Free Trail

Chapter 1

Another D? I can’t keep doing this. I mean how am I gonna get into college with these shit grades. Chemistry is ruining my GPA. I will never get a scholarship unless I get a 3.0 GPA or better. How do people even pay for college with out scholarships? I mean I could take out student loans but then I’ll be drowning in debt and sorrows. On top of that the college I want to attend is out of the state of Georgia, so there’s even more fees for “out of state compensation”. Either way I’m gonna be in debt till I’m forty.

I’ll just do some extra credit and hopefully get my grade to at least a C. Then next quarter I can hopefully pick up the slack... if I can keep up.

Before I can start to feel too defeated the bell rings, signaling me to go to my next class. Algebra, I hate this class more than chemistry. I don’t hate math it’s the kids in that class. They all think they are entitled to something, are immature and don’t even try. They just expect college to happen but that doesn’t work for everyone.

Our teacher is kind of a push over, she is the nicest woman you’ll ever meet, but she lets the kids walk all over her. The other day in class one of the wrestlers who reeks of fragile masculinity and axe body spray drew a penis on the white board. She just looked at it with the most confused look and everyone just started laughing. I have to admit it was funny but then she went on to a whole lecture about respect and it wasted class time. I need to pass this final exam and I won’t be able to if I don’t learn anything.

The wrestler guy I mentioned before his name is John it’s a pretty basic name for a pretty basic white guy. All you see on his social media is him and his friends posing in their sperrys and high top Nike socks like a bunch of douchebags who say “no homo” or “its not rape if she didn’t say no”.

Then there is this one preppy cheerleader bitch named Jessicka and she always talks about her boyfriend Xander who graduated last year and is training at boot camp. It gets old after you hear her on the phone with him in between every class and see her carry around this blanket with them kissing on it all day long in the fall and winter seasons. She thinks they’re gonna get married as soon as she graduates and live in like Paris or some shit. However when she’s on Snapchat there isn’t one selfie of her without at least half a boob hanging out. Everyone knows she’s full of shit.

Last there is Knoxx, he is your stereotypical teen angst. No one knows much about him accept for the fact that he lives by himself, and doesn’t do much in school. I heard he left his old living situation as soon as he turned eighteen because of some funky junk that went on between him and his dad.

Everyone else is pretty much irrelevant or just as rotten and boring as Jessicka and John are.

Saying all this makes me a hypocrite. I’m probably just as boring, I’m basically a huge ass nerd. I’m just tying to get good grades, graduate high school and get to college where I can live with mature equals. Instead of these “commoners”.

I finally arrive in classroom 23B Mrs. Willard’s algebra class. I can already feel the headache.

I walk in and I’m usually here early so I can get my things and sit down. All of the teachers make us put our backpacks at the front off the room for “safety reasons” but we all know it’s so we don’t pack up early. I don’t really mind since I don’t sit and talk in the court yard after class. I never have to worry about being late. I’m never in a rush, unless I procrastinated an assignment till the last second.

I grab my binder, calculator, and pencil bag and take a seat. In the back. We don’t have assigned seating but we all pretty much sit in the same seats everyday.

As the last bell rings the usual late people arrive, one being Jessicka after having her five minute love call with Xander in between class. I’m not even sure he’s suppose to make phone calls at boot camp, but he would do anything to be able to talk to his “honey bun pie”, Even if it meant risking his career.

After 3 minutes of her trying to convince Mrs. Willard to let her off the hook, she finds her seat with a disappointed look on her face.

John is up to his usual self, making racist jokes and slapping his friends around. They are all meat heads with no successful future. Unless you count a gas station cashier as a “successful future”.

Right when the lesson begins Knoxx walks in, usually he isn’t late, surprisingly he’s kind of a good kid, in school at least. As far as I know he makes A’s and B’s and doesn’t get into trouble. But who knows what he does outside of school.

He’s wearing black ripped jeans and a T-shirt of a band I don’t recognize. His hair is black and shaved on all sides but the top. The top is long and falls to the left side of his face. He has brown eyes, gages and a lip ring. He’s also pretty lean. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, I wouldn’t be surprised if releases his angst with intense work outs.

Me, I don’t work out. Period. I’m smaller than most kids my age, I would be considered a “twink”. Thin, blonde, and soft skin. I have green eyes and and curly blonde hair. I keep my hair pretty long but since it’s curly it doesn’t hang to low. My wardrobe consist of sweaters and ripped jeans. Most of my clothes I get from Urban Outfitters or Hollister.

He sets down his bag and hands Mrs. Willard the late pass and scans the room looking for any empty seat. We make eye contact then he looks to my right. unfortunately the only seat open is next to me. When he sits down I smell cigarette smoke. He probably was at the park smoking and waiting for 2nd period to be over. I don’t know why he skips second, I think it has to do with the fact his brother is in that class but I’m not too sure.

I don’t mind the smell, I kind of enjoy it actually. It’s calming of a sort. However I would never smoke. I don’t ever do bad things, I’m a good kid. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I don’t have sex. I keep things clean and organized. I enjoy things to be... pure.

Mrs. Willard tells us to open our binders and start taking notes on the logarithmic formula, so naturally I open my binder and flip to my notes section, as I do a piece of paper flies out the side of my binder landing on the ground. I reach to pick it up but Knoxx’s long arms beat me too it. He picks it up looks at it and then says “yikes”. It’s my chemistry quiz that I got a D on, I sink into my seat and look away.

“Little mister perfect isn’t so perfect after all” Knoxx says in a mocking tone.

I turn to him and grab the paper from him without bothering to look at him or thank him, he laughed as if I’m being cute or cheeky.

Class is almost over and when Mrs. Willard finishes up the lesson she lets us work on homework. I don’t like doing homework in class because it defeats the purpose, but also I’m too lazy to start it now I’ll probably do it later. Knoxx leans over and ask me who I have for chemistry.

“Mr. Smith” I tell him

“Me too” he replies.

He must have him for a different class period than I do.

“I got an A on that quiz”

I think he said that just so I would be jealous... I am.

“I can help you, you know? Touter you.” He suggest.

Why is he offering me tutoring lessons? Like I’ve never talked to him before and now he’s all of a sudden gonna help me. I don’t even know what to say, I need the help and I’m usually to afraid to ask anyone. I’ve never been offered help. I mean what if I say something stupid and he says never mind, there goes my only chance for help. I don’t know why I’m freaking out. I’m just gonna play it cool and hopefully I don’t seem like a total idiot.

“Is it free?” I ask

“The first few lessons will be free, sort of like a free trial. I’ll have to start charging you at some point if you show results.” He answers

I can’t pass up free lessons, also I can just start cancelling when he wants to charge me like I do for every other “free trial” I sign up for.

“Sure” I say. I probably should have said I’ll think about it so I can gauge the whole situation. I hate it when I make impulsive decisions like that. I just panic and say whatever comes to mind first and it ends up biting my ass later down the road.

I follow with “When and where?”

“My place, on Tuesdays, starting today, after school, I have a car I can take you.”

“Okay”

I start to think about what I just signed up for, I don’t even know this kid and now I’m going over to his house to study! It’s just gonna be him and I, what if I get drugged and murdered! I want to make up some lame excuse to cancel but I convince my self not to because I need this help. College is so close and this could make or break it for me.