It was Monday afternoon when Howie entered the speech classroom where the drama club was to hold it’s first debate.

Ah, there was Emily!

She had not been home to him all weekend and Howie had been trying to talk to her all day at school, but he could not get near her.

 

In math class, she had sat in the very back corner seat next to the window.  On the side of her and in front of her – for the entire length of each row – was the Binnington High football team.

When he tried to get near her, a big fullback had leaned back into his path and said “Sorry, this is the clown section.  All the Zorros sit in front.”

Emily had just sniffed and looked out the window.  She did not even looked at him.  And she had her entire body turned away from rest the class.

Even Mr. Bishop did not dare talk to Emily that day.  Whenever he wandered too near that corner of the room, the football team went into a three-point stance.  That was more than enough to intimidate a math teacher.

Howie had waited outside the room, but the football team just handed her off to the basketball team.  It was hard to even see her traveling in the middle of that forest of humanity.  Howie got an occasional glimpse of a strawberry blonde ponytail as he guarded them down the hall.

The basketball team left her at her next class.  Howie peeked in – she was sitting inside surrounded by the chess club.  All of them were carrying chess pieces clenched in their fists as if they were weapons.  The meanest of the lot raised a king menacingly over his head when he saw Howie and said “Your move, Throckmorton.”

At lunch, Emily sat with the FAMA – the Future Auto Mechanics of America.  Howie saw that, in honor of Emily, they had all cleaned under their fingernails.  Leaning against the lunch table in readiness was a crowbar, a few tire irons and a jack handle with a fuel pump welded to it.

Howie sat at a different table.

And everyone at that table immediately got up and moved.  Not only had Howie been unable to talk with Emily all day, but also the entire school was ostracizing him.

When he walked down the halls, the boys all glared at him and the girls just turned their heads and sniffed.  In class, teachers refused to call on him.

Karen Switzer had finally stopped by his locker – when no one was looking – and said “Emily knows that you came to her party dressed as Zorro and that you avoided her all evening.  She is hurt and she says that she never wants to speak to you again.  Now all the boys in school are determined to protect her from you.  Why did you do it, Howie?”

“What?  Last night Emily was avoiding me.  She ran off every time I came near her.”

“That doesn’t any make sense, Howie.  She was telling everybody that she wanted you to kiss her and ask her to the prom.”

“She did not recognize me!”

“Everybody else recognized you – why wouldn’t Emily?  If you are going to dump Emily, you need to come up with a better excuse than that, Howie!”

 

Finally, after school, Howie entered the speech classroom and saw her.  He stopped, and looked around.  There were no teams in sight.  He was safe.

He went over and sat next to Emily.

She turned her back to him and sniffed.

“Em…I need to talk to you.”

Emily turned back towards him – fire in her eyes.

“I’m not talking to you, Howie!  I am not looking at you and I am not sitting next to you.”

She glared at him - making no effort to move.

“But, Em…”

“I said that I am not talking to you, Howie!  How dare you come to my party dressed as Zorro and then ignore me?  I saw you spending time with Karen Switzer.  And I ordered you to come dressed as a clown.  How can we be friends, if we are not considerate of each other.”

“But, Emily, I thought it was all right to come as Zorro.”

“Be quiet, Howie!  How dare you interrupt me when I am not talking to you?  To think I wanted you to kiss me and take me to the prom.”

“I want to take you to the prom, Emily!  Let me,” he pleaded.

“It’s too late!  Fifteen other boys have already asked me – sixteen if you count Ears, but I don’t count Ears.”

She glared over at Ears – who promptly move his chair closer to Karen.

She turned back to Howie

“You are a despicable excuse for a human being.  You are clumsy.  You can’t dance.  You have to be led around by the nose.  You have no heart.  You… you… you…” Emily tried to think of the ultimate insult.  “You are LOGICAL!”

“But…”

“Don’t speak to me!”

Colonel Randall entered the classroom leaning on his cane.  “Good afternoon, debaters.  I have some good news and some better news.”

He turned to a distinguished looking gentleman who had entered the classroom with him.

