After spending weeks helping athletes and their siblings, Pablo saved up some money. The Thursday before quiz bowl-State, his parents announce him the following:
“Because you spent more time tutoring athletes than you used to, we now realize that’s the price you pay for qualifying for the HSNCT, two months from now. However, we never saw a quiz bowl game, so we’re going to support the VAs at State!” Pablo’s dad tells him.
“I am not going to play at State this year. However, since LSMSA hosts State, I may as well visit NSU at Natchitoches during the prelims of State!” Pablo explains to him what the plan is for State. “And maybe even meet other quiz bowl teammates than Audrey…”
I hope that they will understand what quiz bowl really is about. They asked me to see the season through. For most teams playing, State represents the end of the season. For us, however, the HSNCT is what we work towards. The usual suspects of the Louisiana quiz bowl circuit are going to be there: Caddo Magnet, Benjamin-Franklin, to name those who are confirmed to attend the HSNCT, Pablo reflects on what to expect for the rest of the quiz bowl season. However, I think people won’t ask for help as much until finals time.
“Tomorrow night, you must sleep early because we leave early for Natchitoches!” Pablo’s mom warns him.
“I slept over at my teammates’ homes on Friday nights before tournaments! They let me sleep at midnight or even later!” Pablo retorts, reminded of his sleepovers at Audrey and Nadine prior to ESA Cade Cane Classic and LQBA Fall Invitational South respectively.
“I guess you’re lucky that your quiz bowler teammates are actually responsible students! Then again, I expected nothing less, knowing how… top-heavy quiz bowl teams tend to lean!” Pablo’s dad tells him. “More mature, and, of course, smarter; that’s why I allowed you to sleep at your quiz bowl teammates’ homes before tournaments more readily than I would have let you sleep at your football teammates’ after football games!”
“One more thing: we would want, Audrey and I, to eat our own things, without you, at lunch!” Pablo warns his parents.
Not sure Audrey would want to eat Chinese; for some reason, it would remind her far too much of the bad memories of her playing basketball, Pablo then starts researching what restaurants he could get takeout around NSU’s campus or, if time permits, eating in-room as opposed to takeout.
“I don’t expect the visit of NSU to last the whole tournament…” Pablo’s dad sighs. “We might watch a prelim game if we have time”
“As my teammates playing told me, what we will need our own in the game room most will be for the playoff rounds. Lilina isn’t playing either, but she feels a visit is in order, too”
“Lilina… she’s in ninth grade, correct? She’s a little young to visit a college campus!” Pablo’s mom points out.
“Yes. She might be a little young for college visits, but she’s one of the best ninth graders in the state’s quiz bowling world. Also, she brought George in tow”
Once this conversation ends, he glances at the restaurants around NSU where he could take Audrey at lunch break, and then compiles a list to forward her, while remaining mindful of not eating Chinese food. Which makes Chef Wok not viable.
He finally gets started reading the book Audrey gave him for Valentine’s Day. About four girls whose parents knew each other for years and shares a used pair of jeans that somehow fit all four despite not being the same size.
An hour or so later, he starts getting puzzled by what he’s reading. Why is it that it even appeared in a quiz bowl tournament to begin with? It might be a book about friendship, with leads my age, and some romance in it, but my least favorite pairing is definitely Lena x Kostos. I understand that any difference in lifestyle between then and now might be the result of its time of release, however. Maybe I could give it to the school or parish library; hopefully it should bring joy to someone else, Pablo struggles to contain his disgust for the book, chalking up its presence in a bonus at LQBA Winter Invitational South to an editing artifact.
He then texts Audrey: “I guess I hate the book. It just wasn’t for me. Oh and if you’re not going to eat at Chef Wok on Saturday, where would you want to eat for lunch?”
That’s okay, I guess. No book is for everyone, Audrey sighs, upon realizing that Pablo didn’t like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And it makes her revise what she could possibly give him later, knowing that other romcoms in that style won’t be for him either.
And the same is apparently true in reverse: he ought to give her something that could be of use to her on some level. A book about transitioning to life after sports, like Transition. That, even though Charlotte and Taylor would probably have more use for the book for now than Audrey would have.
Speaking of Audrey, she takes her sweet time perusing the restaurants around NSU. “What about I’ve Got the Recipe?”
