmund noted. “This may take a while.”

          Laughter was surrounding the field of tires every time someone tripped or an egg splattered. The mess was minimal due to the hard-boiled eggs, but the absurdity of it all was hilarious enough.

          After the fifth smashed egg, Quincy froze in place and stared down at his feet. He lifted himself by his toes then dropped back to his heels several times before giving a thumbs-up to Edmund.

          “What’s that buffoon doing now?”

          Out of curiosity, he checked out what his girlfriend was doing while she was waiting for Leena to get her thirteenth egg. Raven was bellowing words of encouragement to her best friend and clapping. As if she had a sixth sense, she met Edmund’s eyes and blew him a very bombastic kiss.

          Edmund blushed and pushed his attention back to his partner at the starting line. Well, he expected him to be at the starting line, but to his surprise, Quincy was at arm’s length ready to hand off the egg with his spoon.

          “How did you get here so fast,” Edmund said, startled for a moment.

          Quincy pointed down at the ground to show he was on his tippytoes. “It works well. Give it a try.”

          “I’d prefer not to,” is how Edmund was going to respond, but T. J. had finally found his way to Rowan who was gracefully taking the egg to the finish line. “Fine, if you say so.”

          The tippytoe method worked very well, but Rowan was still lightyears ahead of Edmund. Team Bull secured first place, followed a bit after by Team Skunk. Salavander was going wild with his announcements.

          “When it comes to handling food, no one in this school is better than me,” Rowan told Edmund.

          “Damn, what’s the score at?” Edmund searched for the scoreboard, but it was unnecessary as Agatha took over the microphone.

          “Before we begin a forty-five-minute intermission, let’s review the current scores. Team Bull has just jumped up to three points total and is now tied with Team Skunk. Team Dove is sitting at two points and Team Otter still only has one point. I hope to see some improvement in the next games, you two. The game following the intermission is balloon hot potato. See you all in a bit.”

          With that, the broadcasting stand and the bleachers cleared out and scattered across the school grounds. Raven dragged Edmund along with her to a games booth while Leena, along with T. J. and Rowan asked Quincy if he would join them for some food. Quincy politely declined the offer as he could sense that Joy had arrived somewhere in the school.

          After five minutes, the volunteers had cleared the field of tires, save for one that Deckles had fallen asleep on a minute into the race. Once the volunteers had left, Hailey returned to the sleeping Deckles with a bag in her arm. She pulled a burger out for herself, then tossed the bag onto Deckles’ stomach and sat beside him to eat and people-watch.

          “You can stop faking it now, hun, it’s just you and me,” Hailey said suddenly.

          “I was only faking it after the race ended.” Deckles sat up, stretched, and grabbed himself a burger. “Tires are more comfortable than you think. You should give them a try.”

          “I’ll pass, thanks,” Hailey laughed before returning to her burger. After a few more bites she asked softly, “Do you ever regret giving it up? I mean, look what you helped build. Agatha’s told me about the ‘dark times’ as she likes to call them. The times before a scraggly veteran took over as superintendent and cleaned up the school district.”

          “Never for a second.” Deckles belched and crumpled the empty bag into a ball. “If I hadn’t, you’d be dead in a dumpster from a drug overdose.”

          “I... I can’t deny that,” Hailey said softly.

          “Miles can be an idiot when it comes to hiring substitutes. But full-timers he’s great at. T. J. was a great addition three years ago. Hell, seems like he’s finally got a great substitute this time. Quincy Daisy is an impressive man.”

          “I can’t deny that either. Say, want to grab some dinner tonight?”

          “Well now, what happened to the single fathers and sailors?”

          “I’ve given up looking for a man today. Just have to settle for you again,” Hailey teased while giving Deckles’ chest a love tap.

          “Aren’t you just a charmer? Fine, dinner then my place tonight,” Deckles laughed.

          As they waited for the intermission to end, Deckles saw Quincy interacting with Kari and a teenage girl wielding a fishing pole and thought, Quincy Daisy, the man of mystery.