Post by misslongbottom13 on Aug 12, 2008 20:52:44 GMT -5
Victory's Guide to Life
Chapter 1- Guidence
"Andrew, how nice to see you! How was your summer?" asked Mrs. Beechler, Halloway High's senior guidence counselor. The office was small, crowded by a desk and two overstuffed chairs facing it. The desk was cluttered with knicknaks of all sorts. Pictures of cats also littered the tiny surface. Mrs. Beechler's face peered at me through thick glasses, and her bright yellow sweater made me cringe a bit.
"My summer was fine, Mrs.Beechler. I was wondering if you heard back from Grennon yet." I asked, pushing my glasses back into place. I could see myself in the mirror behind her desk, and my bright orange hair was curly, and very messy this morning. My sweater-vest was wrinkled, and I knew my khaki pants were the same. Looks were the small price to pay to get to see Mrs. Beechler first thing in the morning.
"Oh yes, Andrew! They were delighted to see that you had sent them everything! Transscripts and all. Only, there was one tiny little catch. You see, Grennon expresses a deep concern for their community." Of course, I knew that already. I had read everything about Grennon that the administative offices could have given me a week before that very moment. They would know that Andrew Bevington was ready for college, and Grennon was the place for him.
"They were estatic over your grades! Interest in academics is absolutly important, but they felt as though something was missing." My ears popped at that very moment. What? Something missing? How could that even be possible? I had sent everything they asked for. Essay describing myself as an imatimate object, check. Transcripts and report cards from the previous three years of schooling, check. I was going to have more than enough credits after the school year was out, so, what could possibly be missing?
I could only see my father's face now. It would contort to rage, yet he would stay silent. He would then huff once, and storm off to his den, wondering how his only son could fail to get into his alma mater. Mother would stop grading her tests, and her eyes would widen. Then her "elementary school teacher" side would kick in and try to comfort me. All the while, I would see my life pass before my eyes. I would end up flipping burgers at Benny's Burger Joint just down the road from my two-bit apartment and never see a college degree....
You see, my father is a prominent lawyer, and my mother is a middleschool teacher. I am their only son. I am the light of their life, and I also have the Bevington gene for ambition. If I didn't make it into college, or at least the State University....
I snapped back to reality. No, everything would be fine. I would get into Grennon.
"What was missing? Did I forget a year of reports? Do I have to apply again when I have all the credits?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly. Mrs. Beechler just looked at me with a concerned face.
"Andrew, you sent everything. Dean Harrody, such a lovely man, just thinks you should be involved in your society a little more. After all, it is all the rage on campus there I hear." she replied, her voice soft and caring, much like the one my mother used to talk to her students.
"You just need to get sixty hours of community service before the school year is over. You have one entire year to get sixty hours! Do not, and I repeat Andrew, do not stress yourself out about this."
I quickly thanked her, and shot out of my seat. I had never so quickly gotten out of her office as I did at that moment. Thoughts raced through my head as I walked down the empty halls. No one was in school yet, and if they were, it was for detention.
Sixty hours? How do they expect me to get any work done? My weekends were already filled with piano and cello lessons. I am up until at least eleven o'clock on school nights! How could they -. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a door slam directly behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks. You see, I had this idea, that if no one saw me moving, I didn't exsist to them.
My eyes closed tightly as I heard the footsteps coming closer. They sounded like the pounding of drums,muffled to my nervous ears, yet not as hollow a sound. They were short between one another, the person probably being around five feet some inches in height. My breath caught in my throat when I heard them stop directly in front of me. I opened one eye slowly, and saw her standing there.
She was short, just as I had expected, but she didn't look at all like I expected. She had bright blonde hair, and a button nose. Her bright blue eyes held me captivate for just that moment, as did the shortness of her denim mini skirt and the tightness of her pink polo shirt. Her flip-flops were the same color as her hair, and her toe nails were painted pale pink. When I had the guts to look back up at her eyes, they were wide with concern.
"You ok? You look a bit sick." her voice had a bit of a southern accent, and it was calm and soft, yet it wasn't at all like my mom's or Mrs. Beechler's.
"I...I...uhhh." I stuttered. Oh god Andy, how much more of a freak could you look like?
"Hi. I'm Sarah Prince. I'm new here. You are?" She stuck her hand out, expecting me to shake it. I took it hestitantly, my palm sweaty. I could feel the warmth of her hand on mine, and wondered for a brief second if the rest of her body was just as warm.
