Illuminate

Chapter 1- Eva

I sat in class, anxiously awaiting the school day to be over. I wished I had my mom's superior smarts like Owen, who received a full scholarship to Stanford for both football and his incredible grades. Colton was a senior and he was smart too, not as smart as Owen, but still incredibly smart. He loved basketball and football, but he at basketball was insane. Like, he has had colleges scouting him since he was a freshman, and now as a senior, he had multiple offers from schools already. Then there was Austin who was a junior, an incredible hockey and basketball player, but surprisingly, also was the king of the debate club.

But then there was just me. I was a decent hockey player and great basketball player. But, my grades were rough. Truthfully, I did work hard at school, even though I just told everyone I did not care. My parents had gotten me countless tutors, and my mom and brothers worked with me all the time, but I still struggled. I hated the feeling of seeming dumb in class. Nobody wants to be the nerd, but I wished I was. I wish school came easily to me, but it just did not. Sliding by with a 2.5 GPA was tough for me.

"Eva, do you understand?" Mrs. Allen, my algebra teacher, asked me. I nodded. She walked to the back of the classroom and looked at my blank worksheet I had been trying to figure out for the entire class period. "Then explain this blank worksheet," she fired.

"I'm working on it," I said.

"Eva, focus," she reprimanded and walked back to the front of the class and I rolled my eyes, once again playing the role I always did of a student who did not care or try. My friend, Lacey, laughed.

"She can't stand you," she laughed, punching my arm.

"Oh, whatever, barely any adults like me," I said and she laughed again. 

"Can you still pick me up for Emma's party tonight?" Lacey asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I'll text you, okay?" I told her and she nodded. Emma and her older sister, Hannah, were throwing a party tonight because their parents were out of town. The bell rang and I grabbed all my stuff, grateful that the class was over.

"Finish this worksheet for Monday. Eva, a word?" Mrs. Allen announced. Lacey looked at me and chuckled.

"Good luck," she said and I shook my head. I took a deep breath and walked up to Mrs. Allen's desk.

"You wanted to see me," I said in a monotone voice.

"Yes. You need to focus in my classroom. You do not have a very high grade right now, and if you want to get that up, I think you are going to need a tutor," she explained. I never told any of my teachers about all the work I put in outside of school. I didn't let anyone know the real me. But, I knew she would force me to get a tutor if I didn't tell her the truth.

"I, um, have had many tutors, they never help me," I admitted.

"What?" Mrs. Allen asked.

"Look, I know you think I'm just a bad kid who doesn't give a crap about her grades, but that's not entirely true. My parents have gotten me tons of tutors and worked with me individually. When I don't do things in class, it isn't because I am not focusing. It's because I know doing the assignments here does not do me any good. I don't know if you notice, but I never have late assignments. It's because I go home and slowly work through them alone with the help of my parents and brothers," I admitted. She looked in her grade book.

"You're telling the truth about the assignments. But, this behavior needs to stop. Not only does it distract me, but it distracts your other classmates," she instructed.

"I really don't talk much during your instruction, Mrs. Allen," I defended.

"Eva," she started to say.