On Sunday morning, the Venomous Agendas resume play, and the VAs are in the thick of the race to the playoffs. By now VA A is virtually assured of finishing in the top-100, while VA B has to win at least one game. In the elevator to their next game:
"Look at this: it seems like we're anointed the future of VA quiz bowl in ways not even our MSNCT run together would have had!" Nadine comments to Lilina, with the latest parish newspaper story released on the HSNCT.
"And FTPFTC! Pre-HSNCT, they placed both of us among the top underclassmen in the nation!" Lilina responds to her teammate.
On the football field, I am the star on offense. On the buzzer, I am just secondary scoring. I'll never rise to stardom in quiz bowl, because Nadine and Lilina both overshadow me, but maybe it's for the best: high school sports stardom puts you under the spotlight for one-third of the year, quiz bowl stars are under the spotlight year-round. I can tell our core players are under immense pressure, but even I know that a good special topics player can make a difference, Pablo ruminates, not knowing what FTPFTC even is.
"Focus, everyone, and then we will play this afternoon!" Pablo tells the other 3.
VA B's eighth prelim game is also played on a high floor, as some other games were yesterday. As they get seated, with Warren being their chaperone for even-numbered games:
"This is round fifteen of the Sunday prelims of the 2030 NAQT High School National Championship Tournament. This game pits the fifteen card against the forty-two card. From Louisiana we have Venomous Agendas B, from Minnesota, we have Wayzata A. Best of luck to both teams, here's tossup one:"
Florence shall be avenged! She caused the VAs to lose against Wayzata A, and hence get eliminated from the playoffs, but Flo was still a decent quiz bowler. However, the school staff mostly remembers her for her chronic debate underachievement, Warren keeps to himself as the first clue results in no one buzzing in.
"This phenomenon, in the X-ray band, is used to look for crystalline structure" the moderator reads as Pablo buzzes in.
"Diffraction!"
"Fifteen" the moderator then reads the preamble to the bonus the VAs earned.
We won against the VAs six years ago, we can do it again here today! Wayzata's coach watches, powerless, the VAs answering the bonus parts as they come.
"A Streetcar Named Desire mostly takes place in this Louisiana city"
"New Orleans!" Nadine answers the bonus part in earnest.
"New Orleans is famous for this style of jazz music in the early twentieth century"
"Dixieland!" Nadine keeps answering.
"Thirty for the bonus, and here's tossup two"
The first clue proves very obscure, so obscure that none of the VA players could even dare buzz in. And the pressure is on both teams to answer on the next clue. In short, VA makes Wayzata feel like victory will require them to score as many powers as possible.
And even powering questions won't be the end of the story here! Lilina ruminates as the reading of the tossup's second clue looms over everyone's heads.
"During the Trieu Dynasty, this city was the capital of the Kingdom of Nanyue" the moderator reads the second clue before Wayzata's history player buzzes in.
"Panyu!"
"Fifteen" the moderator rules, before giving out the preamble of the bonus Wayzata earned against VA.
YOU ARE READING
Can't Stop the Questions
RomancePablo, a sophomore playing tight end for Venomous Agendas High, plays the best football game of his life, but as the season comes to a close, his coaches tell him he can't rely on football to go to college, forcing him to buckle down on academics fo...
