Till the End of the Line: Our Beginning | Stucky Fanfic

Chapter Eight - Pt. 2

Chapter Eight

1935

April was a quiet month for the boys. They were getting their school work together for the end of the year come May, which Bucky started to realize would be the end of his high school career. It was kind of surreal, the idea of never going to another class. He wasn't going to college, couldn't afford it. Besides, Bucky didn't really have an idea what he'd do. Didn't matter, it wasn't happening.

And from the looks of it, he may not be graduating either.

"You're on the edge of failing," his math teacher stated after class one day.

"How?" Bucky had been trying, he really was, but math was just hard for him.

Mrs. Patrickson sighed and handed him his last three tests. All of them dawned the markings of a furious red pen and giant 'F' in the corner by his name. His shoulders fell and his lips pouted just a little as he slumped in his chair. "I see that you try, Mr. Barnes, but, well," she didn't continue, but Bucky knew what she was going to say. Bucky, you're just not good enough.

"Is there anything I can do?" Bucky asked, pulling his eyes away from the papers to look her in the eye. The older woman shook her head, her glasses slipping off her nose. "You'd have to pass every test from now until May. If you fail one, you'll fall too low and it'd be impossible to come back from. It's a lot of work, but I think you can do it. You're a smart kid, James." She leaned forward to pat his hand with her small, dainty one.

He nodded pathetically and moved to stand. "Thank you, Mrs. Patrickson," he told her before leaving the small classroom.

Steve was waiting for him outside, his books tucked against his chest and his eyes glued to the floor. "Everything okay?"

"Just peachy," Bucky grumbled and marched on to the courtyard.

Steve followed like a lost puppy, brain searching for every little detail and fact he could. "Something's up. You didn't come out of there with a mischievous smirk or a twinkle in your eye, so I'm guessin' you didn't do anything to get a detention. Unless they called your Pa? Did she call your Pa, that why you're pissed?" Bucky shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He really didn't want to tell Steve, but he knew Steve would help him. If not cheer him up. "Then what's going on? Why're you sad?" Bucky shrugged. Steve didn't ask again, instead waited for Bucky to talk and followed him out the courtyard and down the street. They could see his siblings just up ahead, a block or two down, eager to be home already. Hell, so was Bucky.

"Hey, Stevie?" Bucky said after a while. He had slowed down a bit, despite wanting to be home already, enough for him to glance at Steve every now and then.

"Yeah, Buck?" Steve kept his voice quiet as he spoke, his face scrunched with concern.

"Do ya think I'm smart?" Bucky turned to look at him and stopped.

"'Course I do! Why do you ask?" Steve's head tilted just a little, not enough for most to notice. Bucky noticed, but he notices everything about Steve. Bucky shrugged and started to walk again. Steve reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back. (Okay, it was more of a tug, but Bucky let Steve pull him back. He's a good friend like that.) "Bucky, talk to me. What's with you?"

"I'm failing math, Stevie," Bucky said quietly, too quietly for the bustling Brooklyn street. "If I get another test wrong, there ain't no way I'm gonna pass."

Steve's shoulders fell, a small, sympathetic smile on his face. Then his face had a new determination on it, one that would inspire anyone to do whatever he said. "I'm gonna help you pass. Whatever it takes, you're passing that next test. And the one after that. And the one after that." Steve nodded his head to emphasize the sentence and his determination.