The Tutor

Chapter One

GPA's A Fallin'

"Earwin, may I speak to you?" Ms. Wilson called out to Lawson as the bell rang.

Lawson rolled his eyes, sighed, and walked up to his biology teacher's desk. This better not take long. He had football practice to get to and Coach Winchester was gonna get mad if any of the team mates were late.

"Yes, Ms. Wilson, what can I do for you?"

"I've seen your test scores," the teacher said, pulling out a marked sheet with a C minus on it. "I know that this class may not be your strongest point, though if you need help, you can always ask."

Lawson cringed. Football practices usually kept until before supper time, and he had a massive social life to be with the rest of his friends. He was so tired at night, he put homework off to the side, thinking he'd get to it in the morning. He was lucky to have decent marks, though he could care less about grades. If he played well in football, he could get a scholarship to any college he wanted. Graduation was just next year. Science wasn't his strongest point, and he was suggested to go into biology to see if it was any easier.

"I'm fine with that grade, Ms. Wilson," said Lawson. "I'm sure that I'll do better next test, I'll study harder next time..."

Just as he was about to leave the door, Ms. Wilson stopped him again.

"Your GPA in this class isn't going to look if you keep up with these kinds of study habits," she began. "Your mark in this class isn't on a good standing. I know how much football means to you, your reputation's well known, though if your GPA's down, I'm afraid I'm going to have to tell your coach to drop you off the team if you don't buck up."

Lawson just about froze. Football was everything to him. The fame. The glory. The rush of just running on the field and going for the goal. If they dropped him off the team... He couldn't think of it. He had no choice.

He had to keep football, no matter what he had to do.

"How can I keep my grade up?" Lawson asked, attentively.

"Well, you do have a basic understanding of the concept, though I think you need more review and spend more time studying... Now I know what you're going to say."

The teen's mouth just about dropped.

Skip football?

They needed him on the team. He was one of the quarterbacks on the team. Chucko needed him. Cheay needed him. Without him, they'd be nothing.

"A tutor?" he was surprised that he didn't raise his voice. "I have practice after school, I can't make it-"

"I'm sure you both can work out a flexible schedule once you meet," she said. "I'm sure you can get together on the weekends when your less busy, or on a school night when you don't have practice. You may also have to sacrifice some me time and friend time, though in the end I know it'll be all worth it, Earwin. This way you can keep both football and your grades up. It's for the best."

An unmoving frown was on the boy's face. How did he get himself into this mess? If only he hit the books harder, if only he give a damn about doing his school work as soon as possible... Out of everything to sacrifice, he may have to put social life aside for a while. Though this way, he could keep football, and that's what mattered. No pain, no gain. Though Chucko and Cheay won't give him a moments rest about it.

Lawson sighed and nodded. "Alright so, who's gonna tutor me, Gretchen Grundler?"

"Her schedule's full as is at the moment, and she's graduating this semester, though there is the new student, Monica Adams who transferred here."

Monica Adams? The quiet girl who rarely talked and focused on papers like her life depended on it? She was one of the tenth grade students who took an eleventh grade course. She was a bookworm, though she wasn't a hundred percent nerdy like Gretchen or the Pale Kids back in elementary school.

For some reason, there was something a tad familiar about Monica he couldn't quite tap...

"I'll talk to Monica to see if her schedule's okay with her," continued Ms. Wilson. "I'm glad that you made this decision, Earwin."

A smile was on his face, trying to hide his grimace.

Walking into the halls to football practice, inside of him there was a long groan between his teeth. He could care less about Monica Adams, or his biology grade. He'd do whatever it takes to keep football, no matter what.

Though that strange feeling that he felt when he thought there was something familiar about her was still on his mind... The shade of her hair, the shape of her face. Somehow, it reminded him of T.J. Detweiler.