The Test

Mark stared blankly at the test before him. Why the hell had his mom make him take CHEMISRY?A.P Chem. at that. He knew she was hot for that sort of thing, but hell, he wouldn't even name the periodic table, or whatever it was. There was a dull silence of a rustling of papers. Only the school brains took this sort of class. He sighed, and collected himself. Looking at the paper. Reading the problems, first one.

Name? Oh geeze maybe that wouldn't be too hard, I mean you can't blow that one... In chicken scratch writing he scrawled

Mark Cross.

He then tapped the pencil on his lips.. Date? He blinked and scrawled that one down too. Class Hour? Oh that was a bit more difficult. Debating, and thinking, not the first not the last.. 3rd? He just wrote down whatever, Then he blinked. Number ONE. Thinking then, god what a responsibility, the first. He read the question, it could have been in French or German and made more sense to him. /Well almost./ Reading and re reading the problem, sighing. No Multiple choice, at least THEN he'd have a one in four chance. His mom was gonna kill him. Perhaps he should have been studying instead of determined to beat the new Square soft game in under twelve hours... He sighed and leaned back.

1) What are the --- he stopped after that. He blinked, and tilted his head. Maybe it was printed upside down? E-gah even worse. He blinked and just scanned down to Question two. Two, much easier than one.. He paused his pencil hovering over the paper. Blinking over at his neighbor who was writing intently, thumbing though notes.. NOTES, he should have thought of that. Sighing, and blinking at their paper, to only feel a figure soon looming over his desk. He blinked up at his stubby science teacher.

This guy was the typical science teacher, bald, white over coat, short and fat. He even had an accent from some Connecticut place or something over there. As for geography Mark knew about as much to point to a map. Identify The US, Call, and then point to the rest.. "Those foreign bastards.. " So where ever this freak was from, it was not Enchain, Anaheim or LA He wrinkled his nose, sitting back as the teacher leered at him.

"Do we have a problem Mr. Cross? "
Mark blinked and sat there dumbfounded, as he simply shook his head, saying
"Dude okay you would never believe this, but see last night I was totally sick right man? " GODS his surfer skater accent shone though right then. As it always did until people at the Lair poked relentless fun at it. "So I was like hurling chunks I mean something fierce right? And some got on my Chem. notes I worked totally hard fer you know? So after blowing the chunks and practically dragging myself here this morning,(Yeah you all know he totally forgot he even HAD this class.. ) to take this test I just /happened/ to glance at Clancy's notes here right? And remembered what totally happened to mine, ones I actually spent hours on right? I mean it totally bites and all.. "

Before Mark could ramble another the teacher snatched his paper, which a whole 15 minutes in to the test was still blank besides his name and shite. He sunk in his seat a little, honestly beginning to feel ill. The class laughed a bit, their attention turned towards Mark and the teacher. Mark glances his eyes straining to watch the class as a whole. He sat near the middle, so he could escape attention, you can best in the middle. There was the echo of Florissant bulbs echoing in the room. Its gray and stained tile. It's chalkboards. The chalk dust that gathered a yellow hue in the cracks of the eraser tray. The black slated lab tables towards the rear of the room, gas and propane faucets, microscopes and other scientific gear standing at full attention. The cupboards filled with half rotted cow's eyes, huge bottles with sheep embryos floating in formaldehyde, it made Mark want to wrench.

"Mr. Cross, perhaps then you have a question that I could help you with on your test. "

Mark swallowed a bit then thought opening his hand to retrieve the test back and glanced towards the teacher. Trapped he opened his mouth and smoothed out the paper. Nodding then as he glanced over the material then back towards the Professor.

