Grease Monkey- h.s

3

I sat in my math class, staring at the clock on the wall. Thirty minutes until I could leave this hell hole of a school. Three weeks after the first day and I still had no friends. I zoned out, day dreaming of New York while the teacher droned on and on about equations.

"Harry, what is the answer to this equation?" The teacher's sudden decision to ask questions pulled me out my thoughts.

"Um... negative three." Harry muttered. Laughter filled the room. Math was the only class we had together. I'd never gone back to the automobile shop and we didn't sit near one another in class, which meant we hadn't spoken since the day in the principal's office three weeks ago.

I looked up to the board to see the equation that he was solving. It was a lettered equation. There were no numbers, so there was no possible way that the answer could be three.

"Are you even paying attention?" The teacher placed her hand on her hips, clearly annoyed with Harry's lack of correct answers.

"No." His face was red and his gaze was hard. I could see his jaw tense up as the class laughed.

"Does anyone else know the answer?" The teacher sighed. No one raised their hand, but I knew the answer. Math was my best subject. I slowly slipped my hand into the air.

"The square root of b would be the answer." I spoke quietly.

"That's correct! Thank you Miss Greer." The teacher went over the equation a few more times since no one else understood. Finally, the bell rang. I stormed out of the classroom, pulling out my iPhone as I walked to my car. I had to call Tess.

I hadn't been able to talk with her in almost a week. She'd been busy with coursework and always cut the phone calls short, or she just wouldn't pick up.

"Tessa, I know you're busy but this won't take long." I blurted as soon as she answered.

"Okay, what's up?" She sounded annoyed.

"Can I crash at your place? I'm going to drive up tomorrow and try to fix things with Kyle. Then I can stay at his and finish out senior year in New York! His parents will let me stay - they love me. As soon as I'm all the way up there and have secured a place to stay, my parents can't say no! Isn't this great?!"

"Kenna, are you sure this is a good idea? Your parents didn't let you stay before - what makes you think they'll let you stay now?" She huffed into the phone.

"Okay, it's a little far stretched, but it's worth a shot. I need my old life back." I fought tears.

"I don't know if that's possible Ken. But if you make it up here, you can crash here for a few nights. Be careful. I've gotta go." She hung up before I could even say thank you. I don't know what was up with her. She'd been so cold since I moved. I hoped she was just trying to adjust to her best friend living so far away.

I looked up to see a figure leaning up against my car. No. What do you want?

I stopped and looked at him, waiting for him to speak. He looked me up and down as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

"What do you want?" I spat, ready to get home. He hadn't said anything and I'd been standing there for a few minutes while he simply looked at me and smoked.

"You're good at math." He spoke.

"Yeah." I answered.

"I need to pass it to graduate." He looked away, taking another drag from his smoke.

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked, already knowing what was coming.

"Can you tutor me?" He hesitated. "Or at least sit next to me and let me cheat off of your tests and homework?"

I had no interest in helping this guy. "Are you serious?" I asked.

"Just something. I'm desperate. I usually don't ask of favors, but I really need to get my diploma. I'll do anything. I'll fix this up - make it nice." He patted the hood of my car. "Or anything else - if you'll just help me pass math." That was the most I'd ever heard him speak.

"I don't know."

"Fine." He eased off of my car and walked away. I rolled my eyes and climbed into my car, already planning my weekend escape. I didn't need some grungy boy hanging around for help in school. I had enough of my own problems to sort out.

++

It was the next day - Friday - and I told my parents goodbye. They thought I was heading out to school when I was really heading to New York. I'd loaded my car in the middle of the night so that they wouldn't notice. I climbed into the seat and made the turn out of our driveway.

I was twenty minutes from the main street. I eased along with the radio blaring. I was beyond happy to be going home. I passed fields of nothing, wondering why in the hell my father ever even considered taking this job. A loud pop interrupted my thoughts and my car came to a halt. What just happened?

I swung open the door and jumped out. Smoke was billowing out from under my hood. Greeeat. Just when I'm about to get my life back, this piece of shit car ruins my plans. I didn't know what else to do, so I started walking, knowing sooner or later I'd come across the automobile shop. I had my cell phone, but the only people who could help me were my parents and my New York plan wasn't completely dead yet, so I couldn't call them. I needed Harry.

I kicked gravel for what felt like five days, but I finally saw the little shop in the distance. I opened the shop door, making a little bell, that was hooked to the door, ring. No one was in the office, so I stood there. I sighed impatiently before walking back out of the door. I went around to where the garage was. There were feet sticking out from under a truck I figured they were Harry's so I nudged them with my own foot. The boy slid out from under the truck and to my horror, he wasn't Harry. He stood up and eyed me, probably wondering why this strange girl was playing footsie with him while he was trying to work.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were Harry." I frowned, hoping to hide my embarrassment.

"No, I'm Louis. He's supposed to be at school. He doesn't work during school hours." The guy wiped his brow with a rag that he had shoved into his back pocket of his dirty jeans.

"Lou, I woke up late so I'm here today." A familiar voice sounded behind me, but cut short. I turned to see Harry staring at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find you." I faced him, now with my back to Louis. Harry looked to Louis and shook his head as if they were silently communicating. I glanced back at Louis who had been mouthing something to Harry. He saw me turn to look at him and he quickly looked away, trying to hide his communication with Harry. I was done with this. I'd fix my own car. I brushed past Harry and went towards the road so that I could get back to my worthless mode of transportation.

"Kenna, wait!" Harry called out and I heard him running up behind me. I ignored him, but he caught up to me and stopped right in front of me. I attempted to go around him, but he blocked me. "What's wrong?"

"I don't need your help. I was stupid for stopping by, now let me around you." I spat.

"No. Is it your car?" He kept blocking me and I wanted to punch him in the gut.

I sighed, admitting defeat as I stopped trying to get around him. "I was going to offer to help you with math if you'd fix my car so that it could make it to New York."

"By when?" His eyes grew wide.

"Tonight." Tears filled my eyes. I knew it was way too far-fetched.

"I don't know if that's possible, but I can try. Where is it?"

"Down the road. We'll have to push it." I stopped, realizing that he'd agreed to try and help me. "Wait, you'll help me?"

"Yes." He nodded, looking down the road. "Come on."

He walked on past me, down the road and in the direction of my car. It took me a second to follow. The past few months, I'd been on my own. But in this moment, someone wanted to help me.

"You coming?" He hollered out.

"Yeah." I replied, turning to follow him.