Varsity Boy and The Prep

16

The mailroom had been one of my favorite places coming to Towerpointe, but now, it was a place of many life changing results and letters. And it was packed. The seniors were getting their college results and discussing them, lowers were sending letters, and people like me were waiting for standardized testing results. Carson was at my side, helping to get me through the maze of people and mailboxes, to the front desk.

"You really couldn't have chosen a better time to get your SAT results, could you?" Carson said. He was being sarcastic of course, because he liked to mess with me whenever he could. I gave him a punch on the arm and put on a fake smile when we'd reached the desk, which was surprisingly deserted.

"Hello," said the one grey haired lady sitting. "Having trouble with your box?"

I shook my head. "I'm here for my SAT and ACT test scores. My name is Emerson Williams. Any word?"

The lady typed my name into the flat computer that sat in front of her, along with a few pens and lists upon lists. Something appeared to come up that was of interest. "Emerson," the lady said monotonus, "you scored a fifteen hundred out of twenty four hundred on the SAT." she paused. "And a score of twenty on the ACT."

I stood still, all of the color apparently draining from my face. Carson put a hand on my arm but I couldn't feel it.

"It's okay, Em." he said. "I'll study with you every day over skype. It won't even be like studying, and before you know it, you'll have passed these tests."

Tears didn't come, but anger did. Memories of that day came flooding into my head. Only one face appeared: Lukah Carmichael. Lukah, my nemesis. He was the one that had gotten me worked up so that I could not focus or recognize anything on the test. All I could think about was my hate for him and how much he'd screwed up my future and relationship with my parents. It was his fault. I turned away from the office and kept an agry scream inside. His fault, his fault, his fault.

Later on my hill, Asher came to join me. He'd brought his varsity jacket and draped it over my shoulders while saying, "Remuneration."

I didn't look at him. Instead, I thought of all the stupid words I'd studied and the one that sounded the most complex. "Lachrymose." I spit out.

"Crepuscular."

"Evenom."

"Your anger is not ephemeral." Asher said, taking my hand and holding it between his two palms. "For you have no resignation and you are blighted from these scores."

I pulled away from him. "I will not aquiesce. It's only appropriate to repudiate and not cower."

"I sanction your methods."

"You are magnanimous. And for that, I'm going to kiss you now."

"I had a presentiment that was going to happen." He gently put his hands on my face. And for the first time, we kissed, neither of us running off in shame. Asher's lips were warm and full, filled with passion and beach days. After a minute or so, we pulled apart, just staring at each other.

"Did you get your guitar strung?" I asked.

Asher put his hands on my shoulders. "Tim can wait."

Posting the rest of this story rn.