disclaimer

I wonder if I just could go about and say Ranma's mine and all - no one really should bother reading this anyway. but then that would be rather mean, so I'd probably better not. so I failed to create Ranma due to me being a toddler when Ranma was created, so I really never had a fair chance did I? no, cause Rumiko was first - but if the roles were reversed, I'd promise you... excitement and ehm, this story... oh well, here goes. FAILED.

Failed

Ranma looked at the note his headmaster had personally given him.

"Hey Keke,

You failed, fourtimes. Howzthat keke? You're bad student, No holiday for you. Better study for following courses:

Physics, Math, Biology and English. Don't know how you failed for last one. Really bad student."

Ranma crunched the paper in his fist, looking balefully at the not exactly comforting paper.

"How do you explain this son?" this came from his dad who was maybe surprisingly quite upset with him having failed for four courses.

"classes are boring. I always fall asleep. I mean, all I do is sitting there doing not a damn thing except listening. You try that when all you've done is martial arts." Genma backed away slightly at Ranma's intense glare.

"No excuses son. No child of mine is going to double a class. So you'd better buckle up and start studying" Genma's voice didn't leave much room for discussion. Of course this was no reason for Ranma not to try.

"Why? I don't get it anyway. Why would I try? What's the use anyway? I'll be done and forget about it anyway" Ranma threw the paper on the table with a sour expression.

"it'll be useful later on, and regardless of what you want, this society is build on your knowledge, and the sharpness of your mind, not so much on your physical condition. Besides, do you want to be dumb?"

Akane choose that moment to interrupt. "haha, I don't think he can help it. Probably couldn't solve a exercise if the solution bit him." Her angry glare at Ranma made clear that this wasn't really a joke as well as a revenge for once again underestimating her cooking abilities.

"yea, thanks for the support there Akane, lovely. Besides, I'd rather be not 'knowledgeable' " and that was said with irony "then be a flat weak plank like you"

"yeah, well this plank has got an average of 77, so this plank can have a nice summer break without having to worry about tests" she bit back, earning a chagrin glare from Ranma.

"yea, gratz, you're very knowledgeable, and maybe I'm not, but I'm NOT stupid. I don't see you learning fighting techniques seeing them only once"

"ooh" Akane began with a mean smile "congrats then to you for knowing how to perform techniques from the first time you see them. Hope people in the circus will know how to appreciate that. I'd bet they'd even be more impressed if you could solve integrals and derivates, or work with matrices, or maybe tell them about the fourth and fifth state of a substance"

Ranma gave Akane an uncomprehending frown. "What?"

"My point exactly" and with that Akane smiled smugly.

"Yeah well. Grand you know all that. But I couldn't care less about all that stuff. I mean, why do I have to find all point between a line and a point anyway, with those stupid pole thingies? Who invented that anyway? For what purpose? I don't see me managing a business with pole coordinates" Ranma was waving his hand in the air, expressing his sourness.

"Maybe not, but you'd really have an advantage with matrices" Akane was handling Ranma as a child effectively adding to Ranma's already sour mood.

"Sure you have." Ranma retorted sarcastically "I don't see how, besides I don't even want to run a business" Ranma crossed his arms, and ended with a huf.

"that's because you're not smart enough to get why. And BESIDES, I don't think you COULD manage a business, even if your life depended on it. You hardly passed economics as well."

"now you listen here, I" Ranma held up his finger, ready to retaliate with less witty comebacks but effective nonetheless.

"No, now you listen here" but Genma didn't let him. "in a week, this family will go on a two week holiday to the beach. Your tests are a week after our stay, which means four weeks from now" Genma's voice was steadfast and lecturing. Still Ranma straightened himself and looked at his father dismissively.

"I know that, what's your point?"

"since school has just finished, I'll give you one week to enjoy your summer break, when we leave you'll start studying" Genma finished, crossed his arms, and nodded in approval with his decision.

"You want me to study when we're at the beach" Ranma looked at his father shocked, not really understanding what he was getting at.

Genma smiled "No son, You're not going to the beach, you're going to stay here, and study. You've got four tests. Since this is your second chance, and all four of them are made before a test commission they'll be a lot harder. You've got three weeks. I expect that when I return that three of those four courses are learned."

Ranma looked at his father with wide eyes, dread filling his heart. His father couldn't be serious. He wouldn't... he wouldn't steal his holiday at the beach.

Ranma didn't notice that Akane was staring with the same shocked expression at Genma. Two weeks at the beach without Ranma. She should be happy no? She should be overjoyed shouldn't she? She should be jumping a hole in the air. Then why was she feeling roughly the same dread filling her heart as Ranma?

It was one week later that Ranma found himself sitting in front of the television. The rest of the family was getting in their taxi which would drive them to the train station. He'd be damned if he was going to wave them out. They didn't want him with them, perfect, alright, see if he cared. They could stick that resort where the sun don't shine. He'd enjoy himself well enough without going to the beach. Besides, the beach meant changing into a girl, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He felt betrayed, he felt left alone, he felt that the whole universe was plotting against him. Why did this happen to him? Why was he feeling like this anyway? He was a martial artist wasn't he? He had fought gods, dragons, monsters, demons and whatnot. He had defeated them all, and while there was a lot of angst involved at times, it wasn't anything he couldn't beat.

Then why did he feel so bloody abandoned?

Normally, he wouldn't listen to anything his dad would say. But of course his mother had to agree with his dad, though was a lot more comforting – telling him the value of education. But regardless, everyone had agreed that he had to stay here. And no matter how little he'd listen to his dad, no matter how an extraordinary fighter he was, if they didn't allow him to come with them then he couldn't come.

He could force himself on the train, sure. He could probably convince them to make him stay at the resort as well. But somehow, he would feel wrong doing it. He wasn't exactly the person to force himself on others.

Besides, they weren't worthy of his presence anyway. They didn't want him? Good, that was alright with him, they didn't deserve him anyway.

Ranma felt like crying, but he didn't. He grabbed another handful of chips, took a gulp from his soda, and continued watching the movie. Him study? Tsss, the idea. Three courses done before the end of their luxurious break? Get real.

Akane was sure she should feel elated. she was sitting in the train, going straight for a luxurious resort at the beach, and during the whole trip she hadn't received one insult. She had entertained herself with looking out of the window of both the taxi as the train. High class entertainment. Why was there then doubt in her heart?

She was sure she didn't had any reason to feel doubt. During the week Ranma was allowed to enjoy his break they had fought more than they did in a month. And she only tried to help him prepare to study. Then why did he had to go out of his way to declare her to stupid to help him, and that she shouldn't try because he wasn't planning on studying.

That last part was even more frightening. What if Ranma indeed failed? What if he failed one of those tests and he had to double his year? Then she had to sit in class without Ranma. That idea alone should instantly have brightened her day... it only made it darker.

Akane saw the train reaching their destination. She decided there and then that she was going to enjoy this break, that there was no Ranma to spoil her fun, and that there was every reason to be elated. she gave herself a confident smile. Yes, she was going to enjoy this holiday, thanks to some jerk not being present at the moment.

Author's notes

ahem... well, since I'm all zen-man again (heh, that rhymes... bit), I'll calmly explain a bit what I'm planning. it's a story about the three weeks Ranma has before all his tests.

obliging as ever (really, I am, watch butterfly effect), I'll think about not doing a chapter a day (though I am storyboarding every day for something cool to happen... still it'll be short chapters (not that I'd be the first one) - oh well, you'll see for yourself)