"I...uh, I'm Andy, uh...Andrew Bevington." Her hand let go of mine, and I immeditaly missed her touch. She smiled at me and turned away from me a bit.
"Well, I have to go. I'm trying out for the cheerleadin' team, and the captain wanted me to be here early so she could go over some rules with me."
"Ah, well I wouldn't keep her waiting." I replied. She waved a little at me, and turned around. I watched her walk away, her hips slighty swaying as she left. I sucked in the breath that I had no idea I had lost, and turned around, facing back to where I had come from.
It was going to be a long day.
My first couple classes that day breezed by, as all I could think about was Sarah. Her hair, her eyes, her body in general just mezmerized me. I was perfectly content until the last period of tha day.
I walked in and was the only one in the class, as usual. I really didn't have any friends. Most of my time was spent studying, or reading. Besides, being invisible to the world was best for both of us. That was until I could my college degree. Anyway, I walked in early. I greeted my teacher with the utmost politeness I could muster. She was thin, and lanky, and the very air around her smelled of tuna fish and cod liver oil.
"Hello, dearest." she said, her voice cracking and frog-like. I murmered a quick hello, and sat myself down in the front row closest to the windows. I may have been a teacher's pet, but I wasn't that desperate. I noticed that the teacher kept looking to the back of the room, her eyes squinty and her hands on her heart. I rolled my eyes.
When the rest of the students started pouring in, I began to get nervous. Many of students were jocks and cheerleaders, and I immediatly thought of Sarah. I would just die if she was in the class. We'd sit together and take notes together. We'd study and she'd invite me over to help her with her exam preporations. I'd be on her bed, and she'd look at me as we'd lean in slowly and....
"Do you think he's daydreaming? His eyes are flitting around like they would in REM." said a nasily voice from besides me. I snapped my head to the sound and jumped when I saw double. Two girls, exact twins in every physical trait as it appeared, were staring at me. They were both smiling, a mischievous glint in their blue eyes.
"Hi." they said, at the exact same time. I knew this would get annoying.
"Hello." I said, turning back to my books, blushing slightly. How could I have had such a dream?
"You know, ignorance is bliss, my ignoring someone isn't the most flattering way to make friends."
"Too true, Claire, too true." spoke the one, and Claire smiled at me.
"Bridget, I think it is only right that we should require his name." said Claire, and Bridget grinned a toothy grin. Then, at the same time, they flipped their long red hair over their right shoulder. That is definatly going to get old....
"I'm Andrew. Andy, if you would." I said, sticking out my hand. They both looked at it and laughed. One after the other they leaned over to kiss my on my cheek.
"Such a cute..."
"Little thing."
I stared, shocked. That was totally and utterly unexpected.
"Andrew?" I hear her voice long before I saw her face.
"S-Sarah! Hi!" I gushed, and the twins giggled. I glared at them, and they immedaiatly sat down....at the same time.
"Your in this class to? Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" she said, a big smile on her face.
"Yeah!" I said, trying to sound less than nervous.
"So, did you do the assigned reading for the summer list?" she asked, as she sat down in the desk behind me. I didn't want to tell her that I had read every book on the list and then some of them from the college list of course too, so I just shrugged.
"Yeah, took me forever though." I lied. Her face lit up, and I smiled. This was going to be one hell of a year...
I got home late that night. I had gone straight to the library to get some homework done, but it was all in vain. All I could think about was Sarah and her smile. And the twins. They were interesting enough. They seemed to be like me, alone, nerdy, extremely smart. And I could tell they saw straight through my lie in class. They probably read through the entire list just like I had.
"Hello sweets! How was your day Andy?" Mom said as I walked through the front door, placing kisses on both my cheeks. I smiled and watched as my mom took my backpack("This must be so heavy!) and took me and led me into the kitchen("You must be starving!").
"It was perfect, Mom." I replied.
"Oh? Did you see Mrs. Beechler?" she asked, passing me a huge plate of lasagna. It was still steaming, and the cheese was melting and oozy. It was my favorite meal.
"Yes! And guess what?" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering the morning's conversation.
"What? Grennon say's you can skip your last year? They'll take you as soon as possible?" said my father, walking into the kitchen grinning. He kissed my mother, and then sat down as mom placed a whopping plate of lasagna in front of him. He smiled as he grabbed his fork.
"Well....They told me they were happy to have me if..."I stumbled. My mom looked at me, and I smiled.
"Sweetheart?" she cooed.
"I need sixty hours of community service by the summer." I stated simply, taking a bite of my lasagna.