“This is Congressman George Owen Home.”

Congressman G. O.  Home was a local political figure.  He had capitalized on his war record to get him elected to congress where he was on various war and military committees.  His name made a rallying cry that was unusually efficient in that it could be used by both his supporters and detractors alike.  It was “GO Home!”

“The congressman and I met during the war.  When he heard that this club was going to debate the use of the atomic bomb to end the war with Japan, he decided that he wanted to come and lend his support.  In fact, he has invited the newspaper to cover it.”

Howie looked around for a newspaper reporter.

“So,” Colonel Randall continued, “the debate has been reschedule for tomorrow in the auditorium just before lunch and the entire school will attend."

Howie was astonished.

Karen and Ears looked pleased.

Emily gasped.  She looked over at the heartlessly and logical Howard Thomas Throckmorton, who she never wanted to speak to, and whispered, “Howie, I can’t do it!”

Ah – she was talking to him again.  All was right in the world – but – being a male – Howie could not leave well enough alone.

“I thought you weren’t talking to me, Em… Ouch!”

Howie had received a very unladylike pinch on his arm that was going to leave a nasty bruise.

“I need your help, Howie.  This is no time to be petty.”  She paused, then continued.  “Howie, look.”

Emily opened the book from her father’s library and showed him the tricycle and the handprint.

She did not have to say anymore.

Howie looked at the picture – then he looked back up at Emily.  Concern was in his eyes.  He knew instantly how this was affecting Emily.  “Are you alright?” he asked.

Emily smiled and sniffed and said, “I think so Howie.  Only I don’t think I could make a contest out of this.  It hurts too much.”

“We have to, Em.  But it will be OK.  The whole school supports you.  I know that for a fact,” he added thinking back on the rough handling that he had received from her supporters all that day.  “And I am sure that it will be an even-handed, fair, intellectual, and rational debate.”

“Where is the team that is supporting the use of the bomb.  I want to shake your hands,” said Congressman Home.  “I depend on you to show the others the error of their ways.  Kill the b_____ds.”

The classroom roared as he shook hands with Howie and Ears.

Colonel Randall held his hands up for silence.  “The congressman is giving vent to his emotions.  It’s hard not to – even though we are approaching it logically, this is an emotional subject.   I hope, however, that you do not use that exact wording in your debate.  I would hate to have to suspend anyone from school for cussing.”

Congressman Home had the grace to look sheepish over his outburst.

The colonel went on.  “Seeing the congressman here has reminded me that we have plenty of people who lived through the war who have valuable experiences that they could share with those who are debating.  So, I have an assignment to give to you who will be involved in the debate tomorrow.”

“Before then,” he continued, “I want you to interview someone who was in the war and get his feelings on the subject.  This will give you better understanding of the times and the circumstances.”

“Emily and Howie – I knew both of your fathers during the war and I want you each to talk to your father.  Howie, I know that your father will try to avoid talking about the war.  I understand, but you tell him that Colonel Randall says ‘Its an order!’  Good afternoon, everyone”

The was the most Colonel Randall had ever said about his war experiences.

Emily and Howie remained seated as the rest of the classroom emptied out.

Howie spoke first, “Em, I did not know what Xs and Os meant.  I’m sorry!  Who are you going to the prom with?”  He could not help asking.

Emily giggled!

Oh it was good to hear that laugh again.

“I have so many offers that I cannot decide.”  She gave Howie a meaningful look.  “We’ll talk.  It is OK about the Xs and Os.  I should know that I would have to go slowly with you.  After all you are only a male.”

Howie laughed.  “Can I walk you home?”

“Aren’t you afraid that the football team will beat you up?”

“For you, I’ll risk it.  Besides, I’m a fast runner.”

“Thanks, Howie.  Tomorrow you can, but right now I need to be alone and think about things.”  She pointed to the picture on her desk

“Sure, I understand, Em.”  And he did understand.

He looked back over his shoulder as he left the classroom and saw Emily sitting, staring at the picture of the child’s tricycle.

Tears were in her eyes.