"Well like, I was wondering one thing, sir dude. Um. " He tapped his finger upon the paper and then glanced back to the teacher and smiled. "Can I use the restroom ?" he sunk in his chair a bit more cursing his mother for making him take the AP Chem. entrance test in the first place. He then choked and coughed a bit while the rest of the class giggled. The teacher then moved back towards his desk, tugging on Mark to follow. Mark near helpless followed looking down at a fellow class mate who was laughing at him and she smiled. "Dude better get back to your test, you only have.. "Glancing towards the clock then smiling back towards her " 45 minutes left dudette. " Being dragged further she scoffed saying.

"The Neanderthal surfer can tell time I am impressed. " She tapped her pencil on her chin as he simply stuck out his tongue at her while the rest of the class was in an up-roar. He winked and called back

"I know you want me, man ya need to cover the cover of your book "OH I LOVE MARK" better beeoch. " She flushed red and quickly kicked her book aside. She managed a quick - shut-up - before the teacher escorted him out of the room. And after a quick "Keep working" He shut the door behind him and Mark then staring at him Mark knew the speech all to well.

" Okay Sir Dude professor, I know I am a slacker and I like totally need to stop disrupting your class, I'll go to the princa-PAL now okay? " Taking a few steps away as he shoved his hands in his pockets. The teacher grabbed him and he swirled around and sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "What now dude?" Then waving behind the professor at his pal in an adjacent class who was sharpening his pencil. The teacher glanced back and then towards Mark.

"You are absolutely right. You need to stop disrupting the class. But what you need more is to study. You surprise me Mr. Cross, you make me surprised by not working because I let you in the class with such high expectations of you. You scored second highest in the school, ever. Does that mean not nothing to you? "

Mark choked and blinked back towards him and shrugged and said then in a more timid voice. " I cheated okay? Dude kick me outta your class, and reprimand me, get on your adult power trip and like do all that. " He reached in his pocket and withdrew a smoke and lit it. Smoking blatantly in the hall, in front of the teacher. A look to him as if to say What are you gonna do, arrest me? - Instead the Prof. took the smoke from Mark's lips and threw it to the ground, stamping it out with a vengeance.

"It disturbs me that an image is more important than your future. "

"Stop totally acting like you know me! You don't know shite about me. Stop acting like I am a child prodigy er something. Leave me the fuck alone man. " He wrenched his arm away before the teacher took it a second time and looked towards him, and then directly in the eye.

"You tell me that your image is more important than your education?" Mark simply lit another smoke in defiance, and the process of snuffing it was repeated. "Why are you even in the class you are determined to fail? " And Mark fell silent. Finally wrenching his arm away a second time to look the teacher in the eye, narrowing his own

"Cause my mom wanted me too." He folded his arms over his chest and glared, hoping that the gaze of the other classes would cause the teacher to give up. Instead one by one the doors in the hall fell shut, and the teacher looked to him as if he understood his antics.

"The real Reason Mr. Cross. " The teacher then mocked his stance, hands over his chest. Mark then threw up his arms and raised his voice.

"I told you, now like piss off go teach your class or something. Stop lecturing me." One of the few times Mark could be agitated, when he was actually telling the truth and being called on it for a lie.

\softpage "Okay then Mr. Cross, .."

"Stop calling me that, My name is Mark, "

"Fine then, Mark, what should you have me to do? Let you fail the class and ruin the grade curve for my teaching ability?"

"What would you should have me to do like be a flipping' Enisten?"

"That's Einstein. And you have the potential to do very well. " The teacher then let his hands fall to his sides seeming almost defeated. Mark then grinned and said.

"If I could drop your class, or rather if you would like LET me drop your class I totally would. But you won't even like sign the release form."

"What would you rather take surfing 101? Mark that can be arranged."

Mark then glared and shook his head. " Dude a matter of fact I WOULD rather take Surfing101, but you won't let me like you enjoy torturing me with your horribly long and boring lectures. I figured what the hell I'll like annoy him till he drops me from his flipping' class. "

The teacher then stood in silence slicking back his mostly bald hair and then nodded. "Fine then Mr. .. Mark, I will allow you to drop the class.. one condition. You pass the test with the highest score."

