A Time Of Need
Set Between Episodes 105: Falling Behind & 106: Christmas in Jeopardy! In DC's: Teenage Elite Justice Force
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from The CW's: The Flash. Only my own characters and ideas.
1st Hour Geometry with
Mrs. Green
Nobody's POV
Marcus groaned at the sight of the clock. Class started only 15 minutes ago and 40 more remained until the hour was over. Whoever thought of having Math first hour must have been extremely loco. Geometry is already impossible as it is well...according to Marcus at least. The older teenager had been struggling tremendously with this class all year long and it's not like anything is getting easier. Mrs. Green tried helping by staying after three times a week for extra assistance, but it still seemed as though Marcus only got more and more confused.
However, He did feel somewhat more confident with last week's assessment on Triangles. So hopefully, the teen's grade would increase instead of the exact opposite.
"Alright class while you check homework, I'm going to pass back Unit 4 Tests" Mrs. Green announced
Well, Marcus usually attempted the assignments but ended up getting frustrated and never completed any book problems. Only good thing about that is homework and daily work is not factored into the final grade. If it was then his grade would more than likely be a lot lower.
Mrs. Green finally reached Marcus's name towards the end of her pile and handed the teen his test and portrayed a somewhat apologetic smile.
Confirming his now rising suspicions he flipped the test over and written in Red Pen was: (12/45, MUST RETAKE!)
Marcus angrily slammed his head in on the desk and mentally screamed. His classmates looked over at him with concern but, Mrs. Green just went back on with the lesson.
At 8:55, the bell rang signaling the end of class. Everyone happily grabbed their belongings and exited the room in route to 2nd period. Marcus still had his head down, and Mrs. Green took notice and headed over to his desk.
"Marcus….." She began
"I'm so dumb!" He shouted raising his head up to meet the teacher's gaze
"No, you're not. Not everyone is good at Math"
"But I've never struggled this much before!, If I can't even pass one single test, then how will I be able to pass an exam?!"
"I completely understand, which is why I think it would beneficial to get a tutor"
"A Tutor?" Marcus inquired with wide eyes
"Don't worry I know of someone, who would be excellent for you"
"Really?, Who might that be?"
"I can't say just yet. Stop by room after school because by then I would have already talked with this individual. If they agree you can two can get to know one another and begin working on getting your grade up" Mrs. Green explains
"Alright….." Marcus began "I'll stop by"
"Great. You'll get through this Marcus, just keep swimming"
Marcus chuckled and smiled "Thank you Mrs. Green. While I'm here would you mind writing me a pass to 2nd Hour?"
Mrs. Green glanced at the clock which read 8:59
"Definitely, you won't be able to make to class in a minute…..Where are you headed?"
"Mr. Evan's Class for AP US History"
Mrs. Green efficiently wrote out a pass and handed it to Marcus.
"Thanks. I'll see you after school"
"Bye Marcus, have a great rest of your day"
After School
Marcus' POV
Right when 6th hour ended as promised, I headed towards Mrs. Green's room in the D Wing. Even though earlier, I agreed to work with a tutor I'm starting to have second thoughts again. Granted I really do need the extra help, but to what extent?. This person is probably a freaking math whiz, and won't have the patience for me trying to grasp the simplest of Geometry concepts. Hopefully, that isn't the case
When I entered Mrs. Green's classroom Barry Allen came into view. Barry freaking Allen would be my tutor?, Best Friend, Teammate and now Geometry Tutor? Well, maybe things won't be so bad after all.
"Hey Marcus" Barry greeted with a smile
"Hi….You're gonna be my tutor?" I asked confirming things
"That's right If that's alright with you"
"Oh yeah most definitely, I thought you'd be more of a science type of guy"
"I am, but Geometry is by far one of my favorite math classes"
"Well, that makes one of us. So what did Mrs. Green tell you?"
