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The one person I always try to avoid – Sue Scanlon – touches my forearm, then taps it with two red nails, as if she’s sending Morse code via my body. “Oh, Marilee.” She shakes her head, her layered blonde hair rising and falling with each shake, and tries to look sorry for me although she clearly enjoys every minute of my pain. “What a terrible blow to you.” She eyes me skeptically as though I’m a pesky problem she’s trying to solve. I can’t help but notice her near perfect looks, her expertly applied eye liner, eye shadow, and mascara, or the plunging neckline of her silk blouse. Next to her, I feel like a homely, matronly hick. “Oh, far from it! You know I wanted more faculty support in the Clinic, Sue, given how many students we have to turn away every semester.” I can’t stop myself. “This fall we had twenty-one disappointed third years.” I faux-smile at her. “Now we can add another full section.” “We’re not expanding the Clinic! I thought I made that clear to you last month, but, good for you, what a brave way to look at being passed over for the Chair, Marilee. Keep it up. You’ll need that kind of spunk once you’re home with two little ones.” She looks at my stomach and grimaces. “Thank goodness you don’t have to rush back to teaching with Dwight here, taking care of things. We’re just so thrilled he accepted our offer.” I look around for Dede. Help! But her back is to me as she talks with my Clinic colleague, Gail. Dede stands like the dancer she is, her feet in third position, her hips thrust forward, her right hand on her hip. I’d have to cross the entire room and talk to one professor after the other about Dwight and the Chair just to get her attention. If she turns around, she’ll know I need her. But she doesn’t turn. I try to imagine what Dede would say to Sue because it would be the perfect response but I’m too upset to think, much less to channel Dede’s biting tongue. Enough is enough. I’ve been cordial as long as I can. I have to leave the moot courtroom before the tears pressing against my eyes cause my head to explode, right there, all over Sue and the moot courtroom bench.
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