As the lunch bell rang Danny groaned softly hearing the most dreaded words in existence coming from Mr. Welles' lips, "Mr. Fenton please stay in your seat. I wish to speak with you."
His friends look torn whether to wait for him or not so he made a little shooing motion, giving them the go ahead to go eat lunch. Sam and Tucker smiled in sympathy but headed off, Sam wiggling her phone a bit to show him to text her when the teacher was finished. Danny fidgeted as Mr. Welles waited for everyone to leave before closing the door and going back to his desk, pulling out a large school folder and moving a spare chair out of the closet to set it in front of his desk.
"Fenton, sit there." He motioned to the chair and Danny reluctantly did so, warily looking at the file on the desk. "Do you know what this is?" He asked, tapping a finger against the manila cover.
"No but I have a sinking suspicion..."
"It's your school record." He cut through the bullshit immediately, "You've been absent and tardy around 50 times in the last school year, your grades had plummeted from B to A- averages to a D to F average. The principal had been debating whether or not to flunk you and make you retake the last year but you managed to pull your grades up slightly at the end of the year enough to pass." Mr. Welles flipped through the files, "Various school fights initiated by Mr. Baxter and his goons and
the multiple ghost attacks have been noted as possible distractions from your studies and thus you were given leeway."
His dark green eyes pierced into Danny's blue briefly making the halfa fidget a bit.
"I must insist that you don't let these ghost attacks damage your potential career choice, Mr. Fenton." He folded his hands together and rested them on the table, "It says you wished to join NASA some day. Do you still have that dream?"
"I..." Danny paused, did he really still dream of NASA. Being an astronaut was shot... he supposed he could become an astronomer... but it was kind of depressing not being able to go towards the stars himself. "I don't know anymore..." He admitted.
"Well with your grades you wouldn't have a chance becoming a janitor at the building!" Mr. Welles said harshly, making Danny flinch, but he softened a bit and sighed, "Why are you still in school?"
"Uh... because it's state mandated and would get my parents into trouble if I didn't?" He offered.
Mr. Welles snorted a bit and there was a twitch of his lips, "I suppose that's true." He looked up at the clock on the wall and rummaged in his desk again, pulling out a half loaf of bread, a bunch of bananas, and a jar of nutella with a plastic knife. He started making sandwiches, causing Danny to look at him in utter confusion before he was offered one, his stomach growling hungrily as he had to skip breakfast.
"Thanks..."
"No problem. Now... you very well could not even bother giving a shit coming here," Mr. Welles' spoke bluntly, "Damn your parents, damn the school, damn the whole state and all that. I know I did the same in high school before I got my shit together."
Danny paused and looked at his teacher with raised brows in surprise. The strictest teacher he's had since Mrs. Beach in fourth grade had been a delinquent?
"Oh don't act all surprised." Mr. Welles snorted, opening a can of soda, "It's why I'm hard on you. I want you to get your ass in gear earlier than I did." He reached over and flicked Danny in the forehead.
"I... I suppose I still want to work for NASA as an astronomer..." Danny admitted.
"Then you can't let all these distractions bother you idiot. Whether it's Baxter, a part time job, your friends, or a girlfriend, you gotta concentrate on the here and now." He jabbed a finger on top of Danny's school file with a frown, "i know you try and hide how much you enjoy ghost hunting like your parents. Always hauling around that thermos in your backpack."
Danny gulped, "My parents..."
"Are more than adequate at fighting spirits and if they aren't it just shows how incompetent they are." He explained and set a water bottle in front of Danny.
The teen took a slow drink and another bite of his nutella and banana sandwich with a frown, trying to think. Was it really worth damaging his school records and his future like this?
"You need to also think about your friends as well. How much do they help you with your homework? Do you three get distracted often?"
Danny turned pink and scowled, "My friends are just fine."
"I'm sure they are but how often do you end up playing video games with Foley? or wind up in one of Manson's crusades against everything not ultra-recyclo-vegan-kosher-whatever?"
"Not... often..." He tried lying but it came out poorly. To tell the truth he got easily distracted. He tried ADHD medications but it messed with his head and he hated it.
"Just keep what I'm saying in mind. I only want for you to succeed." Mr. Welles' bit into his own sandwich and there was a silence that fell between them as he watched Danny mull it over.
"Alright... I'll... try." He sighed.
"Perhaps what you need is someone who won't distract you Like Miss-" The teacher began before getting interrupted by the bell ringing, announcing the end of lunch. Mr. Welles blew out an annoyed puff of air and stood, cleaning his desk with napkins, "After school tomorrow I want you to return to this classroom where you'll meet your study partner."
"Aww come on..."
"You really think you're going to improve your grades with that attitude you may as well drop out now, Fenton."
Danny flinched and grumbled, "Fine..." He grabbed his bag and stormed off towards P.E. They were going to play dodgeball and a wicked grin came on his face. Eager for once to take his frustration out on Dash with a hard rubber ball to the face... or twenty.
A.N.: Apologies for the wait. Depression and other personal matters combined with a lack of muse for the story had put it on the back burner for a while. But I'm hoping to get back into writing this as I do enjoy this story.