"She called me down during her prep 5th hour and asked would I be willing to help out a classmate. When she told me it was you, there was no debate"
"I do appreciate it, thank you so much. In regards to today, I was thinking maybe we could head to Starbucks or The CC Coffee House, and review my triangles test"
"Yeah that works, I just have to run home and grab my Geometry Notebook"
"Perfect"
I looked and noticed Mrs. Green's absence
"Where's Mrs. Green?"
"I think she had a staff meeting after school"
"Huh….Weird"
The CC Coffee House
5:00 P.M
Nobody's POV
After getting settled with drinks, Barry handed his notebook to Marcus who quickly skimmed through it.
"The Notes are color coordinated according to Unit, Section number and Assessment Review problems"
Marcus was impressed with how neat and organized everything was. His notebook was rather pathetic with Notes and homework assignments just all over the place,
"Well damn" Marcus muttered "Your notes are way better than mine"
"I can photocopy Unit 4 and all of 2nd Semester if you would like" Barry suggested
"You'd be my lifesaver" Marcus smiled
"Glad to be of assistance. I'll make copies when I get home tonight."
"Great"
Marcus handed his Triangles Test to Barry, who looked at it with Bugged eyed expressions
"Oh boy, we've got a lot of work to do. Let's begin with Triangle Theorems and work our way toward practice problems."
"Led the way, Mr. Allen"
_time skip_
"So how's the tutoring coming along?" Iris asked handing Barry another Coffee
"It's a work in progress. I'm just afraid that he's still not getting anything"
"Just be patient, Marcus just needs more practice"
"Yeah you're right"
"I'm always right Bar" Iris said jokingly
"Ha, that you are" He answered "Well I better get back to make he's doing these problems right"
"Alright, have fun and remember to be patient"
Barry sat back down at the table and proceeded to look at Marcus' work. Unfortunately, none of the problems were right and weren't even close to the actual answer.
"Marcus, you got all these wrong!, Are you even trying?"
"Yeah!, Like I've said before…...Geometry isn't my forte"
Barry sighed and picked up his pencil and began to work out a practice problem. Marcus watched carefully at everything his friend was doing. But it just still wasn't making sense and just like in class, he was beginning to get irritable and frustrated.
"Ugh it's no use Barry!, My brain just can't comprehend Geometry!, There's no way I'm gonna do better on the retake"
"Hey don't say that." Barry said softly "You're very smart and I apologize for my rude behavior just a few minutes ago. Not everyone understands something the first time, it's gonna take some practice and if I know you, You're gonna strive until you succeed and I'm not gonna give up on you. We are going to get through this."
Marcus responded with a radiant smile "Wow thank you, Barry. To be honest, now I have the courage to continue on until everything makes sense"
"Glad to hear it...Would you like to try another problem? "
"Yeah, hopefully, this one will be better.
Two Days Later….
After 1st Hour
"So Marcus, are you making any progress with Mr. Allen?" Mrs. Green questioned
"Oh yeah tons" Marcus replied "I'm learning so much it's insane"
"That's good to hear, But will you be ready for a retake by Friday?"
Marcus gulped loudly and his eyes widen
"F...rrrrriddaay?" He stuttered
"Yeah, unfortunately, I cannot let any students retake anything after Christmas Break due to exams coming up"
"But…..that's in two days!, I said I was making progress but I'm still no Geometry whiz!"
Mrs. Green gave an apologetic smile "I'm sorry Marcus, wish I could give you more time but it's not my call to make"
"Ookay" he said softly before running out the classroom
The teen zoomed down the hallways in a panic, desperately trying to Barry Allen.
"Fuck!" He screamed "What class does Barry have second hour?!"
Then it hit him "HEALTH!"
Marcus ran towards the A wing and there his friend was about to enter class
"Barry!" he gasped trying to catch his breath
"Marcus?, Did you run all the way here?"
"Sure did….Mrs. Green just informed that I have to retake the triangles test by Friday!"
Barry looked at his friend in confusion "And what's so bad about that?"
"I'm nowhere near ready for that!"