“Sure...” Pablo then texts Nadine and Gerard about whether they already plan on going to State to support the A-team. And visit NSU despite knowing that it’s unlikely they would even attend NSU in the first place. “Lilina and I are going to State to support our own folk; are you planning to do the same?”
“Do you have space in your parents’ car? My parents refuse to go to State!” Gerard asks him, before asking Tanith out by text message. “Tanith, would you like to go to quiz bowl-State? My teammates will even pay for the trip!”
Then it turns out that Nadine already plans on going to State with her parents, as well as Ethan, in tow.
“We have 2 seats left” Pablo texts Gerard back, before texting his parents. “Gerard could be interested in going to State, too, but he will first need to sleep over here”
Pablo’s mom then comes to his room, questions in mind about Gerard.
“Who is Gerard? Another quiz bowl player?”
“Yes, mom. I played with him at every tournament I attended this season. He’s a mathlete, too. However, his parents refuse to drive him to State! Can you please let him, and possibly his girlfriend, if any, sleep here before the tournament?” Pablo asks his mom.
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“Are you sure Gerard is dating anyone? You sounded like you weren’t sure, and whether I will allow him to sleep at our home will depend on his girlfriend, if any!” Pablo’s mom imposes conditions on him.
In the quickly shifting sands of high school’s dating scene, where couples can be made or broken at breakneck speeds, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gerard actually dates someone by now. I never saw him date anyone, and yet he’s not hurting for exposure, especially not after the B-team qualified for the HSNCT, Pablo freezes in place, left wondering whether his quiz bowl teammate is dating anyone. He then asks Gerard about whether he plans to bring in anyone else at State.
“I’m going to State with Tanith” Gerard answers him.
“Tanith is his girlfriend now, but they’ll come home after the game against Crowley”
“I hope that Tanith will behave…” Pablo’s mom sighs.
“Tanith will be tired from playing shortstop on the softball team. She will simply want to sleep and eat on Saturday morning”
“OK, I’ll let them sleep overnight”
Woohoo! Tanith will go to quiz bowl-State with me! Gerard jumps for joy and can then consider this the start of their budding relationship.
The following night, Gerard arrives late enough that he, too, feels pretty tired. And with Tanith in tow. Pablo and his parents could tell that hard work has paid off for Tanith that night. Or at least the softball team.
“And we won against Crowley, four to two!” Tanith announces in a raspy voice.
“What news from the math team?” Pablo asks Gerard.
“The Math Madness playoff brackets will be released tomorrow night. In all likelihood we will be in Division I, but not in a high seed!” Gerard answers him, while waiting on Tanith to go to sleep.
The following morning, Pablo’s parents prepare the breakfast, with cherry jam as well as whole wheat bread.
“Gerard, how does it feel to play quiz bowl with my son?” Pablo’s mom asks Gerard.
“Sometimes he’s a little rash, but I can chalk that up to inexperience. I have been playing since seventh grade, and Lilina, too. However, he isn’t out of place in quiz bowl”
“And you are...” Pablo’s dad turns to Tanith.
“Tanith. I play shortstop on the softball team, I am in the same civics section as Gerard, he seems nice”
“Tanith, it’s obvious to me that you are good enough at social studies to make debate worth playing, but sometimes I wonder what made you feel like the debate team isn’t for you. Is it because it interferes with softball? Or is it because you feel like the academic pressure would be too much for you?” Gerard asks her.
From what I have seen, debaters have more wiggle room in math and science, pressure-wise. Here at VA, quiz bowlers are pressured to be well-rounded academically. That, even though some of our opponents might have players who have a glaring academic weakness, usually specialists, Gerard reflects on the pressures Tanith would face at school was she to play on the debate team next season.
“I wonder what my parents would have to say. They always pushed for sports, and now you feel like I should do debate as well... That’s a lot on my plate” Tanith comments.
“I think that’s enough for now. We might discuss it further in private” Gerard adds.
A few hours later, they arrive in Natchitoches at LSMSA’s main building. Seeing that Lilina and Nadine have already arrived with their love interests in tow, they are given the schedule of VA’s games at State, middle and high school.