"WHAT? You want me to pass a test on shite I don't know in a class I can't even pronounce, you're seriously whacked. " He just shook his head and laughed a bit until he realized the teacher was being perfectly honest. "Okay then what if I can pass your test, the semester is like almost over, what good would that do me?"

"How about I'll give you a letter grade for the entire semester, with the grade you obtain on the test. "

"That's not fair I haven't even studied! "

"You'll fail anyway, it seems a decent offer to me. You'll have 4th period off every-day."

"FOURTH Period I knew it was fourth period!" He glanced back tot he Prof. and shrugged near sheepishly and thought for a moment. "Okay M'Prof, if you gimme 15 minutes to study. . I don\rquote t wanna miss lunch. . . Isn\rquote t that like a fair deal? At least I'll get one answer right. "

The teacher smoothed his head back again, raising a thin brow. "You expect to pass the test on 15 minutes study time? I was willing to give you a night, but you have made your own bed then, Mark, 15 minutes. Better hurry. "

Mark glanced back to him wide-eyed. He nearly choked, and soughed instead. He blinked towards the class and back towards the teacher. "Can I like, borrow a text book? "

"Of course, now get in there. "

Mark then entered the class winking. "I know ya'all missed me somethin' fierce but like, I am blowin' outta here, and you dear Juliet, " Winking again at the terribly annoying girl " Won't have the pleasure of my company. " He simply waked by her desk and snatched her book. (which cover had been torn off and tossed in the garbage.) Looking to the teacher in protest, who simply nodded and she let it go, glaring at him. He flipped open the book and rose his hand asking loudly. "What chapter are we studin' dude?"

\softpage The class let out a collective groan as the teacher hushed then with a solitary finger and said coolly. " 39, you have 14 minutes Mark. " He sat at his desk and watched with some interest. saying in addition as Mark flipped to the appropriate page and said. "I am only here for 10 minutes into Lunch, you will have to finish by then."

"Yeah yeah Prof., no problem. I plan not to be here. . . " He glanced at the material in the book and sighed, and began reading. Flipping through the pages that all discussed of course chemistry. He glanced and read a few things in great depth and was nearly surprised as he came to the end of the chapter. t was 12 pages long of jumble, but filled with information. He glanced to the Prof. and asked "Dude Can I start now?" Looking up and seeing that the Prof. was watching him. He gave a cool nod as Mark then snatched up his pencil and looked at the test. Causally walking tot he back of the room to assure no cheating, and placed the items on the frog cutting tables. Then he put the book away began.

The rest of the session was uneventful. Sitting and working through as kids snickered at him. They were allowed to leave as they finished. He perked up his head as the annoying girl loomed over him "I need my book back jerk. " He looked towards the floor and kicked it away and smirked.

"Like go and fetch. " Without another wasted moment he began writing again, and soon he teacher came and placed a hand on his shoulder. Quietly saying

"You can not feasibly finish the test with even a passing grade, this proves nothing, re-take the rest tomorrow. " Mark instead held up a finger as he wrote. The teacher sighed and then sat beside him watching. Seconds before the bell rang, he simply handed the paper towards the teacher. He glanced to the Prof. and then to his stuff, gathering it up, and shrugging.

"I'll like see you later , er something. " Walking outside the class only pausing to tie his shoe as the teacher then looked over his answers. He blinked and called for Mark again though the kid had vanished. He looked to the desk and around it in case there was notes, and looked towards the door again, chuckling lightly. Finally test in hand he moved towards the principal's office, then shortly afterwards the counselor's. And eagerly awaited the next day.

The day rolled by and Mark then again was in his class, His feet up on the desk, his nose buried in the latest issue of Biker babes Weekly. The professor then placed his things down upon his desk. Lowering his glasses and looking towards Mark, and awaiting the rest of the class to assemble. Then saying as he was to begin to lecture.

