Mr. Clegg’s quiz sits before me.
I travel toward that place in my brain where I got polyatomic ion formulas, binary compounds, metals, and nonmetals categorized and formulas memorized.
I know this stuff.
Those answers are in my head.
Someplace in my head.
I close my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Searching my brain.
But all I can find in there is a pack of arms-crossed, eyes-rolling kids standing in the way of those answers.
And one of the kids … he looks just like me. He’s got his gamer headset on, controller in hand. He’s jumping up and down, shaking his head, wagging a finger, growing angry till tears and spit fly as he shouts, Impostor! Fraud! Clown!
The bell rings. I smack my test onto Clegg’s desk.
And I run.
* * *
Caleb gives me a ride in his beat-up Civic.
I tell him about the quiz. I tell him I can’t do this anymore. Because I’m too dumb. “Sorry, Caleb,” I say. “I’m out.”
Caleb pounds the steering wheel. Says my attitude sucks and my thinkin’ is stinkin’.
I tell Caleb I do not care.
He explains our new plan for success. “We will study together. My place. Every weekday afternoon. I’ll help you in math and science. You’ll help me in history and English.”
“I won’t.”
“U-Dub, T. Wendy. Your future. You can do this.”
“I can’t.”
“I believe in you, Teodoro Avila, and that better mean something.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then I’m sorry I have to do this.” Caleb looks at me sad, like what’s coming is gonna hurt him more than it’s gonna hurt me.…
AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. I have lost the D. I no longer have that. But it turns out I do have a best friend who FREEEEAKING thigh-punches like a damn cannonball.
Caleb pulls the car into his driveway and yanks the brake. “You with me?”
I’m bent over trying to breathe through the pain. “Yeah, Caleb.” I grab my pack and reach for the door.
Caleb stops me. “That sucked, T. First and last time I punch you.”
“Forget it, Caleb.”
“Huh-uh. If you wanna give up and I can’t talk you out of it with words…”
“What?”
“You can quit. It’s all right. I won’t judge.”
“Damn, Caleb. Let’s just study.”