The trip to Annapolis only takes about fifty minutes from Baltimore, but that is a long one for a group of fifth grade students on a bus; loud too. As we were pulling up to Maryland's State House, the teacher stood up and told everyone, "When we stop, we would like the parents to go onto the State House steps and the students to get out and stretch your legs in front of them."

The teachers and parents were together talking, I then spied Jean in the crowd and walked up to her. The second she saw me she ran away and with a little distance, was giving me dirty looks. When she was distracted, she once again found me at her side and the second she spied me, ran away. I kind of got a kick out of this reaction and was fishing for a third time, but I looked up and saw her mother talking with mine. I already figured that I was in trouble and decided to put an end to the game.

However, from time to time, I kept an eye on Jean and she appeared to get closer and a minute later, closer still. Next thing you know, I found her beside me. I simply looked at her and said, "Hello," and she immediately left. What caught my attention was she went the same way that she came. A sort of zigzag pattern, that went from person to person. I got even a bigger kick out of this and kept an eye out.

Once again she appeared to be moving forward in a zigzag, person to person fashion and I found her once again by my side. This time, I pretended not to notice... Until the teacher was about to call us up to the steps and then I turned and looked her right in the eyes and said, "Hi, Jean!"  Her mouth immediately dropped and she blushed, starting to walk away; but the teacher arranged us in our class groups on the steps. Needless to say, I was in my mother's and Jean was grouped with her mother and sister.

All of the groups went their own separate way, but Jean's group and my group crossed paths a couple of times. Knowing that my first photograph of her might not turn out, I tried time and time again for a second. I saw her group over at the bell displayed outside and then spied her as she was walking up to the bell. In the process of snapping the shutter, she saw me and took off running.

I sort of slowed things down with my group and pretended not to look at her, but had the camera up at my chest. I quickly realized that I had a problem; just as I snapped the shutter she suddenly jumped behind a person. This was a veritable duck-duck goose game; every time I put my camera down; Jean would emerge glaring at me with either hands on her hips or crossed arms.

I tried a few more times in other locations, but she must have had, ESP as my mother put it. I gave up, knowing that sneaking up on her to take a photograph was impossible. It was the neatest thing that Jean's mother and my mother decided to eat lunch together and for the second half of the day, we grouped up. Jean was less than thrilled and spent much of the time, hidden behind another student.

But if I ignored her, she emerged glaring, either her hands on her hips or arms folded...

Until, I tried to get close again.