Back To Base School

Chapter 1

"No."

"What do you mean, no?" The lady at the front desk said.

"I said NO!! I'm not retaking freshman year just because this stupid base school doesn't offer Computer science or design and technology or Algebra 2 condensed into one semester or German! Are you kidding me? You think I want to be here? This is supposed to be the best school district in the whole state and you don't offer four of the seven classes I took at TJ?? FOUR??"

"Ms. Morse, you need to calm down. If you're so smart, maybe you can catch up in these classes. We're gonna put you in honors biology, honors English, and PE, which you've been taking, and also normal algebra 2 because we think you can catch up if you spend a week or so working really hard on nothing but algebra. Since you used to play clarinet but haven't played in a while you can replace your computer science class with beginning band, and your French is probably still good enough to take French two again and keep up in that. Obviously you can't take world history because you're too far behind in that, you'll have to take that over the summer, and your design and technology class... I guess that can translate into shop class?"

"You've got to be kidding me," I said. "Put me in honors algebra, French three, and AP world history. I can catch up, it won't take me more than a couple days, probably just this three day weekend. Give me all the work I've missed, I'll come to school Tuesday and you can give me all the tests and quizzes I've missed. And there is no way on God's green earth that I am taking band again. Find me a computer science class, or I can take a self-paced online econ and personal finance course, just give me a free period."

"Oh, but that's so much work you'll have to catch up on! Are you sur-"

I interrupted her by laughing a cold, humourless laugh. "When I went to TJ, I left my house at seven in the morning and didn't get home until 7:30 at night. I played two sports a season, and still maintained A's in all of my classes. There is nothing this school can offer to me freshman year that will challenge me. Speaking of sports, I'd like the track coach's email address, I threw shotput for TJ and I'd like to do the same here starting immediately."

"Okay...." The woman said doubtfully as she handed me the sheaf of papers I would have to learn from over the weekend. "I'll put you in a self-paced econ class, and everything else is in there. I'll have all the tests for you by Tuesday- there's no need to take the quizzes- but I doubt you'll finish in time. Good luck!"