Can't Stop the Questions

Chapter 34: Send-off

On Friday morning, the quiz bowl team's designated bus and driver, along with the coach, are parked at the school's parking lot. This year's send-off takes on a particular significance in that VA has two squads competing at the HSNCT and shares the same bus. Especially since they catch one last glimpse of their favorites, bearing with them the hopes of the entire region at the HSNCT.

"We finished thirteenth at the MSNCT two weeks ago, here's to hoping we can do better at the HSNCT this year around!" Warren tells the quiz bowl team, in front of hundreds of VA fans.

"Good luck, and may this postseason be fruitful!" Tanith wishes Gerard as the eight players are about to board the Atlanta-bound minibus with their baggage.

And the parish newspaper takes a group photo of all 8 players along with Warren just outside the minibus, with Audrey front and center. The story would then be published on the newspaper's website and the parish radio also takes advantage of the event:

"Warren, this year is the first year with two Venomous Agenda squads at the HSNCT. How do you feel about there being two squads this year? Did that change the team's preparation?" the volunteer journalist asks Warren.

"Not really, except that some drills involved groups from both squads as opposed to pairs from the A team. However, there is one player on the B team that's a stranger to quiz bowl postseason, Pablo, who joined the quiz bowl team because one of the regulars couldn't make it to a tournament"

The journalist then turns to Pablo. "Pablo, how do you feel about your life on the quiz bowl team?"

"I struggled at first, both as a quiz bowler and in my social life. Initially, other quiz bowlers didn't take me seriously because of my role as a tight end on the football team, while football players started to see me as a go-to person for academic help. And I started feeling the pressure to become a straight-A student, too!" Pablo explains to the journalist. "I wasn't prepared for the pressure, and only Audrey here made me able to make it through!"

The love interests of quiz bowlers, except for Audrey and Pablo, all kiss their loved ones. Be it Ethan, George, Tanith, but it seems like Audrey is the only one on the A-team whose romantic status appears to be stable. In fact, she paid no attention to their romantic lives, and neither did Pablo. I wonder who could Myriam possibly end up dating next season, or Scott? The A-team history player is a senior and hence I wouldn't be surprised if he broke up last month.

And, after the players' baggage is stowed at the back of the minibus, they start getting underway, under the eyes of the town's residents. At which point Pablo and Audrey kiss each other while seated on the third left row.

However, as they ride the bus to Atlanta, while everyone else read collegiate quiz bowl packets as appropriate for their skill level, Pablo asks some questions to Audrey about what to expect of the HSNCT.

"The HSNCT is new to me, I would like to know how, other than the size and field of the tournament, it's going to differ from any other regular quiz bowl tournament" Pablo asks her.

"The main thing to remember is that, unlike regular quiz bowl tournaments, where teams are seeded and placed into round-robin pools accordingly, at the MSNCT and HSNCT, power-matching is in effect, and it's done via a system of cards. The winner takes the higher card (i.e. the one with the lowest number) at the end of the game and plays the next opponent accordingly" Audrey explains to him.

"Did you play at the MSNCT?"

"Yes. The only one here who didn't, other than you, is the A-team's history player. Finished twenty-first in seventh grade, eighth in eighth grade, but the biggest boost came when Scott was replaced by Lilina; our weaknesses in history at the time were fairly large"