DISCLAIMER: CBS own all rights to CSI but I own all rights to Lexxi Seymour, and the made up characters. I would give anything to own the lovely Mr Sanders…hint hint CBS.
A/N: This is a teen fic so the CSI characters and the extra characters I added are all seventeen years old. Thanks for the reviews.
SUMMARY: Lexxi Seymour is the new girl but she's already a 'Popular'. Greg Sanders is one of the 'Geeks' but when he's assigned to tutor Lexxi in science, he finds out that Lexxi used to be a 'Geek' before moving to Vegas. They start to make friends and Lexxi decides to try and make him popular but ends up hurting him instead. Can Lexxi make it up to Greg and what will the consequences of her actions be?
WARNING: Contains some swearing.
TITLE: Popularity Pains
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Chapter 2 – Another failed Midterm
"Fair enough. You out tonight?" She looked at him, torn between keeping her promise to Miss Darby and looking cool in front of everyone else.
"Umm…I don't know."
"Come on, you have to."
"I…umm…"
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"Come on, you know you want to." Marissa leaned over her shoulder, trying to coax her into going out with them.
"Yeah I want to but I can't." Brent looked at her confused so she explained. "Miss Darby said that if I fail another science test, she's gonna call my parents. They'll kill me if they find out that I'm failing science."
"So you're blowin' off your boyfriend and best friends for a stupid teacher?" Nick looked at her in shock and disbelief. "Come on Lexxi, this isn't you."
She sighed and nodded. "You're right…what time we meeting up?" They all smiled at her and Brent roughly kissed her as the 'Geeks' looked on, wishing that they too had the easy life that the 'Populars' had.
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A week later, Miss Darby was handing out test papers again. She handed Greg his and smiled at him. "Greg, can I talk to you at the end of class?" He nodded but she noticed the fear in his eyes, he had never been in trouble before. "Don't worry, you aren't in trouble and well done…you got full marks this time, A+." He smiled and thanked her then she wandered over to the other side of the classroom.
"How do you think you did on this one?" Clarissa sat filing her nails as Lexxi waited to get hers back, terrified but trying to cover up her fear.
"I think I've done better than last time." Her voice was shaky but Clarissa was too busy with her nails to notice.
"Doesn't matter if you haven't, give Darby a sob story about being stressed and she won't tell the parents. Always works for me." Lexxi smiled at her, it was true; all Clarissa had to do was bat her eyelids and give a different sob story to the last and she was automatically given another chance.
"Miss Davis, you got a D. Well done, could we be seeing improvement?" Clarissa smiled a bright, but obviously fake, smile and Miss Darby looked through the papers; trying to find Lexxi's. "Lexxi, I think we need to have another chat." She handed her the piece of paper and Lexxi was horrified when she saw the letter 'F' scribbled across it.
Once the class had been dismissed, Lexxi and Greg walked over to Miss Darby's desk and waited for her to tell them why she had kept them behind. "Lexxi, you promised me that you'd work harder and obviously you haven't."
Lexxi looked at the floor, clearly embarrassed. "Miss Darby, can't we have this conversation when Greg's left?"
"No Miss Seymour, we can't. I need Greg to hear this?"
"You do?" Lexxi was shocked but nowhere near as shocked as Greg.
"Yeah, you do?" Miss Darby nodded so Greg enquired as to, "why?"
"Well Mr Sanders, Lexxi is falling behind in science and you are excelling in it." Greg nodded, not liking where the conversation was going. Miss Darby looked at Lexxi then back at Greg. "Lexxi, I've called your parents." Lexxi's face fell. "They agree with me, we think that the best thing for you is to have a tutor."
Lexxi's eyes widened and she looked at Greg who had adopted a terrified expression. "You…you think I need…you think I need a tutor?"
Miss Darby nodded. "Yes and I think Greg would be a perfect tutor for you."
Greg looked at her and plucked up the courage to ask, "But Miss, what about my own studies? What if I fall behind?"
Miss Darby laughed and looked at him. "Greg dear, I don't think you need to worry; you're a very bright boy."
Greg smiled a nervous smile. "Ok, so what do you want me to teach her?"
Miss Darby's smile faded as she delivered the bad news. "Well…pretty much everything Biology and Chemistry related; strangely Miss Seymour seems to be good at Physics. I know it's a lot to ask Greg but you will get credit for it and colleges find tutoring very impressive." Greg nodded and agreed to it but Lexxi was harder to convince.
"Don't I get a say in it?" Miss Darby looked at her with raised eyebrows. "What if I don't want a tutor?"
"Do you want to get kicked out of school for failing and being complacent?" Lexxi shook her head. "In that case, you're having the tutor." Lexxi sighed but reluctantly nodded, looked like she'd be having the tutor after all.
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They both walked out of the classroom and headed outside; science had been the last lesson of the day and it was time to go home. "Look, I know you don't wanna be tutored but at least you'll pass science." Greg tried to make the situation sound better for her; all she did was glare at him and silently walk beside him. "Ok, you don't like me but I don't exactly wanna tutor you either so it isn't a barrel of laughs for me."
"Look, I don't need this right now Greg…I have to go home and face my parents." She actually sounded worried and upset, surprising Greg.
"You really do care about what they think, don't you?" He already knew the answer deep down but he needed to hear it from her.
"Of course I do you bloody idiot, they're my parents." He realised that he'd hit a nerve when the tone in her voice changed from worried to annoyed.
"Yeah but you always act like you don't care what anyone thinks about you." His tone was matter-of-fact and she stopped walking and turned to face him.
