At home. Mom asks how my first day went. Shrug. She and Dad want to talk. Gleefully overweight golden lab curled up next to me, resting his head on my mismatched argyle socks.
Serious parent chat:
"Tim, we want to make sure you have a future."
(High bar.) "Okay," I say.
"We're concerned about your grades. This is the year that counts for universities, so you really have to give it your all."
"Am I going to university?" I ask.
"Well, that's up to you. If you don't go to university, you're really limiting your options."
"I don't know what I'd study."
Dad chimes in, which surprises me. He usually stays quiet during talks like these.
"You'll figure that out. You just have to concentrate on getting in first."
I nod, pretending to agree and understand.
Mom: "If any subjects don't come naturally to you, it just means you're going to have to work harder. And we're here to help you, if you need it."
I feel super queasy here: what if I'm not smart enough to get into university? It's a distinct possibility, which they probably don't want to face because it reflects poorly on them.
"Yeah, I'll do my best. But there's a really good chance that I won't do well enough to get in, and you guys will just have to accept that. I might not be as smart as Ben."
Better athlete, better looking, academic superstar older brother: Why do I even exist next to him? It's a cosmic joke. (Hilarious.)
"What kind of attitude is that?" Mom says
"I'm just trying to be realistic."
She looks at me and shakes her head, her eyes narrowing, like she's repulsed by me and my lack of ambition.
Like I'm turning into a giant insect before her eyes.
YOU ARE READING
Alternative
Teen FictionTim's public high school experience thus far has been characterized by bad grades and the total absence of a social life; he's listless and needs a change. So, after grade eleven ends, his mom decides to enrol him in a bizarre, little alternative sc...
