Always Forever

Temerity

As he speed-walked, he saw a blonde figure come into view. Surprisingly! It was Ralph. Ok maybe Jack wasn't so surprised about that..  Ralph gave him a very sincere look, a blueish grayish tinge from his eyes made Jack feel guilty that he wouldn't attend the teacher's grievance meeting.  Ralph patted his shoulder, Jack brushed his hand off and Ralph smirked, laughing at Jack's antics. Jack continued walking to the library.

"God, go guilt-trip someone else..." the redhead muttered.  

He went to the front gates, but felt a pang of guilt. Like he owed it to Ralph to see the stupid teacher and let them blather on about whatever. So he hesitated and went to his classroom. There, sat a very surprised teacher. 

"Mister Merridew! It's a miracle seeing you here." The teacher exclaimed. Jack grunted and slid his eyes towards the floor. An awkward silence filled the air until the teacher cleared her throat.

"..Well, I suppose you want to know why I called you here."

Jack quickly spat out "Something to do with my grade, I know that for a fact."

The teacher stared hard at him then continued her ramblings. "I believe each student has a brilliant mind, it just takes a little nudge to bring that brain out to the spotlight!" She continued, "That is why I have assigned to you a tutor."

Jack's eyes bulged out of his face. "WHAT?! Who??"

The teacher smiled and said "I'm fairly sure you're acquainted with him, that nice boy, Ralph."

"Well sure, but that doesn't mean I li-"

"Up-up-up I won't hear another word of it, you are to be tutored starting next week. Ralph has already been informed" 

And just like that Jack was ushered away. On his tread home he stared at the passing cars with their blearily blinking lights.

'Of all people why does it have to be that...Soc..' He muttered.

Finally he reached his not so humble abode. The door creaked open eerily and then came to be silent. The whole house was silent. Jack's father took a puff off his pipe.

"How was school." He couldn't care less about how his day was. But he complied anyways.

"It was...fine." At most his day was irritating and tiresome. But his father wouldn't hear it.

"Good."
The rest of the night remained as quiet as a corpse. The crickets chirped outside, like stars, Jack flecked the ashes off his cigarette. His dad would kill him if he smoked indoors.  He took a cold shower and let the water soak through to his brain.

'I can only imagine what a pain next week is gonna be, that with Ralph crawling on my back.'  He finished, got dressed and tried to sleep. It was a dreamless rest. 

He awoke the next morning, Friday morning. He did his best to look cool as usual. Pick out a killer outfit; his usual white tee, denim jeans, a belt and his signature leather jacket. Grease up the hair, a bit of eyeliner, enough to be more handsome, not feminine. He hid this significant part of his daily routine from his father.

He walked to school, seeing as it was not a long walk there. He assumed his peers had ditched for Friday, and went to rent a movie or something wasteful like that. Somehow he didn't feel like having fun today. So he planned on staying the rest of the school day. The other kids gawked at him, shocked to find that he didn't skip like his friends did. Though it was his gang, they weren't controlled by an iron fist. He'd probably get a visit by Roger tonight to ask what was up. Because he woke up late he didn't have much time before the 10 minute bell rang. On his way to the bleak classroom a soc dressed proper bumped into him.