Chapter Thirty-four:
The last period of the day, AJ is back in Gym class. Everything is going great until Mr. Michaels' secretary calls her to his office.
"Hello Mr. Michaels." AJ enters his office all changed with her valuables.
"Ms. Lee sit down please." He offers collecting the paperwork he needs.
"Did I do something wrong?" AJ asks worried.
"No, it is nothing like that." He assures her which gives her a sigh of relief. "This meeting is about your grades." AJ gulps. "They are impressive." He smiles.
"Thank you." She appreciates easing down her anxiety.
"All your teachers love you, but sometimes you lack confidence." He reads off some comments.
"In the beginning yes, however a prep talk from my friends helps me with that barrier." She explains.
"That is what we thought." Mr. Michaels sighs expecting this.
"What is wrong?"
"Ms. Lee, a high academic high school has seen your grades." Mr. Michaels starts.
"Okay."
"They are hoping to have you transfer there before the next semester." He breaks the news to her.
"I can't leave my friends." AJ states immediately afterwards.
"That is what we included in our discussion. They still are pursuing that you transfer there. We said we would talk to you first to get your decision."
"I don't want to. I don't know anyone there. I can't." She starts to panic.
"Ms. Lee, it is okay. Breathe, nothing has been decided." He tries to calm her down.
"Tell them I can't. I appreciate the offer, however I can't." She takes deep breaths.
"This is an incredible opportunity." He tries to have her ponder about it before declining.
"Do you want me out of this school so bad?" She questions quietly. "Is this because of the incidents before? I promise I will be a model student." She obliges.
"To be honest, yes it has some truth to the incidents before. We think you are too distracted here to focus on your studies or tarnish your grades by being ruled as a delinquent." He lists down some of the reason they consider her in going.
"It is not all my fault." AJ huffs.
"You seem to be in each situation." He disagrees.
"I am not the only one. Replay all these situations again, the motives, you will see who is also responsible for them. Why do I get sent away and pay the consequences?"
"This is not a bad opportunity; you are not getting punished." He encourages her to think of it as a positive opportunity.
"It feels like I am being sent to a school that would not let me have a social life." She mentions.
"That is not true." He doesn't see the cons of attending a high academic High School.
"It is true they give you tons of homework so I don't get to hang out with my friends. Also, I would have to take extra-activities that lessen my time even more." She disagrees.
"I am sure… can you just read over them? If you still feel the same way after reading over and attending a tour-"
"A tour of what?" AJ interrupts.
"A tour of the school. Tomorrow, you are going on a tour with your parents to visit the campus." He surprises her.
"My parents know about this already." She is in shock usually her parents will tell her.
"Not entirely, although I have left them messages." He mentions.
"If I do all of this and don't approve?" She wants clarification of her options to not pressure her further.
"Then we can't force you. Ms. Lee, this is a great opportunity I hate for you to pass this up." He includes.
"Thank you, Mr. Michaels." She grabs the brochure and walks out.
"Hey, how was gym? Did the gang do anything today?" Randy inquires at AJ's locker. She doesn't answer not knowing how to explain this to them. "AJ, are you okay? They did something, didn't they?" He starts to get fired up.
"Randy, I might be transferring out of school." She speaks quietly.
"What?" He didn't quite catch all of it.
AJ wipes her tears and hands him the brochure.
"What is this?" Randy reads the brochure as he is confused on what this means. "They already scout you for University already." He jokes knowing this is a mix of good and bad news.
"Randy, this is not funny." She sniffles upset that he is joking about this.
"AJ, this is a great opportunity. Do you want to go?" He inquires.
"No, I don't." She answers with confidence.
"Then you don't have to go, you will always be with us." He hugs her. "Team Siblings."
"You remember how I was picked on in first grade." She recalls.
"Yup, why is the relevant?" He senses a change of her decision.
"Before you showed up, I wasn't only made fun of by my interest and personality, but my intelligence. I was the freaky smart girl. They would tease me for being an actual nerd." She exposes never telling anyone besides her parents.
"I still don't get how this is relevant."
"You probably don't remember, but I told you I might be moving."
"You never told me that." He doesn't recall the conversation.
"I did. It was that my parents wanted to see me to a high academic centered school for smart students." She reminds him.
"No, I would have known." He doesn't remember any of this.
"I almost went until you convince my parents to stay."
"I did that, wow I must be your hero." He speaks proudly. To help with his anger problem, they suppress any bad moments that happened.
AJ rolls her eyes jokingly at this. "Yes, you save me from being a child with no social life." She appreciates.
