AN: Sorry for the realllyyy slow update. I can never find time to write. This story moves along pretty quickly for what it is, but I'm planning to explain it a little bit more in the next few chapters. Sorry if anyone is a little OOC.
Disclaimer: I literally own nothing. Talk to S.E. Hinton :)
Ponyboy POV
Darry told me about the test on Monday night. Since then, I've been to the local library five different times and spent all of my time studying. Darry even let me use his library card to check out a few books to bring home. I really don't want to end up going to a different school than the guys. I don't know anyone here who isn't in high school. I also don't know how to make new friends; I would be all alone at that school, and now that I've gotten a taste for companionship, I don't think I could ever go back.
It's early Wednesday morning now and I haven't slept a wink. After about an hour of tossing and turning, I decide that enough is enough and get up to review my generals. I start with English, identifying infinitives and writing practice argumentative claims. English has always been my best subject so I don't spend much time on that.
Next, I move on to history. In ninth grade, you learn mostly about American history and the founding fathers. I cover that quickly, since I'm already familiar with most of the information. I read up a little on the history of the world, because the curriculum says you learn about that in tenth grade.
Then, I review the most common and basic scientific principles. Obviously, I will learn more by actually going to school, but I've already read this book in a library in Harrisonville, Iowa. I've always found science to be fascinating.
My current form of torture? Math. I've always hated math. Far too rigid and tedious for my liking. Soda let me go through his old school books, and I found a mostly empty math book which I've been using to refresh my skills. God, I hate math. I've been doing this for about an hour and a half now. My brain cramps when I turn the page to find an empty graph. The problem only confirms my misery: "Find the zeros of the equation. Graph the equation." As my eyes blur, the numbers seem to float off the page.
I let out a sigh, drop my head into my hand, and start working on the problem. At one point I hear the shower turn on, but the house is silent in all other regards. Darry walks into my room at around 6:15.
"Hey, kid. I'm surprised to find you already up," he says, his voice low.
"I just thought I'd study a little more before the test today. I want to give myself the best chance to get into Will Rogers."
"Okay." He takes a step out of the room before turning around with a frown on his face. "Hey kiddo, how long have you been up? A good night's sleep is very important to success, you know."
I'm trying to decide whether to lie or tell the truth when Sodapop barges into the room, clearly having just gotten out of the shower. "You hypocrite," he snorts. "You haven't had a good night's sleep in years, Darry." He shakes his head a little, spraying me with water from his wet hair.
Darry tosses me a rag from the laundry basket in the corner of my room. "I'm just trying to look out for him, Soda. I don't want him stressing too much. Especially not at his age."
"I'm fine, I promise," I say, wiping my face off. "I know my limits." Darry lets out a defeated sigh, and Soda pats my shoulder. "Speaking of limits, I think I've just about hit mine for math."
"Ugh, I know the feeling!" Soda says. "I hit my math limit in the third grade."
Darry rolls his eyes and walks out of the room, shouting at both of us to get ready. My shower is quick today; my legs feel too weak to stand for long. I practically fall into my chair at breakfast. I don't feel very hungry right now, but I choke down my eggs for Darry's sake. I feel nervous, nearly jumping out of my chair when the front door slams. Steve saunters into the room and grips my shoulders.
"You about ready for your big test, Pony? You gonna prove that you're smarter than all of us? Huh?"
I can only manage a weak 'mhmm' without puking my guts out. It seems that the closer the test is, the more nervous I feel. I swallow thickly and rub my forehead. I look at the clock and my stomach drops to my feet. 7:10. We're leaving in five minutes.
Soda finishes his eggs and gets up to grab his hat. He and Steve bid me farewell and good luck. Darry puts his paper down and checks his watch. "Oh, shoot! We gotta go if we want to get there on time!"
He jumps to his feet and grabs his keys, ushering me out the door. I twist my hands in my lap during the entire car ride. I can tell that Darry wants to say something by the way he keeps peeking at me out of the corner of his eye. The silence is deafening. My stomach rumbles with nerves. I start mentally reviewing everything I've ever learned when the school comes into view. When Darry stops the car my cheek starts to twitch, and I feel like I'm going to cry.
"You okay, kid?"
"I didn't have enough time to prepare," I respond, my voice shaking. "I don't know everything I need to know."
"You studied super hard. No matter what the test results say, you should be proud of yourself. And you can't expect yourself to know everything you're going to learn in high school before you even start it! What would be the point in going to school? You're a really smart kid. You're going to be fine. And even if you bomb the test, you're going to be attending middle school and getting a good education."
"What if…" My voice is nearly non-existent. "What if I fail so badly that they won't even let me go there?"