"Yes, you are Marcus. You've been making great progress, there's nothing to be nervous about"
"Well, can you at least help me review after school today?"
"Can't, have to work"
"What about tomorrow night? After training I can take a practice test, after reviewing"
"That works for me"
Barry glanced at the clock in the hallway which read 8:59, and there was, ten seconds left before class started
"I gotta get going before Mrs. Bishop marks me absent"
"Alright, thank you so much, you're my life saver!"
Marcus then without hesitation headed upstairs in route to class
The Following Night
Davis Household
"Bro, I'm home!" Marcus announced walking into the living room with Barry next to him.
Jacob emerges from the kitchen with a mug of coffee and is dressed in his work uniform.
"Hey, Marcus" He responds then looks at Barry "Barry right?"
"Yes"
"Is it okay if Barry spends the night?, I have a retake in the morning and need his assistance"
"That's fine. I'm about to leave out for work"
"What time do you get off?" Marcus asked
"7:00 a.m, so make to set your alarm before going to sleep." Jacob said
"Will do, Come on Barry we can get settled upstairs"
"Alright cool"
The two teens headed up the staircase and entered the study room. Inside was what anyone would expect: Desktop Computer, Desks, Bookshelf and a small couch.
Marcus pulled out his binder and grabbed all information regarding Triangles; and set up at a desk. Barry sat down next to him and grabbed his notebook and pencil.
"Okay, so I printed off a practice test and was thinking I could start it and if I begin to make mistakes then let me know right away." Marcus said
"Yeah I can do that"
"Great.." Marcus took a deep breath and then began working out the problems.
Barry watched for a good chunk of time, but when he realized Marcus didn't need any help he, decided to browse around the study room, and soon came across a Davis Family Portrait. Young Marcus was lying on Vanessa's back, while Jacob on Franklin's, and both parents were lying on the stomachs.
They looked so happy, one great big happy family. Seeing things like just made Barry miss his mother and father. Granted he was thankful for the West's for taking him, But it still wasn't the same.
Barry didn't realize how long he had been staring at the picture, but Marcus' voice caught him off guard and out of his trance.
"Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah….Sorry I wasn't trying to be noisy" He promised
"It's all good, May I?"
Barry nodded and handed the picture to Marcus who examined it closely
"To be honest, I forgot this picture was still up here. After my parent's divorce, my mom was so upset, she locked herself in this room and looked at our family portrait constantly. When she felt alright to socialize, it just stayed up here, and that's when she began her job as an ambassador to take her mind off everything."
"Oh Marcus, I'm so sorry"
"Don't be. I still see my dad but every so often. It's for the best anyhow. If they just stayed together because of Jacob and I they wouldn't be happy together"
"True, Sometimes I still wonder what life would be like with both of my parents still around. It's just crazy how one's life can change in a Flash(no pun intended). Even with my speed, nothing can be done to get my dad released from prison. 5 years of being punished for a crime he didn't commit!. Marcus…...I…..."
Barry paused as he felt the tears swelling up in his eyes.
"Not again" He muttered "I promised myself that I wouldn't get emotional again over this"
"Hey it's alright" Marcus softly said putting a hand on his friend's shoulder "I'm so sorry about what happened to your family. But I do believe we'll catch who's responsible for your mother's murder"
"You…..really think so?"
"I know so. Don't stop believing"
Barry half smiled and hugged his friend "Thank you Marcus"
"No problem. I do believe that we've done enough studying with Triangles. Let's just take this night and forget about everything on mindless video games"
"That does sound like fun. But are you 100% sure?, I mean you wanted to study non-stop for this retake"
"Yes, I'm positive. We've been working non-stop on Geometry, then there's training and our jobs. In our time of need, video games, snacks and other teenage like things can fill the void"
"Well alright, Let's do it!. Do you have any GTA game by chance?"