"You are welcome. I am guessing you want me to save you again." He requests.
"I don't know if you can. My parents called me to inform me that this could be an option. They want me to be successful."
"They think that you won't be successful in this school." AJ shrugs. "Don't worry we will figure something out." He soothes her.
"We have a tour tomorrow all day please find one out soon." She requests.
"I will." He won't let his best friend leave without a fight.
"Hey guys." John waves. "Wow, who is going to Impertinent High School? I heard they are like robots; they just sleep and study all day." AJ just cuddles into Randy's chest even more. "What did I say?" He notices AJ upset.
"She might go." Randy whispers.
"Oh sorry." John whispers back.
"Come on AJ let's get you home." He guides her to the car.
"This is not happening to them." John promises closing the door and following them to the car.
"One down one to go." Kourtney cackles watching the whole situation.
"What about John?" Becca inquires.
"He is not a problem, trust me." Kourtney assures Becca that her plan will work.
"Thanks Randy see you guys tomorrow." John lays AJ's head gently on the back seat.
"Bye John." Randy waves bye.
"Tell AJ everything will be fine." He kisses her head.
AJ fell asleep on John's shoulder from all her crying and panic.
"I don't know John." This time is where his help won't make a difference.
"It will be trust me." He is confident that they will not be split up. Randy nods as he drives off.
John calls someone who can help afterwards.
"Hey, can you come visit me this week?" There is a long pause. "Great, I'll see you then." He hangs up.
"What happened?" Mr. and Mrs. Lee notice Randy carrying their daughter through the door.
"She fell asleep from the worry and crying." Randy informs them.
"Is this from the opportunity to transfer to Impertinent High School?"
Randy nods. "I am going to lay her down on her bed." Randy heads to her bedroom.
"Thank you Randy." Mrs. Lee appreciates. "Do you think she is ready for this, honey?" She asks her husband afterwards.
"She came a long way, however what I just saw I don't know." Mr. Lee answers.
"This could help her future." She includes.
"Yes, but it is not our future it is hers. We promise ourselves we wouldn't pressure her like we were." He restates their promise.
"We will figure it out tomorrow." They agree to let their daughter rest.
"I will see her in the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Lee." Randy heads to the door.
"Randy." Mrs. Lee calls out.
"Yes Mrs. Lee." He turns around.
"Do you understand how great this opportunity is?"
"I do, although what kind of opportunity is it really if you don't enjoy it?" Randy answers. "Enjoy the tour." He exits the house.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee puts themselves in a critical decision. Do they send their daughter to a school where she can be pushed to her limits or stay at the school where she can have a normal teenager life?
"We will figure it out tomorrow." Mr. Lee kisses his wife's head repeating her own words.
"Hello son." Randy's father greets as he enters his home.
"Hello dad, I am going up to my room." He lets them know.
"Baby boy, come sit we have to talk to you." Mrs. Orton requests sweetly.
"What is this about?"
"Come." Mr. Orton waves him over. "We heard about AJ's opportunity." He starts.
"It is a great opportunity." Randy includes.
"We know it was the same opportunity she was presented in first grade." They mention.
"Yah, she told me I stop her parents from enrolling her there." Randy utters.
"You did, you advise them that it wasn't the right time." They are proud of his will to stand up for AJ, however she can stand up for herself this time.
"You think now is the right time."
"That is not our decision to make, Randy." His mother makes know it is not the same situation.
"You want me to back off and do nothing."
"No, we want you to accept the decision that her parents decide. I don't want you to persuade them for her to stay. This is their decision to make as a family." She mentions.
"We are her family I am her brother." He argues.
"Yes, so be a big brother and help her make the great decision for her. Help her if she has to transfer or be excited that she is staying." His mom advises him.
"I don't want her to go, mom." He expresses sincerely.
"I know, however think about it this way if you got an opportunity to play football at the greatest school ever, would you not take it?"
"I would talk it over with my friends and family. I would get their input before deciding myself." He divulges.
"Why?" They are quite surprise by his answer.
"What is the reason to get an opportunity if you can't share them with the ones you love. AJ is my number one fan she would be happy for me." Randy proudly states.
"Yes, so you should be happy for her like she would be to you." She encourages.
Randy sighs. "Okay, I will let them decide. I might not like the decision, but it is what is best for her." He accepts.
"Good, what do you want for dinner?" Mrs. Orton asks.
"Just a sandwich I am not really hungry." He walks to the fridge to make himself one.
"Do you think this the right choice for her, AJ is our honouree daughter?" Mr. Orton questions.
"It is." Mrs. Orton assures him.