"Mark put that magazine away. " Mark sighed and looked at him, as then he said "Get out of my class Mark, For good. " Mark blinked and dropped the mag. down and blinked twice before protesting.

"Damn what crawled up our arse and died dude? You totally need to get off your high horse I haven't even DONE anything. " The rest of the class was in an up-roar. The teacher slammed a book down on his desk and they hushed, he nodded towards the door, And Mark then finally got up and started packing his belongings. " Fine, be a jack-arse, like dude you're whacked in the head, fucke beyond totally whacked you are like the pulp that oozes form something that's whacked, ..."

"That's quite enough Mark, go see the counselor. " He then gave Mark a steady wink and Mark hushed. He then simply walked towards the door, and the teacher stopped him. " Oh one last thing, here is your test. " Mark simply walked back and snatched it from him, not even bothering to look at the score. He walked again to the door and slammed it hard upon exit. He wandered finally down a small maze of hall-ways to the counselor's office and sat for only a few minutes before his counselor called him in. He sat arms folded over his chest, saying before the counselor could open her mouth to utter a word.

" I didn't even do anything today HONEST, he is out to get me. He's like mental, shoull'da been a postal worker or something you know?"

She shook her head and smiled, clicking his file up and saying " I have re-arranged your schedule. Your English class that was 6th period, is now in fourth, same material you shouldn't be terribly lost. And at the end of the day you are free to go home. And I have taken off your Chem. C class at 4th period, and your Sociology class the beginning of the day "

Mark sat forward and sighed. "Dude hellooo I need the eight credits that the Chem. class supplied me.. that's two regular classes. And here you are taking two out, what is wrong with you people? You have no brains or something? Why not just give me the damned PE class and nothing else huh? You are like stupid in the head er something."

She chuckled again and eyed the test paper in his hand and held it up for him to see. Scrolled upon it was a big red letter and a symbol -A + - She smiled again shaking her head " You passed Chem. with an A+ under the circumstances, though we usually don't DO This sort of thing, in fact ever. I am not even sure it is legal, but when someone as prestigious as Professor W.."

"Prestigious? What?"

"Well known Mark, He was a top University professor, but wanted to teach at the High School level, you are lucky to have had him. But as well known and recognized as he is, I had to take his word on what he said. He said you would have simply flown through the class and even recommended you took University level Chemistry, it was an idle waste of time for you to be there. And as for your other grades it was hard to believe, English D-, Psychology D-, PE C, History C, Math B+ Chemistry F, G.P.A. = 1.5 And this semester so far, English D+ Sociology D-, PE A, History D+ ,Math B+, and Chemistry, well now. "She deleted the letter grade and replaced it with an A+. "Leaves you with a G.P.A. of 2.33 But with your new schedule you have . . .no D- in Sociology to bring that down. . .it is a 2.6 GPA, enough to graduate. By the way only two months left this year you need to get your English grade up . ."

He rolled his eyes. "You are speaking like Greek again dude. . ." He paused the words sinking in slowly. . "The Prof. said that? Dude, that a University Level would be my place in Chem. ? " He glanced towards the test and beamed, and gathered his things and waved to the counselor.

"Wait Mark where are you going?"

"Those schedules are not effective until like tomorrow right?"

"Well yes but. "

"Then I am so outta here bye." He jumped up and out and she simply shook her head again. He walked for a moment and glanced at the test, and placed it in his back-pack, then trucked towards the Chem. class again, peeking his head in, when he arrived. The Prof. was lecturing, and paused as Mark loomed in the door.

"Yes Mark? "

"Um, thanks and shite, " He winked and looked towards the beooch in the third row again and smiled, and simply waved, and then left. She glanced towards the Prof., with question in her eyes, and he just shrugged and continued teaching the course. Mark then skipped home, a whole 4 blocks, and stormed in. Not finding his parents anywhere in sight, he instead simply placed the A+ paper upon the fridge and grabbed a sode. "Life is good."