"You're not going to–"
"I can't fail," I whisper over him. "I just can't! You'll kick me out and I won't have anywhere to stay during the winter and I'll just die on the street! A bum, that's all I'll ever be!"
"Woah, kiddo! I'm not going to kick you out!"
I take a shaky breath, embarrassed of my outburst. "Really?"
"No!" he laughs. "I'd never kick you out! Not unless you gave me a real reason to. Failing a test isn't grounds to be kicked out!" He gives me an exasperated look before asking if I'm ready.
My lip threatens to start quivering and I steel myself. I can't cry in front of Darry. I just feel so unprepared for this test. So much rides on me doing well and I haven't been in a school in years. I take a deep breath to control my emotions.
"I'm ready," I say. I force a smile and open the door to follow him into the school. I know it's not fair of me to dump all of this on Darry, not after all he's done for me. So I don't say another word. I nod to the secretary and shake the principal's hand and keep quiet as Darry and the man talk beside me.
"What time will the test end?"
"It should go until about five or five-thirty. Usually we'd span the test out for a few days for the students, but we don't have time for that since the school year starts next week."
"Okay. I'll still be working then, so I'll have Steve or Two-Bit pick you up," says Darry, directing his attention to me. "Do you have the house number?" I shake my head and he writes it on a scrap of paper that he gives me. "If you finish early or nobody comes to get you by six, call the house. Someone should be home by then." I nod and they move on. I can't get over the conversation Darry and I had in the truck. I feel like I gave so much away that first morning when they were interrogating me, yet Darry seems to know almost nothing of my past. I know that's not his fault; I haven't given them much.
"The test starts with History and Language. He will write an essay for each of those portions and complete a multiple choice section. He will get a ten minute break around noon to eat his lunch and let his brain relax before he starts the Math and Science portion of the test. Those will include a series of word problems, multiple choice questions, and written equations, as well as comprehensive problems for the science section."
"Sounds like a lot of work," Darry says with a frown.
"This is a test designed for the most intellectually capable students. We don't expect him to ace the test. We don't even expect him to pass; most freshmen would not. More than anything, this is kind of a placement exam. It will tell us where he falls in the curriculum and will allow us to place him in the correct classes. The test ranges from 6th to 12th grade, so we should be able to evaluate him pretty well based on the results."
Darry nods then checks his watch again and looks at me. "I gotta get to work. You gonna be alright?" I nod, and he looks back at the principal. "Thank you again for helping us with this." They shake hands again, and Darry starts to walk away.
"One more thing, Mr. Curtis! His results should be ready in the next day or two. I would normally mail the results, but considering how soon we're going to need them, I think it's more appropriate to make a phone call. Can I expect someone to be home to receive them?"
"Yes, I will make sure someone is at home for the next few days." They say a few more words before Darry leaves. I want to follow him out. I don't want to be left alone. Instead, I follow Mr. Gregory into a small room.
The room is dark and is positioned in the center of the large front office. Mr. Gregory turns on the light, and it flickers overhead, buzzing quietly. There are two small windows in the front and back walls. The only furniture is a single desk in the middle of the floor. On the desk sits a single pencil and a large packet that has 'Gifted and Talented Examination' written in bold at the top. 'Ponyboy Curtis' is written below that, and I have to remind myself that I will go by Curtis now and not Adams. I guess that's what I get for not telling Darry my last name.
The principal tells me to sit and starts reading the proctor instructions on the front of the packet. "You may begin," he says when he finishes reading aloud.
…
The Language and History sections passed by quickly. I felt confident in all of my answers and finished earlier than would be expected. I was relieved when the principal came into the room to tell me it was lunch time. Soda packed me a turkey sandwich and chips.
I ate as quickly as I could, barely finishing before Mr. Gregory brought me back to the testing room. Eating three meals a day has changed my figure a lot. Even only staying with the boys for a few days, I've filled out and regained some of my old muscle. My complexion is better, too; I'm no longer extraordinarily pale.
The math section takes much longer than the English one did. My brain hurts almost immediately after starting the test, but I continue to push myself and finish right when Gregory tells me that time is up. Even though Science isn't my best subject, I complete it with a few minutes to spare and feel confident in most of my answers.
The white concrete blinds me as I walk out of the dark school. I look at the empty street before me and check my watch. It's only a quarter after four. I shaved off way more time than I thought with the Language portion. No one will be coming to pick me up for hours, and I doubt that anyone is at the house right now. Guess I'm walking.
I glance to my left, then to my right, not sure which way I'm supposed to be going. With a start I realize that I have no idea where I am.
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