Trial and Tribulations

Chapter 2

                School was a whole different pill to swallow. Ridley High was one of the bigger high schools in Delaware County. I had around five hundred kids in my graduating class. The school being so big made it a home for all different kinds of people. It was, at the end of the day, a typical high school. We had the Jocks, the Preps, the Goths, the people who everyone talked to, and finally my group of friends and I. We fell into the category of "pretty enough to be noticed, but not outgoing enough to be popular." I never really minded, I went to parties when I felt like it, stayed home when I didn't. High School was always like a necessary pastime to me. I never particularly enjoyed it, but I never really hated it either. My first class of the day was anatomy. I cringed as I thought of the homework I did not do the night before. What excuse am I going to use today? I walked into Anatomy at 7:32, two minutes before the late bell rings. Ms. Morton was standing at the front of the classroom writing on the whiteboard. I could see her trying to draw a sketch of the human body and label the parts we were currently learning about. She was a short woman, probably about 5'1. I guess she was tolerable. She talked too much and yelled every five minutes about someone having their iphone out during her class. I am not sure what she expected from us though, with her droning on and on about the same thing for eighty minutes. Block scheduling can be a blessing and a curse. I never minded it when I enjoyed the class, but Ms. Morton could really make you want to jump out of the classroom window and never come back. I watched her get ready to go around and check everyone's homework, as every student began to put the worksheet from the night before on the top of their desks. I had a quick wave of regret come over me for not doing it. Carelessness on my part. The girl sitting next to me was nice enough, she pulled her work sheet out and then turned and looked at me.

"If you think you can copy all of the answers by the time she gets over here, i'll let you use my paper" She said hastily. I turned my head around to see Ms. Morton already in the middle of the classroom, half way through her students, checking names off the list she carries with her. I wonder how many missing check marks I had in that list of assignments. I frowned and looked over at Marissa? I think that was her name.

"That's okay, I don't think I can write that fast. Thank you though." I said, a slight hint of regret in my tone. She sort of frowned at me, the way my mom does when she's disappointed. I averted my eyes from her and looked back over to see Ms. Morton approaching my desk. Dread seeped through my body.

"Where is your worksheet Kara?" Ms. Morton gave me the same frown Marissa just had across her face. I felt my face get hot with embarrassment, everyone else had done their homework. I forced a half-assed smile.

"I left it at my house, my apologies. I'll bring it in tomorrow if you let me." My tone came out sarcastic, really I was just embarrassed. When did I become so lazy? So unfocused? Ms. Morton raised an eyebrow at me, followed by an X clear across the check mark sheet. I sighed. So maybe my chart was not blank, just full of X's.

"I would like you to stay after class if you do not mind, Ms. Jones." Ms. Morton said, the tone of her voice could best be described as frustrated. Uh-Oh. I nodded my head and muttered a quick "No Problem." She walked back towards the front of the room. Anatomy, which is usually the slowest class, went by quicker than usual that day. I think it was because I was waiting for the inevitable. I am emailing home talk at the end of class. To my surprise, that is not what she said to me as the bell rang and I was the only student left planted in my seat.

"I am not going to lecture you Kara, but this is getting borderline pathetic." Was the first sentence that came out of her mouth the minute everyone finally departed the classroom. I didn't say a word. I knew what she was saying was true. My no response was a response enough for her as she continued on

"I taught you biology last year. You were a straight A student. When I pull up any of your grades now they're despicable. What is going on Kara? Something at home?" I took a deep breath. Home was a touchy subject and I felt myself starting to get annoyed with the conversation. I felt like saying oh you mean with the alcoholic father and a mother that works ridiculous hours a week just to keep us in our house? Or the brother and sister that I basically raised? Instead I took the higher road.

"Everything is just fine, I have just been slacking off recently. Ill get it together" I lied right through my teeth, grabbed my books, and walked out.

The rest of the day went by with ease. I went to english after I so hastily left anatomy, and then my history class after that. History was my last class of the day and probably one of my favorites. Not even because I enjoyed history, which I genuinely did, but because my teacher was easy. He would put assignments on the board, we would look them up on the internet, and hand in a paper by the end of class. These papers he would then grade and put into our online grading system. I would have A's in this class if I ever attended it, instead I usually would go home after English was done. Today I decided to stay, and I was damn glad I did.

"Call me out Kara" Mike said to me the minute I sat down. I smiled. I knew what that meant.

"Don't you think the school is going to catch on that I keep calling you out after third everyday? I'm running out of excuses Michael." I said with a smirk drawn across my face. He chuckled and winked at me, before leaning over real close and resting his two elbows on my desk

"Do you think I really care?" His words fell softly out of his lips. I could hear the cocky overlay in his tone. He was so cute, tall and muscular. He looked like a grown man, but he was barely eighteen. His face was strong and defined, and when he chose to shave his beard, you could see his distinct jaw line. He could be a model. Too bad I only fuck him, boys like that you should never let be your boyfriend. It would be more than naïve. The rest of that block went quickly, and I found myself dialing the school the minute I walked out into the parking lot, with Mike keeping a steady pace next to me.