A blue plastic competition badge hung from a lanyard around Eli’s neck.

He kept touching its edge as he walked.

“Find your section,” Arthur said.

“Read every question twice before you fill in the bubble.”

Eli talked in quick bursts as they walked down the wide center aisle.

The squeak of his worn sneakers on the polished marble caught the attention of a nearby judge.

“Section four is biology.

Section five is applied physics.