Can't Stop the Questions

Chapter 27: Keeping Up the ACT

By the end of the week, Kent sends an email to all juniors on the basketball teams regarding ACT diagnostic testing. Especially since the juniors are the ones who most need to be concerned about that test. After all, the state-sponsored date is fast approaching, and it looms over the juniors' heads. Heather then talks to Audrey before the start of AP Bio:

"Audrey, I think there's something of interest to you" Heather shows her Kent's email to all juniors.

"Heather, you never asked for my help in AP Bio... in fact, you almost never asked me for academic help! What is it now?"

"The coach invited all the juniors on both basketball teams to an ACT diagnostic test on Friday night, and we're allowed to bring in any guests we like, provided they aren't seniors!" Heather explains to her teammate. "In fact, he even encourages it!"

"The ACT is a year away for me. Why is it that you feel like it could interest me? Or is it because you feel like Carrie would need my help once again?" Audrey asks Heather.

Oh god, not again! Carrie, while a fantastic dribbler and ball-carrier, seems to want to be carried academically, Audrey's question sends shivers down Heather's spine upon mentioning Carrie's academic needs, freezing her in place.

"Surely you want to stay in touch with your basketball teammates even when the quiz bowl postseason is fast approaching! Spending too much time with any one group is not a good idea!" Heather warns her.

"Except that, for years, nearly every test in English and math contains items formatted like ACT questions. Mind you, often it's a minority"

"You'll have all the time you want to be with your quiz bowl teammates after the ACT ends! Just do this for me... please?" Heather begs Audrey to take a diagnostic ACT test. "You're the strongest academically on the team!"

"Fine..." Audrey sighs. "Just this once!"

I'm lucky the FFA agribusiness team, on which I play with Tyler, is fairly low maintenance, so I can study for the ACT as needed, based on the diagnostic test results, Heather sighs before getting to her seat in the AP Bio classroom, before texting Tyler about the basketball team's diagnostic ACT. I might want to invite Tyler to the diagnostic test, too.

And that's not suspecting that junior football players have their own diagnostic test planned, too. At the behest of their coach. A few players already have guests lined up, Dayton plans to bring Natalie in, while Ethan might want to bring in Nadine.

However, Finn realizes that his back is against the wall. Since I'm barely above 2.50, all I have to do is get a 20 on the ACT. And yet... I can't even take that for granted. I guess, I have no choice, Finn sighs, and asks around for other people to take a diagnostic ACT with him.

And soon, he finds out there is no shortage of people he can pick, ranging from baseball players to softball ones, and even other juniors without love interests. Especially people whom he knows harbors collegiate dreams. He even discusses the choice of guests with Ethan:

"And I wonder if I can take in more than one guest; if so, since I already invited Nadine, I may as well invite Pablo, too; they seem to get along pretty well" Ethan points out to Finn, before texting Pablo about it. "I guess taking a diagnostic ACT test as a group, with people you know, makes it less stressful..."

"I get it, it's a test everyone here must take!" Finn points out. "However, this test is a load of hogwash, and I'd rather not expend any more effort on it than absolutely necessary!"

Pablo, having received the invitation from Ethan to take a diagnostic ACT just as AP Bio is about to start, waits a little bit before he could decide whether to go.