Eight

Debate is after school just like it was last year. It's also where I get to have the most fun. Mack bangs the gavel as he says, "Alright, is everyone here?"

Only five people are in debate this year including myself. Last year, there was a line of people signing up for debate. So many in fact that we had to have mini-qualifers so our supervisory teacher Mr. Roth could pick the top ten to be on the team.

"Kit?" asks Mack.

"What?" I ask as I try to stay focused on debate. When in reality, my mind is somewhere else. To a certain best friend who has yet to answer my last text: What did Ro want to know about me? Be Specific!

Mack clears his throat as he says, "As I just said, as most of you know I will be graduating next year. Which means the position for leader of the debate team will be vacant next year. However, the next leader will be decided by the end of this school year. So gentlemen and lady, anyone who's interested can speak with our supervisory teacher Mr. Roth after we adjourn."

Glancing at Mr. Roth, he's already looking at me. Even he knows who the next debate leader's going to be and it won't be Jadine or any of the others.

As Mack stands away from the podium and gives Mr. Roth the gavel which also is our talking stick. We're a rowdy bunch without the gavel to keep us in check. "Okay, now let's practice with some debate prompts. First one being the toughest, was the United States justified in separating families at the U.S. Mexico border?

All of us were quiet as we look at one another. I hate awkward silences. "Okay, I'll bite. I take the side of the US absolutely being justified."

Jadine snorts as she says, "Of course you would be on the US side. You have no idea of minority life."

Mr. Roth raises his eyebrows at Jadine. "Are you against what the US has done?" Jadine nods and we both get up and pick one of the two podiums in the classroom to stand behind. "Jadine, you're first."

"The US was not justified in separating families at the border because it's not a question of legality but of humanity." Jadine shakes her head for a moment, making clear her disappointment. "Children have died, gotten sick, and were also malnourished in those detention centers."

Mack nods his head at me, "Kit?"

"Key word is detention centers. Now Jadine, I do believe it's a humanity issue. The countries those illegal aliens came from. Places where they were either facing local gang threats and were barely or not at all putting food in the table. However, the US shouldn't have to pay the price for other countries inadequacies."

"Those Hispanics have ineffectual leaders which is why they came seeking asylum as a group. To lock even the children up like criminals is inhumane."

"But the children along with their parents committed a crime by passing through illegally!" I shake my head as I add, "There's people who go about doing the right thing even if it's hard. Becoming a US citizen isn't cheap. There's papers to fill and those legal packets cost, then there's the time it takes for papers to get processed. It could take up to a year or more."

"Those starving kids didn't have a year to wait and see if papers went through! It was try to make it to the US or face sure death." Jadine's passion knows no bounds. She knows how to appeal to people's emotional side very well.

"Alright, time's up!" chirps Mack as he stands between both of our podiums. "Those in favor of Jadine's argument?"

Two other debaters and Mack raise their hands. Of course Mack wouldn't vote for me.

"Who's in favor of Kit's argument?"

Only Mr. Roth raises his hand as he gives me a sympathetic look before saying, "Good warm up! Now, onto our next topic with another two debaters."

As Jadine and I shake hands before stepping away from our podiums to sit back down, she whispers to me, "That argument was too technical, Kit."

"I focus on facts, Jadine. I don't rely on appealing to people's emotional nature's. Especially an audience from Arizona." When we both sit down I tell her, "Didn't you know? Arizona was rated number 15 out of 48 US States on the number of psychopaths. Now, we aren't number one, but Arizona is not dead last either."

As Jadine huffs and ignores my factoid as the next two speakers, Mack and Carter, go up to stand behind what's now their podiums.

Mr. Roth opens his notebook and skims through it before saying, "Okay, how about this...Should the drinking age be lowered from age 21 to a younger age?"

While Mack was debating against and Carter for, I look down at my phone. Finally, Kat answered: If you're experienced in the horizontal tango. Are you?

I scratch the back of my neck before texting back my answer: No, I have not. But don't tell Ro that!

The less Kat knows about me in that arena the better. I try to make it a business not to gross out my best friend...unless the grossing out was justified of course.