whistles low under my breath* Man, it's been a whole month since I put that bully George Merket in his place. Guess he's finally gotten the message to leave me alone.
But now I got my own problems to worry about - this Spanish quiz coming up, and the Ali fight happening the same day. Typical of the teachers to pull some nonsense like that, thinkin' we can focus on studying when there's a heavyweight title match going down. Not to mention this new TV show, The Incredible Hulk, that's got everyone's attention.
Speak of the devil, I'm walkin' down the hall and who do I run into but good ol' George himself. "Hey, Schrader," he calls out. Here we go again, I think. Time for Round Two.
"What do you want, Georgie? You ready for Round Two?" I ask, cutting right to the chase. But to my surprise, George holds up his hands. "Listen, whatever went down with the two of us, that's done. I didn't come here for that."
Wait, what? This guy's been on my case for years, and now he's suddenly callin' a truce? Something's up. "Ok, what's the deal then?" I say, eyeing him skeptically.
George lets out a sigh. "Look, Hank, I've been stuck in this school for 12 years. I should be a high school senior right now. I know you hate my guts, but I need your help. Can you help me out with the English and Spanish tests? Just get me passing grades, like 50%?"
Hold up, he's actually askin' me for help? After all the crap he's put me through? Part of me wants to tell him to take a hike, but then I realize - if I help him, he'll be outta my hair for good. Might as well strike while the iron's hot.
"Alright, Georgie, I think I know just the egghead who can help you out." I said
scratches head, puzzled* If anyone's gonna be able to help ol' Georgie out with these tests, it's gotta be good ol' Ivan Koluschy.
I lead George down to the alley where Ivan's been livin' in his cardboard box. Gotta say, the guy's a real character - former Quantum Mechanics scientist, now just some kooky homeless dude pissing in cars.
"Who's there? What force?" Ivan calls out as we approach.
"Ivan, it's me, Hank. Listen, I need your help. This is George, and he's gotta pass these English and Spanish tests coming up. You think you can help him out?" I ask, figuring Ivan's genius brain might be the key to getting Georgie through this.
Ivan pauses, eyeing George up and down. "You're asking the wrong guy, kid. I'm done with the game. The whole thing's a popularity contest."
Uh oh, here we go. I can already tell Ivan's not gonna make this easy. "C'mon, Ivan, you gotta help us out here. George needs to pass these tests, and you know scienty stuff and i hate George so-"
Finally, Ivan lets out a long sigh. "Alright, alright. Let me see what we're workin' with here." He starts rattling off some complex quantum physics equations, lost in his own world.
George just kinda stands there, jotting down notes as fast as he can. Guess even if he doesn't fully understand it, at least he's getting the basics down. Hopefully it'll be enough to get him through those tests.
When Ivan's finally done, he just shakes his head. "There you go, kid. Good luck on your 'tests'. The whole system's rigged, you know."
George nods quickly, thanking Ivan as we head off. Guess we'll see if this crazy plan of mine actually works. All I know is, if Ivan's calculations can get Georgie to pass, maybe there's hope for him yet.
raises an eyebrow, skeptical*
Well, I'll be damned. Looks like ol' George actually managed to pull it off and pass that English test. Can't say I'm too surprised, considerin' Ivan's crazy quantum physics lesson was the key to it all.
As George approaches me in the hall, he's got this almost sheepish look on his face. "You know what, Hank? I think that punch you gave me knocked some sense into me. All this time, I've just been held back from school, bullying other kids, when I could've had a real life, you know?"
Huh, maybe there's hope for this guy after all. I mean, it's about time he realized how much of a jerk he's been all these years. Though I gotta say, I still think he coulda used a few more good whacks to the head.
"Yeah, sure," I reply, not sure I entirely buy his sudden change of heart. But hey, if it means he's finally gonna get outta my hair for good, I ain't gonna complain.
George nods, a half-smile on his face. "Well, I guess this is it, Schrader. I'll be seein' you around, I'm sure."
I can't help but chuckle at that. "Yeah, sure, Georgie. Try not to get yourself held back again, alright? I'd hate to have to knock some sense into you a second time."
As he walks off, I shake my head. Guess the old saying's true - you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But maybe, just maybe, this experience'll be enough to get George to straighten himself out. Either way, I'm just glad I won't have to deal with his meathead much longer. Sure, hope he doesn't become my boss in the future.