Shane
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Chemistry started as it did everyday, me breezing in as the final warning bell rang and sitting down next to Elli at our little table in the back. Mrs.Awndrews had her little boring lecture of stuff I already understood so I watched Ellianna take her notes with her rainbow colored flair pens instead. Then a work sheet was passed out which i completed, like i always did in ten minutes or so. I sat for a while tapping my penicl on the desk hoping Ellianna would finish her worksheet so we could talk. Eventually I couldnt stand the bordem, "Do you need help." I asked her.
She put her pencil down and looked up from her paper. "No, I need to see if i can do it myself so i dont fail the quiz, this is the same stuff we went over in tutouring last night." She was right, it was exactly what we had gone over. I peeked over at her paper ti see her work. "Shane,please." She told me as i backed out of her personal space.
"It looks good so far." I said as i leaned back in my chair. I looked over at Mrs.Andrews desk, i thought if she was busy i might risk pulling out my phone but we locked eyes and she narrowed in on me.
"Mr.Anderson, bring your paper here." She yelled at me. I stood up and walked over to her desk paper in hand. "Yes mam?" I gave her my paper and she scanned it over matching my answers with the ones on her key. She put my paper down and sighed. "It's all correct." I smirked because I already knew that. "But Ms.Wesbrook is struggling in my class, you may want to lend your science talents to her." I felt my posture straighten up proudly. "I already am, as of yesterday I'm officially her tutor."
"Good, I'm glad to see one of my top students being a leader, and speaking of leadership, Mr Anderson would you by any chance be interested in academic decathlon this spring." I loved science I really did, but football was my future, no distractions that was my promise to my father. But still I thought back to the first place ribbon on my bed room wall I had one for Science decathlon in Mississippi I was proud of it, but things were different back then, if I'm being honest my partner/ ex girlfriend Brianna did most of that work. I couldn't give my all to decathlon here, it was time to buckle down and focus on football. "I'm sorry Mrs.Andews but I have my hands full with football." I said as respectfully as I could. My teachers face fell. "I see, well if you change your mind let me know." I nodded my head as I turned around and sat back down. Elli was still working on her paper.
"What was that about?" She asked her eyes focused on the work infront of her. " it was just that," I stoped and reconsidered telling Elli about the invitation to join decathalon. I felt like she might pressure me to join since she knew just how good i was with numbers and science. I finally decided maybe it was better if she didnt know. "It was nothing." Ellianna put her pencil down and looked at me. "Are you sure?" She asked me bluntly. I nodded my head and smiled. "Yeah im sure." I left Elli alone and focused on my play book not that it mattered, I already had every play memorized. I guessed I had to make up yesterdays practice to Colin today, which I was not looking forward too even though we were technically cool again.
"Kay I'm done." Ellianna put her pencil down with confidence as she turned to me. " Let me check it." I grabbed her paper and scanned over her awners. " check number seven." She snatched her paper back from me and stared at the only imperfection on her paper. "im pretty sure this is right." I looked at her, proud she was becoming more confident with her chemistry equations. " look at your cross multiplying." I told her with a smirk, she looked down at her paper once more and found the mistake, I watched as she erased it and fixed where she messed up. " better?" she asked, showing me the correct awnser. I nodded my head. "I think you'll do just fine on the quiz Thursday."
"Still can we do a review together Wednesday?" she asked with a smile. " I don't think you need it, but if it makes you feel better we can get together after practice." I couldn't say no to her, and besides I liked having any excuse to hang out with her, I would tutor her every day if she wanted me too. " yes I would like that." She tidied up her area putting her pens back in her penicil pouch.
" Are you coming to the game Friday?" She gave me a dead faced look. " Shane, you ask me that every week, besides isn't it an away game this week."
"Yeah its an away game but so what." I told her, since the first game of the season Elli had come to all the homes games, and we had won all 3. On the other hand we had lost both of the away games we had. "You know I can't come to the away games, my mom would never allow it." She folded her arms over her chest. "But when your their the team wins, im convinced your the good luck charm, and were 2 wins away from the playoffs and there's only 2 games left, so you have to come." I told her trying to justify a reason for her to come. "You can win without me there, I promise." she smirked at me. It was then I had an idea. " so then lets make a deal." I asked her. she sat up a little straighter. "what's the deal?"
"If we can win without you there you have to come eat lunch with us." Her eyes went wide. "No way." I shrugged and then leaned back in my chair. "then I guess you'll have to come to the game."
" Shane I can't go and you know it, and I can't eat lunch with you okay." Her tone of voice shifted, I could tell I had made her uncomfortable and I felt a pang of guilt. "Sorry Elli, I didn't mean to make you upset, I just think it'd be cool if we could have the same group of friends." She sighed and then looked me right in the eyes. " Your group of friends, used to be my group of friends, and just because Colin apologized and is cool with me dosent mean that their Cool with me." I sat up again and thought a bit before I spoke, I couldn't mess this up. " Ellianna, I know you think everyone is against you because of what happened and you have a right to think that, they all were really shitty to you, but take it from me, everyones over it now, and everyone wants you to be around." Her blue eyes softened. "you really think that?" she asked softly. "I know it." I affirmed with confidence. "then you got a deal." She said as she stuck her hand out at me. "seriously?" She nodded waiting for me to officially confirm the deal. "Yeah, win the game and ill eat lunch with you." I shook her hand. We had a deal, and I had a reason to win.
