Short Support

"What do you mean we have to take a VAN to All-State speech contest?" I asked K, horrified, three weeks ago when we first found out.

"I know it sucks, but what else are we going to do? It'll be all right."

"Easy for you to say--your feet touch the petals when you drive. I have to sit on the edge of the seat the whole way."

Ignoring me, K said to a group of three students nearby, "Can you guys spread the word that we're taking a van and not a bus to All-State, so we're going to have limited seating."

Ignoring her, Brad said, "But if we take the van, who's gonna drive?"

"Miss A and I."

"But Miss A's feet can't touch the petals."

"Hey!" I said indignant.

"Well, can they?" he asked pragmatically.

"Yes," I said testily.

"It doesn't count if your back's not touching the back of the seat."

"Shut up, Brad."

***

"Is everybody in? Cause if we're gonna get home in time for athletic practices this afternoon, we gotta leave now," I shouted over the din in the van after All-State.

"We're all in," a group of girls chorused back. "You can go. ... Miss A? You can go."

"Um. I need some help," I admitted.

K looked over and assessed the situation. "Her seat's stuck. Hillary and Emily, push the back of the driver's seat forward so Miss A can drive. Good! Good, keep going."

"We did. We pushed it forward."

"No, no. keep going. You need to push it all the way. ALL THE WAY FORWARD."

"Okay, that's enough," I shrieked as they continued pummeling the back of my seat. "That's it! It won't go forward anymore!"

I started the car and pulled out onto University Avenue. After about five minutes, Emily gave me an update.

"Good job, Miss A. One mile down, 59 to go. How's your back?"

I grimaced. If even the students felt they needed to use positive reinforcement with me, this was going to be a long trip. "Fine," I answered. "Is the other car behind us? Are they coming?"

"Yes, they're following. They're--oh wait, they're calling me," Erika announced.

"Hello? ... What? ... Um, why don't you ask her that yourself? ... Yeah. ... Okay."

"Miss A?" Erika held out the phone. "Tim called from the other car. He wants to talk to you."

I took the phone. "Hello?"

"Miss A? Can you reach the petals?"

"What?"

"I said can you reach the petals?"

"Yes," I said testily, "I can reach the stupid petals."

"Oh, okay."

Pause.

"Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that why you called?"

"Yeah."

I sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said glumly.

"Kay. Bye."

"What'd he want?" Brad called from the back.

"He wanted to tell me what a great day he had."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Cause it sounded like he was asking if you were tall enough to reach the foot petals."

"That it," I told K. "Never again! Never again do we drive this stupid van. Ever! Never ever ever."

"What'd I say?" asked Brad.