"Yeah but that's all it is…an act. Believe it or not, I'm not just the shallow airhead that's dating the captain of the football team. My parents mean a helluva lot to me and whether you like it or not, I'm always gonna care what they think." Annoyance and anger, a combination which scared Greg.
"Then why do you pretend…" He was confused but didn't have time to finish his sentence as she cut him off.
"I don't need to explain myself to you Greg!" With that she walked away from him and headed for the student car park as Greg headed for the bus.
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When Lexxi got home, her parents were sitting on the sofa in the living room, waiting for her. She walked through the front door and straight past them, dropping her bag on a chair in the dining room. She then walked back into the lounge and sat in the chair. "Mom, dad, I can explain." Her voice was apologetic and she looked down at the floor, waiting for them to start shouting and telling her how disappointed they were.
"Why didn't you just tell us that you were struggling in science?" The shouting never came, in fact, her mother's voice was soft and calm and when she looked up, all she saw was concern in her parent's eyes.
"I thought you'd be mad at me." Her voice was quiet and they had to strain to hear her.
"Why would we be mad?" Her father looked at her, confused and concerned.
"Well, you're a doctor and mom's a pharmacist and I thought that if I wasn't any good at science like you guys…you'd be mad at me." There was sincerity lacing her words and her mother sighed and moved to sit on the arm of the chair. "Sweetheart, you know that me and your dad are proud of you and if you're struggling with something, we want you to tell us."
She nodded and was about to say something until her youngest brother walked into the room, brandishing a paper which stated 'A+' on the top. "Mom look, I got an A+ in my Biology test!"
"Well done Macario, we're so proud of you." Her mother moved from the chair and hugged her son tightly.
"Yeah, looks like I beat you Lexxi…Lexxi needs a tutor, Lexxi needs a tutor." Macario sang in a teasing voice and Lexxi stood up and ran out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom.
"Son, you may have done very well but that doesn't mean you can tease your sister about it." Jason stood up and walked to the lounge door. "I'm just gonna…" Esmeralda nodded and scolded Macario for making fun of his youngest sister.
Jason knocked on Lexxi's bedroom door. "Lexxi honey, can I come in." She said nothing so he walked in anyway and sat down beside her on the bed. "Honey, he didn't mean that…he was just excited at doing so well."
Lexxi looked up from her pillow and shook her head. "It isn't fair daddy, why am I the only one in this whole goddamn family that isn't clever?"
"You don't really believe that, do you?" He reached out a hand and wiped away the few tears which leaked from her eyes before continuing. "Lexxi, you are clever. You're clever and pretty and stubborn, just like your mother. You know what you want and you don't give up until you get it, this is just a small bump in the road. Greg is going to tutor you and you'll learn it and pass these tests and if you don't understand it…or if you're worried…all you have to do is talk to me and I'll help you. You just need to believe in yourself more because I know that you are one of the cleverest people I know…and daddy knows a lot of clever people." His voice was sincere and so were his eyes.
"Thanks daddy; you always know what to say to make me feel better." He smiled and held his arms open to her. She leant into him and he held her to his chest and kissed the top of her head.
"No more crying or worrying, ok?"
"Ok, no more crying."
Jason smiled and looked up to see Macario stood in the doorway. "I think you have a visitor." Lexxi looked up at her youngest brother and Jason looked at her. "I'll leave you two to talk." Lexxi nodded and pulled away from her father who then left the room.
"Look, Lexxi I'm sorry." She looked at him silently, waiting for him to continue. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings but for once, I'd beat you at somethin' and…I wasn't thinkin' straight." She nodded. "I'm really sorry."
"It's ok; I guess I overreacted a little." She looked at him and he smiled.
"You always were a drama queen." She playfully shoved his shoulder and he laughed. "Are we ok?"
She nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, we're ok." He leant over and gave her a quick hug then left the room, telling her that he was going to do his homework.
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The next afternoon, Lexxi was sitting in the garden with her boyfriend when Greg walked over to her. "Lexxi, you got a minute?"
"Get lost dork, why would my girl wanna talk to you?" Brent tightened his arm around her shoulders and glared at Greg.
"Brent could you give us a minute? Greg's tutoring me in science, I need to sort out times and stuff." Brent looked at her in surprise but nodded and walked away, joining Brad at another table. "Ok, you wanted to talk to me?"
"Umm…yeah I…" He always got nervous around new people but he was even worse around the 'Populars'. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday…I didn't mean to complain about tutoring you." She nodded and waited for him to continue. "Anyway, umm…when's best for you?"
"Whenever…preferably not Friday's though." He raised his eyebrows in question so she explained, "I wanna pass these exams but I'm not giving up my Friday nights for anyone or anything."
He nodded in agreement. "What about Tuesdays and Thursdays after school and Sunday afternoons?" Her eyes widened in horror and he looked at her confused.
"I thought I was only being tutored once a week." Her voice was filled with annoyance and Greg rolled his eyes.
"Do you wanna pass or not?" She nodded so he continued. "I have to teach you almost all of the syllabus Lexxi; I can't do that if I only see you once a week."
"Ok fine, three times a week it is; three times for an hour and a half each…sound ok to you?" He nodded and she smiled the tiniest of smiles. "Well today's Wednesday so I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded and walked away as Lexxi walked over to Brent and Brad and joined the conversation.
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A/N: Here you go folks, chapter two. Thanks to everyone that reviewed and thanks for the support. The next chapter will be up ASAP and yeah…keep reviewing people, they make me smile. Thanks again for your support.
Luffles and huggles,
RoxxiSanders
XxxoxxX
"Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart."
Henri Frederic Amiel