Chapter 3

Binky tried his best to remain focused in class. He took notes on the lecture, but found them to be rather incomplete. Not to mention, his handwriting was sub-par, making it difficult to reread the notes later on for studying. As the teacher rambled on about the Renaissance and de Vinci, Binky began to lose focus. His eyes started to wander around the classroom. He knew about half the kids in there, including long-time friends Francine and Fern. Both of them were diligently taking notes as the teacher surged on through the lecture. Binky really didn't feel like taking any more notes, so he put his pen down and pulled out his phone. Phones weren't allowed in the classroom, but he didn't care. He spend the rest of class checking out online sports articles.

The bell went off in the hall, signaling time for lunch. Binky groaned. He hated lunch time, because that's when all his friends expected him to sit and eat with them. They realized Binky didn't eat much, but no one ever said anything. He would rather go sit outside and smoke a cigarette, which would give him some peace and quiet. Binky got up from his desk and headed out of the classroom. He decided that he would skip the lunch routine all together, and go for a walk outside of the building.

It was not as nice outside as it was yesterday. An overcast was in the sky, making everything dimmer and grayer. Still, the birds were chirping, being that it was spring time. Binky began to walk down the sidewalk and thought about how he would get through the rest of the school day. He had a few more classes to go, but he'd manage. Even if he had to resort to taking extra-long "bathroom breaks" he would do it. Anything to get out of the classroom and away from the stresses of academics.

On several occasions the principal had called Binky in his office to discuss his poor academic performance. Depending on the principal's mood, it either turned into a threat of flunking high school or getting help from a tutor. Either way, Binky's mom would get involved and get annoyingly upset over the matter. Most of the time, Binky and his mom would argue about what to do. In all cases, nothing effective was resolved. That was typical, because nothing could fix his problems, or so he thought.

As he turned to head onto another street, Binky saw a parked car. He walked up to it, because he knew that car. It was Molly's. Molly rolled down the window. Rattles and Slink were in the car with her. They all had beers in their hands.

"Binky! Haven't seen you in a while! Wanna join us? We got more," asked Molly as she handed a beer to Binky. Binky took the brown bottle and looked at it. Maybe having a cold one would take some of the edge off from school.

"Sure, I guess one wouldn't hurt," said Binky as he climbed into the back. Slink and Rattles were smoking cigarettes, while Molly was busy checking out her various piercings on her face.

"Bink, we gotta hang sometime, it's been too long," commented Rattles.

"Yeah, where the hell you been lately?" asked Slink.

Binky opened the bottle and took a drink. He knew his friends would try and get him to hang out. They were always nice to him, but since his dad left things were different.

"I've been around, just minding my own business, I guess," replied Binky sheepishly. Slink and Rattles looked at each other, then at Binky. Rattles chuckled. "Dude, you've fallen off the face of the earth! We gotta party it up or something this weekend!" Slink tapped his cigarette out the window. "You should totally come with us. We miss having you in the gang."

Binky gave a weak smile to his two earnest friends. Party? It didn't sound like a bad idea, especially if that meant getting wasted to the point of unconsciousness. Besides, it might get him out of the house and away from his mom. Binky probably trusted these guys more than anybody, even Arthur or Buster. Rattles, Slink, and Molly had remained loyal to him ever since he was held back a grade in elementary school. That much could be appreciated.

"Sure, I'm down," agreed Binky. He took a long drink from the bottle. Slink fist-bumped Binky's shoulder. "Hell yeah, man! It's gonna be like the good ol' times!" Rattles turned up the metal music playing on the radio. "We are going to tear it up, baby!"

Molly put her makeup mirror down. "Will you guys keep it down? I don't wanna get caught drinking at lunch break. Remember what Mr. Hanson told us last time?"

Rattles adjusted his backwards ball cap on his head. "Oh yeah, Bink, Mr. Hanson drilled us when we got caught having alcohol on school property last month. He said if we got caught again, he'd expel us and we wouldn't graduate."

"Yeah, screw Hanson. That guy needs to get laid and chill the hell out," added Slink.

Mr. Hanson was the high school principal. Binky knew how militant he was because of the one-on-one meetings about Binky's poor grades. Hanson spent over a decade in the Marines, and he still looked like a Marine, with the buzz cut, muscular frame, and a crazy look in his eyes. To be honest, Binky was a little afraid of him. There were rumors going around the high school that Mr. Hanson had chewed out some students for skipping class. One of the students apparently started crying and Mr. Hanson just mocked him for being "weak" or something like that. Secretly, Binky was relieved that he wasn't the only one who was weary of the hardcore disciplinary Hanson.

"You know what? I just had a great idea!" exclaimed Rattles. He set his beer in the cup-holder at his side. "We could skip the rest of the day, just to piss Hanson off!"

Slink high-fived Rattles, and let out a cheer. "That's awesome, let's do it!"

Molly turned off the radio, making the car much quieter. "No, guys," she asserted.

"C'mon, Molly, we're seniors, who gives a shit?" chuckled Rattles. Molly turned to Binky and Slink. "Don't listen to Rattles. He's an idiot."

"I am not! I'm just saying we could get away with it," suggested Rattles as he took a drink. Slink looked at Molly, then at Rattles. "What the heck? I'm in," he said triumphantly. Molly shook her head in disgust. "You guys can do whatever you want. I'm heading back to school once lunch is over."

Rattles and Slink turned to Binky. "Yo Bink, you in? It could be fun," chimed Slink with a smile. Binky thought about the proposition for a minute. When he was in class, he got terrible grades. So if he skipped class, he would still get terrible grades. It didn't make a difference whether he was there or not, at least not for one day. Besides, if he was out of school, then he could avoid an unwanted confrontation with Sue Ellen. That girl had some serious issues. The memory of her leg scars was still haunting Binky's mind. Yes, leaving school for the afternoon had too many pro's to ignore.

"I'm in," Binky finally said. "Alright, dude!" cheered Rattles. The three boys began to discuss their plans for the rest of the afternoon away from school, while Molly quietly played on her phone. Binky thought Molly was probably doing the smart thing, but he also knew that his grades were beyond saving. Even someone with a good conscience like Molly couldn't prevent Binky from avoiding school at all costs.