Summertime Loving

Chapter 8

The classroom began to empty as students filed out, but Travis remained seated, facing Ms. Bissette.

"Travis, I'm really glad to see you again. I heard about your father. I'm so sorry for your loss," she said, her voice gentle and comforting.

"Yeah, it's alright though. I noticed my grades. I'm really failing your class, aren't I?" he replied, cringing at the thought.

Ms. Bissette offered a reassuring smile. "Oh, don't worry. You're not the only student who's behind. That's why I thought maybe you'd like to take after-school classes to help lift your grades. There's also private tutoring if that interests you. You can choose what works best for you. Please visit me after school, and we'll talk about it, okay?"

Travis nodded, relieved but still feeling the weight of his situation. "Oh, can we skip to tomorrow morning? I have something to do today."

"That's perfectly fine. Now hurry on to your next class. Here's your timetable," she said, handing it to him. "Bonne journée!"

With a quick smile and a wave, Travis made his way out of the classroom, ready to tackle the rest of the day.

After leaving Ms. Bissette's classroom, Travis glanced at his timetable and saw that his next class was Math. It was a subject he didn't particularly hate, but he certainly didn't enjoy it either. His teacher was some random guy named Mr. T. Nickles.

'He probably has cameras in the girls' bathrooms or something,' Travis thought as he approached the classroom.

As he entered, he noticed students were already deep into their lesson. Scanning the room for a seat, he spotted the emo girl, Eve, sitting nearby. He'd never quite understood why her storyline seemed so prolonged; maybe the creators had a soft spot for her. With a friendly smile, he took the seat next to her.

"Yo Eve, been a while, hasn't it?" he greeted.

Eve looked up, her expression brightening. "Yeah, it's been like a whole month. I heard about your dad. I'm really sorry."

"Thanks, but don't worry about it. I'm trying to move on and focus on school," Travis replied, trying to sound optimistic.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. Trust me, I know how hard it can be," she said earnestly.

"Guess I have a therapist now," he joked, earning a smile from her.

"You're so silly. So, how's school going so far?" she asked.

"Hmm, I don't know. Can't say I hate it, though."

"Yeah, it's not bad if you look for the good parts."

"Oh, so there are bad parts? Mind sharing?"

"I don't mind, but not here. Why don't we meet up at the park? There's a big fountain I like to sit by. It's really calming, and I get some time to draw whatever's on my mind. It's a nice place to clear my thoughts."

"Sounds good. Expect me to be there at 9; I'll be busy before that."

"Perfect. Just bring a jacket; it gets chilly sometimes, and I can't predict the weather," she said with a light chuckle.

"Will do," he replied, feeling a sense of relief.

They both turned their attention back to Mr. Nickles, who was droning on about concepts Travis struggled to care about. But he knew he needed to pay attention or he'd fail.

'I should really make a study timetable or I'm doomed,' he thought, already planning out his day in his mind.

Class went well as far as Travis could tell; he couldn't even focus for a second and kept getting distracted by his thoughts. Then again, he did have a plan, which included studying at home, of course. He found the comfort of his humble room better compared to this class that, for some reason, smelled like feet. The bell rang, and he packed his stuff; he saw that everyone wasn't doing the same, which confused him.