And they happen to see that a girl is towering over them, ostensibly a player, and wearing a wine-red basketball jersey. Latvija. Along with the chaperone for the team she plays on. And, of course, their opponents wearing an eclectic selection of clothing, beyond Aija’s basketball uniform.
“That’s Aija; we recognize her from Leesville!” Pablo points out to his quiz bowl teammates.
“And that basketball game, too!” Nadine comments.
“Yes, the Courland Basket!” George can’t help but notice Aija.
“Now, we’ll need to tour the campus before we return for some of the later games on the schedule!” Lilina then herds VA’s high school B-team, along with their Lis (except for Audrey).
The seven people band together, along with Lilina’s parents acting as tour guides, to start their campus visit with LSMSA’s main building, and then go to Varnado and then Russel Hall as, for some reason, Lilina’s parents have them tour the campus clockwise.
“Now I have a better idea of what a college campus looks like!” George quips in front of his beloved Lilina and kisses her in front of the university’s iconic trio of columns.
And they then take a photo on mobile of the couple kissing in front of the columns. Which Lilina doesn’t hesitate to post on her social media before resuming the visit.
“They say college is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, provided you can attend! While this visit might not necessarily give us a good grip on what collegiate life will really be like, know, however, that there will be a lot more freedom than in high school!” Lilina’s dad tells the seven students.
“Yes, I know, dad, I must work hard in school as well as out of school to make this work. That’s why I write for the student newspaper, and same with Nadine!” Lilina retorts.
“I guess, a taste of college campuses is better than nothing at all…” George sighs, while the visit resumes.
Ouch: I never read the student newspaper! No wonder I didn’t realize Lilina and Nadine wrote for it! Pablo then rushes to find the online edition of VA’s student newspaper on mobile, to see what Lilina and Nadine could have written for it this year.
About an hour after the start of games at quiz bowl-State, they have finished touring NSU’s campus, and return to LSMSA’s main building for round 3 of quiz bowl-State. For rounds 3 and 4, they split up between watching middle schoolers and high schoolers.
By the end of round 4, both teams are assured to finish in the top playoff pool, which gives them some breathing room. At the same time, it seems like the mother of Aija’s host family is willing to discuss things with other parents of quiz bowlers. In particular, Lilina’s parents.
“I really wonder why it is that teachers saw in Aija that made a good fit for quiz bowl… did they see her as being more “worldly” than the rest of the team, if that makes sense?” a puzzled mother of Aija’s host family asks Lilina’s mother.
“First, who is Aija, and second, what do you know about Aija as a student?” Lilina’s mother asks the puzzled Wildcat fan.
“Aija is a Latvian exchange student and, for some reason, she was placed in ELL courses but is advanced in all other areas. She plays basketball, too”
“Normally, high achievers in her mold would be asked for help, and even cheated off them, in what they perform best in; I have this experience with my own daughter!”
“That’s weird: if people cheated off her, she never told me about it. She did talk to me once or twice about how schools here tended to focus more on being, in her words, omnisports club operators, though. The quiz bowl team seems to be the only place at school where she can be herself when not playing basketball”
“Sorry to intrude, but you mentioned that some players might have had difficulties fitting in at school outside of the quiz bowl team!” another parent of a quiz bowler mentions to them. “That has been the experience of my own son, playing for Eunice”
Then the 3 parents keep talking about the experience of their own children at school and where quiz bowl fits in their school lives. Livonia is shaping up to become the Cinderella team of the year, appearing poised to go into the top playoff bracket. In a way, VA is actually quite different from our opponents’ schools and I’m happy that Lilina is even a Venomous Agenda, Lilina’s mom reflects on her opponents’ experiences at school. About quiz bowl being their beacon of hope in an otherwise dreary experience.
At the end of round 5, where the game room of their last prelim game against Southside seemed to have only VA supporters in the room, they ask each other about their experience of watching quiz bowl games.
“How do you feel about quiz bowl games now?” Pablo asks these two.
“We can learn a lot, but the questions can take forever to ask” Tanith answers Pablo.
“It can be exciting, but it takes two teams that are relatively competitive for that” George comments on the entertainment value of quiz bowl games.
“I feel it’s much more interesting to play the game than to watch it being played” Ethan adds more comments before lunch time hits.