Sam stares out the window as Mr Dawson, his biology teacher continues where he left off the day before. He notices that Sam's mind is elsewhere.
"Samuel Blake!" he shouts,which catches Sam's attention right away.
"Y-yeah" Sam says ,a little frantic now as all eyes are staring at him.
Then Mr Dawson continues "Samuel, if an individual possesses two identical alleles for a particular trait, is the individual homozygous or heterozygous?"
Sam squints his eyes and slightly scratches the back of his head.
"Ummmm, uh.........its gotta be one of the two right? it could be heterozygous ,but I wouldn't count out homozygous..... So....
" Would anyone else like to attempt this question "Mr Dawson says ,irritated.
" Sir Sir I got a question, "Sam says ,interrupting him"uhm why is a+a=2a and not 1+1= 2- 1 .Mr Dawson sighs and answers " Well its because....... ".The bell rings before he can finish. Sam is the first one out of the classroom
** *** ******** ***
Mr Ferrell has called Sam to his office. Silly Sam thinks this is for a good reason.
He enters the room,never bothering to knock,wide grin on his face. Mr Ferrell raises an eyebrow and speaks with his eyes glued to his computer screen.
" Mr Blake , do take a seat"
Sam clumsily moves to the chair Mr Ferrell's hand is pointed at .He then sits ,the wide grin still plastered on his face.
"I'm very disappointed in you Mr Blake,"
"Disappointment is a daily occurrence Sir"
"You flunked your Maths test. Let's talk ,what's goin' on with you , everything OK at home?
" Y-yeah ,everything's OK at home,I just don't think everything is OK in my mind, something's definitely wrong there."
"Uhm" Mr Ferrell continues"How much time do you spend on your books per day?"
"I do not have a clock sir, but I could say it's minutes, if not hours."
"How many minutes or hours?" Mr Ferrell asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Is this a trick question Sir,because I just told you I do not have a clock ,nor is it on the wall in my room."
Mr Ferrell sighs and says"Tell you what, I'll buy you a wristwatch, how's that? "
"So I didn't fail the test did I, you buying me a wristwatch is just a way of saying congratulations for a job well done on that exam,you saying I flunked the test was just a joke right ?right Mr Ferrell?" he asks, the foolish grin still plastered on his face.
"Wrong" Mr Ferrell answers curtly before continuing "I'm gonna have to speak to your parents, would you mind asking your mother to accompany you to school next Monday?
Sam strokes his chin thoughtfully, narrows his eyes and answers " I would mind if I were in trouble, in which case I am, so....... I mind, yes I do ."
Mr Ferrell shifts his gaze towards his computer screen, sighs heavily and says in a bored tone"If your mother's not here on Monday, don't bother coming to school OK? "
"Is this a holiday in disguise Mr Ferrell?" Sam asks, a hopeful smile on his face.
Mr Ferrell feels anger surging through his entire body, he tries but fails to control his temper.
"Get outa my office! " he shouts , "and make sure you have your mother with you on Monday"
"I'll be with her , at home!" Sam answers with a delightful grin , heading out the door. He closes the door behind him and opens it once more to add" Goodbye Mr Ferrell, and thanks for the holiday!"
The next period on the timetable is Physics. His stomach turns when he remembers what day it is , it is a Friday, and just like every other Friday they are going to be writing a test on what they've learnt for the week .
As you might have guessed, Sam isn't prepared for the test. He sighs and reluctantly drags himself towards Physics period. He is the last one to enter the room, spotting a vacant seat at the very back of the third row, he drags his feet towards it. Seated next to the vacant chair is Tyler Gruesome.
"Hey Gruesome" Sam greets as he sits next to him. Tyler raises his right thumb in response.
"Alright " Mr Smith , his physics teacher starts , "seeing as everyone is settled , everyone get your gear set we're writing a short test to see how much we've learned this week , I want your desks clean ,save for a blank A4 page, a pen and a ruler , thank you and good luck."
The whole class murmurs a thank you.
After a quiet and intense thirty minutes, Mr Smith rises from his desk and says
"OK times up ,pens down, and quietly move your scripts to the front desk."
"Sir , they're not being quiet enough , I can hear the sound of the paper flipping" Sam shouts
"That's detention for you Samuel Blake!" Mr Smith shouts back.
****************
It is a Friday, meaning school gets out early .Teenagers burst out of the gate and scatter around ,some getting into vehicles as their parents have been awaiting them. Sam patiently waits for the arrival of his father's car. He leans against a tree , staring into the road that leads to the school gate. After a few minutes he lowers his eyes and stares into the ground. Just as he is lost in thoughts, his fathers Hyundai sonata stops in front of him, catching his attention and drawing him out of his thought . A genuine smile forms on his face and his father smiles back.
"Hop in buddy" he says. Sam does so , but before the car leaves, he spots Darla near the gate with her back to him. He hopes she will turn around and notice him before the car sways off, but she doesn't. Mr Blake follows his son's gaze with concern
"What's caught your eye sonny?"
he asks cheerily.
"Nothing" Sam answers ,sounding defeated.
Sam is conflicted between telling and not telling his father about Mr Ferrell's request. He decides it's better to break the news to both his parents over dinner.
***************
Sam is trying to tiptoe his way towards his bedroom when he is startled by the high-pitched voices of his parents amidst their petty argument.
"Grow a pair Morgan !" his mother yells.
Sam decides to weigh in on the conversation.
"What is this pair that you're always talking about?" he asks, honestly confused.
Again , you wouldn't expect a teenager not to know what ' grow a pair ' means. But then again , Samuel Blake is no ordinary teenager. One could say that he is a sixteen year old , stuck with the mind of a five year old.
"Apples" Sam's father answers him after a minute of silence.
"That's what you meant , right honey? " he asks , eyeing his wife for back up. Mrs Blake gets the memo , clears her throat and answers nonchalantly
"Yes Honey I meant apples , big green juicy apples."
Then there is long uncomfortable silence, until Sam breaks it.
"Do they always grow in pairs ?" he asks. Both his parents give each other knowing looks and burst out laughing, to which Sam storms up the stairs in disappointment.
' They never take me seriously ' he thinks to himself as he sprints up the stairs. He then locks himself in his room and lies on his bed , facing the ceiling. His thoughts drift towards Darla and the earlier events of the day.
******* **** *******
A/N
Hi guys,it would mean a lot to me if you could vote or comment on the story. My work is barely noted,so if you're reading this, you're awesome. There's a lot more coming, don't wanna reveal much. Stay tuned.
