Always & Forever (D. Swing)

Chapter 25.

Devyn

September, 1986

School has been back in session for about two weeks now and I already dread it. Teachers are already throwing tons of work at me and taught lessons on the first day of school, expecting me to know something I haven't learned, then getting an attitude about it. It seems like every year, high school gets worse for me. I lose friends every year and drift away from the people I've always been closest to. I remember years ago, my old childhood friend Jayden and I promised to be best friends forever, but we still go to the same school now and don't really sought out to be with each other. We only really speak if we see each other in the moment. Leila and I didn't really hang out this summer like we never do. She seems to always forget about me since she doesn't have to rely on me for something like a ride or to eat. She'd always go off to her other friends, going to wild parties or hang with whichever boy she was in a relationship with at the time. She isn't a 'hoe' or anything, she just loses interest quickly and she seems to do that me with also. If we have a class together, she'd be all up under me though. Shantelle, Destiny, and Nay Nay all hated me. I sadly had one class with Shantelle but we sat extremely far away from each other but she'd always look my way with this menacing smirk. The remaining people are just associates to me, if I even associate with them at all.

I'm alone. All by myself, once again. The only person I have at the moment is Donald and I'm sure he doesn't want me around all the time. I know he likes to be in my presence, but it's a necessity for people to have their space. I sometimes need space too. Actually, I need it a lot, or I'll go insane. 

On the bright side, it's Junior year for me. I'll finish this year and have one more year to go. But to where? I'm conflicted now.

"Devyn." My new math teacher, Ms. Huffman snaps me out of my thoughts. I turn my attention towards her. "Yes?" I ask and she doesn't say anything, only waving me over towards her.

I come over to her desk, standing above her. She observes me with her fist under her chin with her lips pressed together before breaking into a smile. "What?" Confusion mixed with a smile flushes over my face. "Do you know how smart you are Devyn?" She inquires. I look around shaking my head. I have no idea what she means by that. "Uh, apparently very smart by the way you keep asking me that everyday but you never really explained how yet, so no.. I don't know." I scrunch my face up at my smart ass remark, not being able to help mysef.

"I'm so amazed with your test score on the assessment we just took- actually, all of the tests we took throughout these couple of weeks. Look!" She points down onto her grading book. Everyone else's names are covered up but mine. I skim across the sheet seeing grades ranging from ninety to one hundred. "Wow." I say to myself.

"Your test scores are some of the best I've seen in a long time! You haven't gotten a bad grade yet." Her brown eyes enlarge through her glasses. "Girl, they are outstanding!"

"Thanks." I shyly twist my body side to side, not actually knowing how to reply to that. I never thought I was actually smart, well intelligent in the least. I just follow the directions like a dog. "What colleges are you considering Devyn?" She asks me and I freeze up. I stumble over the words I try to get out. "Uh-hm.. I'm actually not going to college Ms. Huffman."

"What? Why not?" She swings her brown hair back, revealing her full pale face and scrunched up pointy nose. "I'm going into the military." I simply say. "School ain't for me."

"What do you mean it's not for you? Devyn, Do you see this?" She points down at the booklet. "..Do. You. See. This. Dev. Vyn." I laugh at her breaking down the words. She's so youthful and full of life. "You could go to any college you want to with math scores like this.. This isn't even a high school course and you're doing this good."