"Come on, we're going to be late!" The blonde teenager yelled eagerly at his two friends who were still eating their breakfast.
"We're hurrying Link, but I'd rather not die by choking on a piece of chicken!" One of the other young men named Ike called back.
"He's right Link. Don't rush those who are eating." Their third friend Roy said while scooping up a spoonful of cheerios.
"I don't care! I want to get to school and finish with this day, so put your food in a bag or something and get going!" Link yelled while putting on his green hoodie and dark brown boots.
"Hey guys, don't forget that my dad is taking us." Ike said nervously, hoping Link wouldn't blow anymore then he already had.
"No! I can't be seen in your dad's car, that thing is awful, and we can't all fit in that it's too small!" Link emphasized his words to make sure that they got the point.
"Why me? Why me?" The blonde sighed as he was siting in the back of Ike's dad's car.
"We're here!" Ike's father yelled as they pulled into a school parking lot.
"Thank goodness." Link muttered as he, Ike and Roy all piled out of the small vehicle they were previously in. "You guys meet me in school." Then Link began to walk into the school, muttering words to himself that no one else could hear but him.
"Then I guess we should get going too." Roy said and then turned around to face the school and started heading right to it.
"Does everyone have to walk away without me?" Ike said to himself while walking toward the building.
"Class, didn't today go by fast?" The teacher's voice rang throughout the room.
"Yes, Miss Aran." The whole class said back.
"Well, before the day ends, I have to let you all know there is a test next Monday!" Their teacher said, taking out a piece of chalk and writing on the chalkboard. "Better study!"
No, not a test! Ike thought. I hate tests!
The bell rang, and the teacher put her piece of chalk down. "Class dismissed!" Miss Aran said her last words for the day before she grabbed her bag, papers and left.
"This should be easy." Ike sounded confident aloud, but was actually crying in his head just thinking about taking the test.
"Don't underestimate the test." Roy exclaimed while fiddling with a pencil he found in class.
"Sorry Roy, but I have to agree with Ike this time. Think about it; all we have to do is study for it and it should be pretty easy." Link said while shrugging. "Plus you guys can come over tomorrow and we can all study together. Today, however, we're going to do something else. BASKETBALL!" Link ran down the halls to get outside to wait for the bus.
"Yes!" Roy and Ike each ran down the halls to catch up with Link, the promise of playing basketball pulling them along.
"That was fun; we should do it again tomorrow." Ike gasped for air while putting his hands on his legs. Him and his friends were playing the sport in the driveway of Ike's house. There was a basketball hoop set up so they could play.
"I agree." Roy said while grabbing a towel to put around his wet neck.
"Okay then." Link said putting down the ball that they just used for basketball. "Meet me here tomorrow, at five 0 clock."
One week later
"I think you could be in the big leagues Link." Ike said tossing the basketball in the hoop, watching it just make it in.
"I think so too!" Link exclaimed jokingly, charging at Ike to get the ball from him.
"I think I'll take that!" Roy said coming up from behind Ike and taking the ball but stopped when he ran into something.
"And I'll take THIS back." Ike's dad ripped the ball from Roy's hands.
"Oh, dad." Ike said nervously while putting his head down a little.
"I thought you were working! Your mothers are not going to be happy... And Ike! I trusted you to do your homework!" Ike's dad gestured to the door that led inside. "In. Now."
"Sorry. We'll go now." Link said turning around and running out of the backyard that they had just been hanging out in.
"Sorry again." Roy said then he turned around running after Link.
"Dad I've tried studying, but I don't know what to do." Ike said to his father who was sitting in their living room on the cream colored sofa.
"Fine, I have an idea for you and the test, it's a tutor." Ike's dad sighed standing up from the seat he was just siting on while reading the newspaper.
"No not a tutor I'll do anything before a tutor!" Ike said kneeling on the fuzzy blue carpeted floor begging his dad not to get a tutor for him.
"I'm sorry Ike but this is what it's come to." Ike's dad started walking out of the room leaving poor Ike on the floor.
"Ike this beautiful young lady agreed to work with you." Ike's father knocked on Ike's door to get him to open it up.
"Fine." Ike opened his door to see who was going to help him with the test.
"Hello, my name is Peach. What's yours?" The young lady stuck her hand out, waiting for Ike to shake it.
"Um, Ike. Yes, Ike! Sorry about that." Ike said putting out his hand to shake hers.
"Alright should we start?" Peach asked while adjusting her pink skirt to look right on herself.
"Okay, let's start." Ike said caught in a stare at the lady. "Um, my room is right there feel free to go in." Ike gestured into his big teal room.
"Thank you." Peach walked into the room when she saw a picture on Ike's shelf of him and a girl that looked younger then him. "Who's this?" Peach picked up the picture to inspect the other person in it.
"Don't touch that!" Ike ran out of the hallway to his room and reached out to take the photo from her. And he succeeded.
"I'm sorry, really I am. I just didn't know." Peach said while stepping away from Ike.
"It's okay...it's just that that's Mist, my little sister." Ike looked down at the photo of him and Mist hugging and then he put it back down on the shelf.
"Did something happen to her? Or do you not want to talk about it?" Peach said siting down on a small wooden chair that Ike had in his room.
"I don't want to talk about it." Ike said sadly, and Peach nodded.
"That's perfectly fine." Peach said before she stood up and went over to a small table in Ike's room. Reaching into a book bag hanging on her shoulder, she pulled out some workbooks and put them down on the table. "Now should we start?"
"Sure." Ike said, thinking about how she didn't try to pry about Mist. Then he sat down next to Peach, ready to study for the test.