A/N: Okay, this chapter is a little longer than the others XD. I hope it's just as good.
I made this fic for someone special: For Tim, who has my heart.
Disclaimer: I only own the paper that this is written on.
-&…&-
There were moans coming from all the teens.
"Yevon, man." Gippal said
"You okay?" Tidus asked Baralai
"Yeah…"
Tidus glanced over at Dona, her head was on the dash and she was shaking. 'Oh Yevon, no.' He thought. He shakes her shoulder, she sits up and he sees that she was just laughing. 'At least she's okay…' He thinks. He tries to open the door, it's jammed, he gives it a kick and it pops open.
He surveys the damage to the camaro. It's crumpled on the light pole, the headlights are askew. Dona, Baralai, and Gippal stumble out of the car.
Tidus runs to the old man lying on the pavement. "Hey!" He said, shaking the old man. Nothing, the terrier barks at him. The sound of sirens fills the air, Tidus stands, and they had to get out of there. He pulls out his cell phone, and calls the last person he wanted to call, his mom.
-&…&-
Tidus' mom is 35, she's blonde, and people tell Tidus that he gets his features from her.
"What if they expel you?"
"Auron wouldn't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because nothing happened at school." Tidus said with a reassuring smile. His mom just places her hands on her hips.
"Don't smile at me; it's not going to get you out of this." She said.
"Why not? It's worked before." He said curtly.
-&…&-
Tidus walks into school, and goes to his first hour class. Zanarkand High, all bricks and glass has to be the finest public school in the district. Just as Tidus takes his seat, an announcement blares over the intercom.
"Tidus Carter, report to Principal Auron's office immediately."
"Aw, now what." He said to himself.
He walks down the halls to Auron's office and greets the secretary.
"He's waiting for you in the office." She said with a smile
Tidus entered the office.
"Sit." He said. Tidus didn't say anything, so he just takes his gesture and sits. "You know, I expected better from you." Auron started.
"Like I'd grow up to be a Maestor, another Kelk."
"No, like for you to finish the school year, even though you've cut half your classes you have a B- average."
"I'm no dummy."
"But you act like one." Auron put the bottles that rolled out of the camaro onto the table.
"Those aren't mine." Tidus said automatically.
"But they were in your car."
"I wasn't the one drinking them."
Auron takes out a paper, and said "Your alcohol level left you legally in the clear, but I make the rules here."
"You're expelling me?" Tidus said with a scowl on his face, knowing he was defeated.
"I am."
"Now I can do what I want." Tidus said.
"That's right." Auron said sarcastically. "The world's your oyster."
-&…&-
Tidus bursts out of school. 'Freedom!' He thinks to himself. He walks back to his house, taking his time.
When he arrives, he watches the tow truck lower his car into the garage. When they're done, he investigates the damage of the car. He pops the hood, everything is a mess, the paint is ruined, the front, and engine. 'How is this ever going to work?' He thinks
He finds himself knocking on his mom's door. "Mom! I need a ride!" He said outside the door.
Cynthia wakes up, and cracks open the door "I'm not getting up to drive you somewhere." She paused. "What're you doing home?"
He tells her.
-&…&-
Tidus goes to a place that sells parts for his car. He buys what he needs and walks out. He sees his bike, 'Damn it!' He thinks. 'How is this going to work?' He turns and sees a bus. 'Okay, that'll work'
-&…&-
Inside the garage, he works diligently. The tools are clinking over the music from the radio. From under the car, he sees his mom's slippers appear in front of him.
"I want to talk to you." She said.
'Aw shit.' He thinks and rolls himself out from under the car.
"You're not hanging around here all day." She starts
"I'm not, I'm fixing the car—"
"You don't need a car; you can't drive for a month." She pauses. "Go see Marvin."
"What for?"
"For a job." She said.
He ignored the statement and slid back under the car.
"He's going to try you for assistant manager." She pauses. "You could be manager one day."
'I can't believe this' Tidus thought and slid out from under the car. "I'm not working there." He said
Cynthia sets her jaw, he knows that look too well.
-&…&-
Tidus is standing over a sink, sweat pouring off his face. He is scouring pots; he has a crooked hat on his head, and a tag that proclaims him "Assistant Manager". 'Some way to spend my day.' He thinks 'at least I'm almost done, only two more pots left.'
Marvin walks up, he's overweight, his hair is greasy, and smells funny. He dumps another pile of pots and pans into Tidus' sink. Tidus catches a glimpse of his future. 'Yeah right, I'm not going to be some 40 year old aging fat cow of a manager.' He thinks to himself.
-&…&-
Tidus is outside Auron's office, pacing the floor. The secretary, Mrs. Csedr, placed her purse down, and worked on some paperwork.
"Who's he with?"
"He'll be with you when he's available." She just answered.
Finally, the door opens, and out comes Yuna Sullivan with her father, Rev. Braska Sullivan. Tidus catches Yuna staring at him.
"You expelled too?" He asks jokingly, however no one laughs or even smiles.
A few moments later, Tidus enters Auron's office, to find him making a note on Yuna's file.
"Finding the real world to your liking, Mr. Carter?"
"I want to come back." Tidus said.
"Back?" Auron said, looking surprised. "Were you ever really here?"
Tidus sighs in frustration; Auron has the upper hand, again. "I want to graduate." He mumbled.
Auron studied Tidus, and then he gave in.
"You could come here again, if you made a sincere effort to be a part of our school."
"Okay, I'd do that." Tidus said, relieved.
"How would you do that, Mr. Carter?"
Tidus just shrugs. 'How the hell am I supposed to know.' He thinks
"Shall I give you a few ideas?"
"Sure."
"Besides attending your regular classes, you will help out the janitorial staff after school. Saturday mornings I'd like you to tutor disadvantaged students at our sister school."
"I'm as underprivileged as they are." Tidus said jokingly.
"The fact that you attend this school makes you privileged." Auron said seriously.
Tidus quiets down.
"Finally, I'd like you to join the drama club. Rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings.
"I'd work backstage or something?"
"Or something, they're doing a play for the holidays."
"When do I get time for me?" Tidus said, not pleased with this at all.
"You don't that's the point." Auron said coldly.
Tidus stands to leave the room thinking 'Well, I can work through this.'
"Tidus" Auron said in a softer voice "none of the faculty sees you the way you see yourself." He paused. "Some of remember how your father—"
"Then you remember more than I do." Tidus said and left the office.
-&…&-
Done. I hope you all enjoyed reading it XD. I'm open to reviews and constructive critism, I won't accept flames, I won't take the blame for you reading it.