I hated Eleanor, like all of the boys. She was pretty and she was smart. When our teacher posed a question her hand was always the first one up. She never gave a wrong answer. She became the teacher’s pet. After her answer, she would pucker and flash me a superior look. I may not have been the brightest but I wasn’t a sack of hammers. I usually knew all the answers but Eleanor was so terribly quick. That snotty girl could ruin your day. She walked with her nose in the air. I had to take the second seat but like Snoopy Dog, I waited to pounce. Suddenly, the great miracle happened. The teacher posed a history question, “When was the defeat of the Spanish Armada?” Eleanor glowed and she said, “In 1688.” This was the first time I’d seen our teacher frown and shake her head at Eleanor. No force on earth could hold my hand down, “It was August 8th in 1588”, I said. Eleanor looked like she had been slapped. Her contorted face was a prune. I sat back with a calm, stoic face, while laughing and cheering inside.