Marcus evilly smirked "Oh yeah, I've got: #3, San Andreas, #4, and #5"
"Ooooh let's play #5!, Joe wouldn't let me get it, even though I'll be 17 next August"
"Same, My Mom is unaware of my possession of GTA games, otherwise she'd take them all away in a heartbeat"
Barry laughed "No worries, your secret's safe with me"
The Next Day
Coast City High School
6:45 A.M
Marcus' POV
Well, it's 6:45 in the morning, and I'm standing outside Mrs. Green's classroom door with Barry. We decided to go and get a pick-me-up because…..well just showing what time it was, that part is self-explanatory. Even though being geeked up on caffeine is great and all, it still doesn't take away from my nervousness. This was my only chance to do better on the Unit 4 Test, and nothing can go wrong. No Marcus positive thoughts, positive thoughts, it was time to show Mrs. Green that tutoring paid off, and that I'm capable of doing better.
"Well here goes, the moment of truth " I said nervously
"No worries" Barry smiled "You're gonna do fantastic!, Now go show that test who's boss!"
"Me!, I'm the biggest baddest wolf!, and Triangles won't overpower me!, I WILL OVERPOWER IT" I truthfully announced hitting my chest
Without another word, I marched right into the classroom and sat down at my desk. Mrs. Green who was on her phone took notice of my presence.
"Oh, Marcus!" She exclaimed "I wasn't expecting you till like 7:20, But since you're here let's get you started on that retake.
Mrs. Green grabbed the test off her desk and handed it to me with ease "Good luck, and if you have any questions, then let me know"
"Will do"
After that, the room was dead silent. I examined each question and began to work out those, that were the easiest like before, then advanced to the hardest ones and made sure to complete each step and double checked my work.
45 problems later, it was 7:27 and the hard part was over. Now came the anticipation of wondering what my new score was.
I handed my test back to Mrs. Green and she quickly graded it, then showed a blank expression.
'Well?" I asked
Then there was a brief silence, the ones that make anyone feel uncomfortable.
"41/45!, Congratulations!"
"I freaking did it!, Ah it feels good to pass a math test"
Mrs. Green smiled and sat down at her computer, and entered my new test score. Seconds later a notification from Powergrades appeared on my phone
Your Period 1 GEOMETRY grade is now a C 76%
"Yesss!" I exclaimed
"I'm very proud of your progress Marcus." Mrs. Green said "You've come a long way since September, and hopefully things continue to blossom"
"Thank you, I plan to get assistance from here on out"
"Good to hear. Luckily we Start Unit 5 after vacation which is all about quadrilaterals. Maybe this will be your area of expertise"
I laughed as I headed out to tell Barry the good news "We'll just see about that Mrs. Green."
Sophomore Hallway
Barry was sitting next to his locker, listening to music while drinking his coffee. He really liked the idea of coming to school just a tad earlier than usual. Nobody usually shows up till 7:45, making the hallways lifeless. Which of course isn't always a bad thing. You can just, being in your own little world, without any distractions.
However, when a burst of wind hit his face, there stood Marcus with a coy grin. Barry took out his headphones and waited for his friend to speak.
"41/45!" Marcus exclaimed "I got an A- on a Geometry Test!, All thanks to you"
"It wasn't just me Marcus. Like I said earlier, you strive for nothing but the best. Sure I was there for some things, but you got that A-, congratulations man"
"Well regardless, We need to celebrate. And I just don't mean us, the entire team!"
"What did you have mind.?"
"Oh I could think of a few things" Marcus stated "But first we must await the arrival of the others"
"Alright"
The two glanced at the wall clock which read 7:35, less than 30 minutes till first hour started. In the meantime, Marcus joined Barry on the floor and talked about various things; and for once Marcus was feeling happy and confident about Geometry; something he hadn't felt all year long, but Barry helped him in his Time of Need, and everything seemed to be looking up from here on out.
The End
Hey everyone!, hope you enjoyed "A Time of Need". I recently thought of this story idea and finally put it together.
Also….Don't forget to check out DC's: Teenage Elite Justice Force; in which this one shot correlates with.
-darrylnewman99