The Fool and the Magician
Summary:
Being the best student in your grade is hard when you just suck at sports.
Getting a straight A when P.E. is divided into a physical and a theoretical part even though you just want to play football is even harder.
This realization hits Arthur and Alfred when their coach decides to team up the two teenagers to save their grades. Will the two be able to look past their mutual hatred in order to survive High-School? Highschool AU/UsUk
His alarm clock ringed only once. He had never been much of a snooze-person, always getting out of bed after the first ring. Thats what alarms are for. The brit set up in his bed and shoved his Blanket aside. He went over to his desk to inspect his planner and to check his first lesson.
Oh jolly good, P.E. to make me condemn the day before it even starts.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. That was definitely not his favorite subject. Everything else was great even french. But not this. He was no athlete. Not at all. His coach and especially his classmates never failed to notice. He was always the last one to be picked for a team and so glad when the school bell delivered him from this ordeal.
He picked up his sports bag and stared at it full of hate only to drop it on the floor a second later.
Screw P.E. .
I will just say I forgot my stuff and sit on the bench. Its not like my grade could get any worse.
30 minutes later, he opened the door to the changing room only to be greeted by the most obnoxious person he knew. Of course, it had to be Alfred F. Jones. The star player of the football team and his complete opposite.
Alfred was one head taller than Arthur, always in the center of attention, very cheerful, 2 years older because he had to repeat a form and not really smart.
Arthur, on the other hand, preferred being alone, was aloof and the best student in his grade.
And he hated Alfred. The American never failed to annoy him to no end. A few months ago he started to call Arthur 'gay' due to his lack of interest in dating numerous girls and making out in the hallway.
"Hey Artie, what's gaying on" said the taller boy, laughing madly.
"Oh just shut the fuck up you git and start picking on someone your age. Oh wait, there barely is anyone around who is as old as you are, because you were to dumb to pass the 11th grade and have to do it again"
Arthur answered, watching his punch line sink in. The jock really hated it when someone called him dumb. He glared at the smaller guy and growled.
"Says the guy who can't run without dying after the first few inches. Just wait, today I'll make you eat my dust". Alfred poked Arthur in the chest and left the room before Arthur could defend himself.A few minutes later when everyone was set on the bench the coach addressed the students.
"Okay kids, today is the day when I will give you your final grades for this term. As you all know, the class is divided into two parts.
The first one is physical activity and the second one theory.
The members of the football team all managed to get straight A's in the first part for wining the tournament.
Everyone else will get their grades based on an athletics test today. The paper for the second part was to be finished for today and I will collect it now."
The last bit of information made most of the students gasp in shock and Arthur rolled his eyes.
Typically, most of these losers were to stupid to do it.
He chuckled slightly until he handed the coach his paper and wanted to go sit on the bench when the adult in front of him furrowed his brows and looked at his casual clothing.
"Where are your gym clothes, Kirkland!"
"Sorry, I forgot them at home"
"Then how are you planing to do the test today?"
"I don't know, can't you just give me a D and let me pass?"
"No, I can't! Thats against the rules and you know it. You will have to do it next time"
"But I'm terrible at sports and the first part counts much more then the second one! Isn't that unfair, considering that the students on the team automatically get good grades?"
"Okay, sit on the bench and I will decide what to do with you when I've collected the papers"
"Thank you sir"
Arthur hurried to sit down and sighed in relief, hoping that his teacher would come up with a way to avoid the physical test.
He wanted to get his book from his bag to pass the time but was interrupted, when his teacher stood in front of him with the last person he wanted to see at this and every other moment. The coach pointed at Alfred.
"You are going to build a study team with Alfred in order to save both your grades. You will help him with the written part and he will help you with the physical part. You have one month to prepare"
Without any further comment the adult left the two teenagers alone to glare at each other.