Problem Children

Chapter Seventeen

Friday. The last day of the week. The day before the dance when all attending students ran to get the most fashionable clothes of that year and pick out a record to bring from their parents' collection. The day the whole school was looking forward to.

Except Angus as this was the day he'd be taking a hell bound math test.

His class was at the end of the day, giving him something to dread the whole morning. Every footstep he took to that classroom felt like a walk to his execution. Lunch was his last meal and now it was his turn on Judgement Day. Miss Jackson stood there at the door greeting the students, preparing them for the worst day of their life. Angus couldn't help the silly grin. At least she looks hot while she does it...

The rubber end of the pencil tapped endlessly on his notebook. The numbers and letters blurred on the page and he couldn't concentrate. Every word Hannah had said to him vanished into the air above him. Rain pouring outside only made it worse. Reminded him of the other threat to his Saturday night. His heart flopped inside his chest; he almost thought he was going into cardiac arrest and had to be excused from school when a paper was set in front of him.

Wishful thinking.

"It's time for the test, Mr. Young," Miss Jackson said above him. "Go ahead and put your notebook away, show me what you know." Her eyes narrowed as a smirk played on her lips. Those gorgeous red lips with pure white teeth behind them, skin soft as a cloud. 'I'll show you what I know.' His thoughts seemed to beg to be announced. A smirk found his face in return but by the time a playful comeback was inspired she was off handing papers to the other kids. Angus flipped his test over and dropped his expression. There were way more questions on this thing than he was counting on. He flipped to the next page and the next and the next and the problems were never ending. There had to be some kind of school code that you couldn't waste this much paper, and cut down that many trees.

"Oh, fuck me..."

"Alright class, notes away, pencils out, no talking, and let the test begin."

Angus was almost sure he had entirely consumed his pencil. Behind him he heard papers flipping in sync, pencils scratching down answers he couldn't seem to fathom. Miss Jackson sat at the front of the room engaged in a gossip magazine, her eyes skimming back and forth on the pages once in a while making a facial reaction. The boy had to pinch himself so as not to get distracted by the woman on the cover.

The minutes ticked by without mercy as he slowly flipped each page. He couldn't have been more than halfway through. Most answers were skipped for later tending to, and others were complete and utter guesses. Sweat filled his palms faster than he could dry them and his pencil slipped from his fingers multiple times.

Breathe. He just had to breathe. Which should have been easier but his tie was suffocating him. "You're gonna let a few numbers be the death of you, Ang?" a voice asked. He looked around the classroom and saw no one addressing him. At least, not visibly. The voice was in his head.

"Who are you?" he whispered.

"Don't tell me you forgot everything I taught you. I didn't come to your house eight days a week for nothing."

Angus had to laugh. "Eight days is a bit of an overstatement. Besides. I believe you came for an entertainment of more than a few textbooks and papers..."

"Wh-what makes you think that? I came for completely professional reasons, and I won't let you fail this test because of a few nerves." The boy sighed.

"Listen, Hannah. I appreciate the help. But I just can't seem to focus, and-and whenever I see the paper I think how lucky Mal is to be sixteen-and-" he sighed. "I think how pressured I am to pass so I can see you..."