"I can't believe prom is really coming up on Friday. It should be lit." Izzy beamed from her desk.
These last few weeks of high school were winding down, which meant the big day was coming. Our teachers had slowed down on giving us work at this point, so we were just chilling at our desks.
"Why is prom such a big deal though? The same folks show up and show out at every school function," I admitted.
"Real niggas ready for graduation anyway!" Anthony confessed with a nonchalant shrug.
"Agreed!" Brooklyn barked.
"I've been to prom every year and the shit is redundant at this point," she added, peering upward from her phone.
Izzy rolled her eyes and frowned at our overall consensus about prom. "So what y'all doing prom night then? Let's start with you Ant, choose your words wisely."
Anthony nervously chuckled, "I'll be wherever you are and if that's the prom, then I guess I'll suffer for you."
"Ha, nice save. Okay, and you?" she pointed toward me to speak.
"Sleeping, I suppose."
Izzy smacked her teeth. "So lame, Travis. And you, B?" she turned her attention to Brooklyn, who was attached to her phone.
"Um, I don't really have plans. Isaac did say that he would escort me to prom, but I doubt that we show up."
Izzy sighed deeply. "All y'all lame. High school is about to be over and you guys are taking it for granted. Guys, enjoy this ride."
"Babe, I think we're just ready to be out."
"Exactly!" I disrupted Ant's comment before he could go any further. "Four long ass years of Flintridge and we finally made it. No more dealing with Mr. Sewer and his shit." Just as I slandered his name, Mr. Sawyer walked into the classroom and approached my desk. It's like his spidey senses told him that I was talking mad shit about him.
"Mr. Thompson, please follow me to my office," he commanded with a pleasant expression on his face. My brow arched in confusion as to why he needed me in the his office, so I didn't move. Brooklyn nudged my foot for me to follow his order and I simply sighed.
"Mr. Thompson, come with me. You're not in any kind of trouble," he declared. I replied with a nod and collected my things so he could escort me to his office.
"What is this about, sir?" I asked Sawyer when we reached the hallway.
He never answered my question and continued to strut down the hall in silence as I put my headphones in my ear to blast my music. "Come on in," he signaled for me go inside first and, surprisingly, my father was seated in his office.
"Um, what's going on?" I inquired as I sat down in the seat next to my dad.
"My guess is as good as yours, Trav. I hope it's something good because I could use some good news right now."
Principal Sawyer closed his office door and rested in his seat behind his desk before conversing, "Well, I'm sure you both know that the school year is coming to an end and that this was supposed to be Travis' last year of high school."
"Was?" I quickly snapped.
Sawyer nodded to confirm that I heard him correctly, handing a file to my father. "To graduate you need a certain amounts of credits and you're short on 3 of them right now."
I groaned at the sound of what I was hearing and I could see from the side of my eye that my father was frustrated. "I have a 2.5 GPA right now, that's a C average. What's the problem?" I argued back at him, trying to contain myself from really going off.
"Absences. You have entirely too many of them this year and at Flintridge, that's totally unacceptable." When Sewer mentioned my attendance record, I knew that I had screwed up. My stupidity while being in a relationship with Mar-con is backfiring like none other.
"Wait, so you're saying that my son won't be getting his diploma because of a few missed classes," my dad's tone of voice flared up as he tossed the file back on Mr. Sewer's desk. "What about summer school or something? Just let my boy walk across that stage. We've so long for this moment."
"I'm sorry Mr. Thompson, but Flintridge has a no tolerance policy for this type of thing. Only 1 of the classes is available for summer school, so Travis has to wait until December to get his diploma."
My jaw clenched tightly, eyes burned and my fists were ready to sucker punch Sewer's face. "This is bullshit!" I groaned.
"Travis, watch your mouth," my father spoke calmly although his face showed disappointment.
"It's only 4 more months of high school..."
I smacked my teeth and got up from my chair, prepared to leave. "I've worked too damn hard on school and basketball! Now, I gotta be a 5th year high school student!" I bugged out, trying to hold back my tears. I felt like all that I did was a complete waste of time.
"Son," my father started, drawing in my attention. "Just calm down and take a seat to hear Mr. Sawyer out."
I furiously shook my head and walked out of the office, slamming the door. When I reached the empty hall, I let out angry howl and took a deep breath. All I saw was red. The 1st locker that I saw became my punching bag.
*
I hadn't been back to school in days and in order for me to not get violent, I had to exercise the tension out. Today's release therapy was lifting weights.
"Your pops said that I'd find you here." I turned around to see Bam sauntering in my direction.
I gave him a head nod and continued to focus on lifting. Instead of him working out, he literally stood in front of me and stared me down, "What?" I inquired, perturbed that he was just standing there in silence.
"Bro, you been here a while. Give the weights a rest and come eat breakfast with me," he dryly stated, taking his hood off of his head.
"I'm not hungry," I replied. Bam sucked his teeth and shrugged.
"I wasn't asking you. Now put the dumb bells down and let's go, fam. You need to relax," Bam's solemn approach forced me to give in and put the weights down.
"So, I hear you been missing school again..." he got straight to the point when we got to the table at the diner.
Before speaking, I stared off into space and simply shook my head. "What's the point? Shit keep falling down on me and I might as well speed up the process." I mumbled.
Bam took a long, deep breath and took a sip of his coffee. "Look, snap out of it and move on. This is only the beginning of your life and you already trying to give up. You still have a bright future. December is not that far away, man."
"Nah, it's really over for me. All 10 colleges that were offering me a free ride to play ball backed out and, now, I'm just a bum nigga. What I'm gone do--"
"Grow up!" Bam shouted, causing attention to be drawn by others. "At least you still healthy and living. It could be worst, but you still complaining. Remember that this is all on you, bro." He made a valid point and I couldn't even argue with him if I wanted too, so I kept quiet.
"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to raise my voice, it's just that I don't want to see you wasting your life because of one mistake." I nodded in response.
"It's cool, but you right...this shit is my fault." I took a sip of my drink and played with my fingers before changing the subject to something about him. "So, I heard you leaving Flint when the year is over to go to Police Academy...fact or fiction?"
Bam chuckled uncomfortably, something he hadn't done in a long time. "Yeah, that's my next move."
I rubbed my neck and pondered on if I should ask him what I was really thinking because he's been very hostile as of late. "Say whatever it is that's on your mind, Trav..."
"Are you becoming a cop to find out--you know."
"Yes. Hell yeah. I'm becoming a police officer find out who killed my pops because nobody from the LAPD is doing shit to solve the case. In their minds, the case is close. I won't stop til I get the answers I need and that's on everything I love." He chanted with such conviction in his voice.
"I hear you, but basketball is your passion. You've never been a fan of cops, ever. Why put your life on the line like that?"
Bam peered out of the window and appeared as if he was about to get emotional. "I don't expect you to understand, but this my dad we're talking about, my best friend. Without him, there's no telling where I'd be right now. I owe him. So, if I can't beat them, I'm joining them. Period!"
Listening to how hurt Bam sounded while talking about his dad made me realize that I needed to get my shit together with my dad, among other things in my dysfunctional life.
Vote, comment, and whatever else :)
What is in Trav future after high school? Will he get his diploma?
Is it Trav's fault that he's failing?
Will Bam make a good police officer or is he setting himself for failure