Chapter Fifty-One: Marcus

I did okay on the big state tests on biology and math, making a 412 and 418 on them. I'm getting a B or a C in both classes, and no D-I school is going to have any problems with those scores and my grades. But a couple of days after the scores came out, when I got home my parents said they wanted to talk to me...alone...after dinner. I could tell by their tone that they had an attitude about something.

Sure enough, after dinner, they told Joshua that they wanted to talk to me alone, and he gave me one of those "I told you so" smirks that he always gives and left the dining room in a hurry. I think he enjoys seeing me get in trouble, although this time I really had no idea what my parents would be so bent out of shape about. Mom said that I had not told them what my scores on the state tests were, so she called the guidance department and found out and that she and Dad were not satisfied with my scores or my grades in my classes. I got angry and told them that both my grades and scores were fine, that I would have time to make even better grades now that basketball season was over. I averaged 20 points per game and the local paper named me "freshman of the year" for our conference. We didn't make the playoffs because Quintin didn't get me the ball enough in our conference tournament, but, outside of that, things have been going really well for me lately. My parents need to get off my back about this silly stuff.

But when I told them that, they both got really mad, especially Dad. He asked what was my "backup plan" in case I didn't become a pro football and basketball player, like I was "always saying" that I would be. I told him I didn't need a backup plan because I'd already figured everything out and for them just to chill and let me handle my life.

Dad just erupted like a volcano when I said that, and Mom made no effort to calm him down. She was just sitting there at the kitchen table and gritting her teeth. Dad then dropped the grounded bomb on me and said I would not be allowed to go out on dates or over to friends' houses until I had at least a B average in all my classes. I told him that Tameka and I were supposed to have a date Friday night, and Mom said that I could call or text her with the bad news, that I wouldn't be seeing her for a while until my grades improved. I told them that I only had a C average in English, biology, and history, that Ms. Hawk was a terrible teacher and counted off too many points on my papers. I said that history took up too much of my time as it was with all that reading, and I had already passed the state biology test...so what was the big problem.

Dad just shook his head, ran his finger through his hair, and then all of a sudden, he just slammed the table with his fist, and said he was tired of "my mouth and immaturity," that their decision was final regarding my grounding, and that next year, there would be no new car for me to drive when it was time for me to get my license if my grades and attitude didn't show "marked improvement" this spring. I started to snap right back at him, but he was staring right at me, like he was just daring me to open my mouth...then Mom told me to go to my room for the evening...that "this discussion is over."

When I went upstairs, there was Joshua standing in the stairwell. He must have been listening to everything and he said something like, "I warned you, you'd better grow up." And I swear, I was about to belt him in that big gut of his, but then I remembered the last time we got into a fight, which was about three years ago, and he beat the snot out of me. So I decided I'd better not mess with him...he's always been bigger than I am. That's going to change one day when I give him a big time beat down.

I texted Tameka that our date for the weekend was cancelled because I had some flu symptoms, that I didn't want to give the bug to her...that we'd go out again when I was up to par. It won't take me long to bring up my grades. I can make a cheat sheet for the next history quiz; I'm only a few points from a B anyway, it will be no sweat to bring up my grades there, and I'm even closer to a B in biology. English might still be a problem with all those papers, but I can get Mom to look over my next one...that'll show her that I'm serious about my work and she'll correct most of my errors anyway. I'll be back in business in no time.