Akeelah and the Bee by James W. Ellison & Doug Atchison

Author:James W. Ellison & Doug Atchison [Ellison, James W. & Atchison, Doug]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction:Young Adult
ISBN: 9781557047298
Publisher: Newmarket
Published: 2006-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Nine

The enormous sign said: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL SPELLING BEE, emblazoned in bright red. Scores of middle-schoolers gathered outside the auditorium with their nervous parents. Akeelah, Mr. Welch, and Dr. Larabee had just arrived and were standing in the crush of people, waiting for the doors to open so that Akeelah could register and pick up her ID.

“It’s too bad your mother couldn’t be here today, Akeelah,” Mr. Welch said.

“Well, she wanted to come but she works on Saturdays.” She was craning her neck, looking for friends. Suddenly she shouted, “Hey, there’s Javier.” She rushed over to Javier, who was standing with Polly and Roman. He gave her a huge grin and a playful hug, doing a little dance step with her.

A few minutes later they went inside and the Regional Judge, a perky professor wearing a dark suit and a pink blouse in startling contrast, addressed the audience. About a hundred spellers were seated on the stage behind her. Three other Judges and a Pronouncer sat facing the stage.

“Thank you for coming to USC for the Southern California Regional Spelling Bee,” said the Regional Judge with a pretty smile. “It’s very exciting for all of us. We’ll be giving out trophies to our top three spellers, who will represent Southern California at the National Spelling Bee in Washington.”

The faces of the eager spellers were following her every word. They knew this was their chance—maybe the only chance they would ever have—to follow the glory all the way to Washington, D.C. Akeelah was twitching in her seat, brimming with nervous excitement.

Mr. Welch and Dr. Larabee were sitting close to the stage, Dr. Larabee as calm as Mr. Welch was nervous.

“So what do you think, Josh?” said the principal. “Does she stand a chance?”

Dr. Larabee took a long time to answer. “We’ll see,” he said finally, not the reassurance Mr. Welch was looking for. “She has the gift. But does she have the character to go with it? Time will determine that.”

Ten minutes later Akeelah approached the mike. She seemed calm and her hand was already tapping lightly on her upper thigh. She’s preparing herself, Dr. Larabee thought. Getting the rhythm down, almost like a jazz musician.

“A-l-f-r-e-s-c-o,” Akeelah said. “‘Alfresco.’”

Mr. Welch joined the applause. Dr. Larabee clapped twice and then put his hands on his knees. Mr. Welch sneaked a look at his friend, who showed no expression.

“Not such a hard word,” Mr. Welch said. He laughed. “If I can spell it, it’s not a hard word.”

Dr. Larabee shook his head. “Believe me, they’re all hard when you’re onstage in front of hundreds of people.”

Mr. Welch fell into silence, chastened by his friend’s implied criticism.

The spellers started dropping like flies.

“…t-i-o-u-s,” said a skinny speller. “‘Loquacious.’”

Ding went the bell.

“E-s-p-a-d-r-i-l-e,” a tall speller said.

Ding.

“S-c-o-p-a-l-a-m-i-n-e,” a cross-eyed speller said, looking at the Pronouncer with longing in his eyes, hoping that somehow he might have spelled it right.

Ding.

Twenty minutes later, Polly was at the mike for her second round. Only about a quarter of the spellers were left onstage.

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