A Tale of Two Academic Teams

Chapter 21: Ghosts from the buzzer

Before they leave for Nats, since it is the first time the school attends Nats, the crowd wanting one last glimpse of their debaters playing is much larger than it was for the HSNCT. Other players, such as the LD and Congressional players, and even the dates of the players at Nats, are present, too.

"This tournament counts so much for you all, so good luck" Qian tells Sadie before kissing her.

"Good luck Rebecca; I might not be able to go with you, no more than Logan can" Hank then tells Rebecca.

Joe and Jarod didn't seem to have much luck dating this season, but they couldn't be blamed for their intense devotion to debate. However, for both Chantal and Sadie, attending Nationals is a family affair, especially considering the size of the accomplishment attending it represents. Never mind that Louisiana isn't a particularly strong international extemp or public forum state.

I might have found debating a stupid game, but having watched all five of them play, I know they're all smart kids. However, everyone playing will be as smart as them. So smart that I tended to forget they were high schoolers when I watched them play, Qian muses while he realizes he will have the whole week to himself at home.

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Once in Raleigh, they get their 3 rental cars at the airport because they and the judges they designated must drive around the city for different events; each site has a different event hosting it.

"In our region, extemp is a novelty the way policy or public forum wouldn't be. So already being here means a lot, especially since, on average, extempers remain in extemp about a year or two" Chantal's mother explains to her daughter, while taking the keys to her rental car.

"To think that, for the first half of the season, people pinned all our debating hopes on international extemp, and therefore on me" Chantal replies to her mother.

"Even though puffers will undoubtedly bring up my performance at the HSNCT, I'm here not as an ambassador of the quiz bowl world, but as a debater like any other" Sadie adds.

"Honestly, I don't expect much" Rebecca continues, "since we didn't accomplish a whole lot compared to you guys. So let's have a strong finish to this season!"

"So this is it: the final battle! The next two days promise a clash of the brightest minds in the country, everyone will be as smart and well-read as you. Go forth, and fear no ballot. May we represent Southwest Louisiana well here this week!" the coach harangues the five players.

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Upon arriving at the Raleigh Convention Center, which serves at the headquarters for the tournament, and the venue for the finals as well as Congressional debate, the players' entry numbers are assigned to them at check-in, written on their ribbons. Sadie's pair is assigned number 753, Chantal, number 4160, and Rebecca's pair, number 289. On tournament schedules, contestants are referred to by their entry numbers, so they don't need to worry about specific entries.

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While in bed, at the hotel block, that night, Sadie gets a nightmare, but it's a different set of ghosts tormenting her compared to the ghosts tormenting her in a past nightmare prior to the NSDA district qualifiers that even led her pair here in the first place.

"Why didn't you stick to the HSNCT?" a ghost from a past HSNCT asks her, pointing out that she was the first player scoring over 50 PP20TUH at the HSNCT also playing at NSDA Nationals during the same season since what feels like forever. "You're clearly a better quiz bowler than you are a debater, two top-14s in a row at the HSNCT, and with 30+ PP20TUH in both runs"