My father looked up, smiling wide. My mother however, was shocked.
"Sixty? Sixty hours?! How on earth do they expect you to get all those hours by the end of the year?" she shrieked.
"Laura, dear, don't worry! Andy here will be fine!" my father said, wiping his mouth on his napkin. Mom just opened and closed her mouth, looking much like a fish out of water. She suddenly turned around and headed into the kitchen. I heard the opening of a cabniet, rumbling around of bottles, and a popping noise. A few seconds later, I heard a squeak, more rumbling, and a cabniet closing.
Mum returned, a smile on her face. I could smell a touch of wine as she sat down.
It was going to be a long night.......
Chapter 1- Guidence
"Andrew, how nice to see you! How was your summer?" asked Mrs. Beechler, Halloway High's senior guidence counselor. The office was small, crowded by a desk and two overstuffed chairs facing it. The desk was cluttered with knicknaks of all sorts. Pictures of cats also littered the tiny surface. Mrs. Beechler's face peered at me through thick glasses, and her bright yellow sweater made me cringe a bit.
"My summer was fine, Mrs.Beechler. I was wondering if you heard back from Grennon yet." I asked, pushing my glasses back into place. I could see myself in the mirror behind her desk, and my bright orange hair was curly, and very messy this morning. My sweater-vest was wrinkled, and I knew my khaki pants were the same. Looks were the small price to pay to get to see Mrs. Beechler first thing in the morning.
"Oh yes, Andrew! They were delighted to see that you had sent them everything! Transscripts and all. Only, there was one tiny little catch. You see, Grennon expresses a deep concern for their community." Of course, I knew that already. I had read everything about Grennon that the administative offices could have given me a week before that very moment. They would know that Andrew Bevington was ready for college, and Grennon was the place for him.
"They were estatic over your grades! Interest in academics is absolutly important, but they felt as though something was missing." My ears popped at that very moment. What? Something missing? How could that even be possible? I had sent everything they asked for. Essay describing myself as an imatimate object, check. Transcripts and report cards from the previous three years of schooling, check. I was going to have more than enough credits after the school year was out, so, what could possibly be missing?
I could only see my father's face now. It would contort to rage, yet he would stay silent. He would then huff once, and storm off to his den, wondering how his only son could fail to get into his alma mater. Mother would stop grading her tests, and her eyes would widen. Then her "elementary school teacher" side would kick in and try to comfort me. All the while, I would see my life pass before my eyes. I would end up flipping burgers at Benny's Burger Joint just down the road from my two-bit apartment and never see a college degree....
You see, my father is a prominent lawyer, and my mother is a middleschool teacher. I am their only son. I am the light of their life, and I also have the Bevington gene for ambition. If I didn't make it into college, or at least the State University....
I snapped back to reality. No, everything would be fine. I would get into Grennon.
"What was missing? Did I forget a year of reports? Do I have to apply again when I have all the credits?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly. Mrs. Beechler just looked at me with a concerned face.
"Andrew, you sent everything. Dean Harrody, such a lovely man, just thinks you should be involved in your society a little more. After all, it is all the rage on campus there I hear." she replied, her voice soft and caring, much like the one my mother used to talk to her students.
"You just need to get sixty hours of community service before the school year is over. You have one entire year to get sixty hours! Do not, and I repeat Andrew, do not stress yourself out about this."
I quickly thanked her, and shot out of my seat. I had never so quickly gotten out of her office as I did at that moment. Thoughts raced through my head as I walked down the empty halls. No one was in school yet, and if they were, it was for detention.
Sixty hours? How do they expect me to get any work done? My weekends were already filled with piano and cello lessons. I am up until at least eleven o'clock on school nights! How could they -. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a door slam directly behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks. You see, I had this idea, that if no one saw me moving, I didn't exsist to them.
My eyes closed tightly as I heard the footsteps coming closer. They sounded like the pounding of drums,muffled to my nervous ears, yet not as hollow a sound. They were short between one another, the person probably being around five feet some inches in height. My breath caught in my throat when I heard them stop directly in front of me. I opened one eye slowly, and saw her standing there.
She was short, just as I had expected, but she didn't look at all like I expected. She had bright blonde hair, and a button nose. Her bright blue eyes held me captivate for just that moment, as did the shortness of her denim mini skirt and the tightness of her pink polo shirt. Her flip-flops were the same color as her hair, and her toe nails were painted pale pink. When I had the guts to look back up at her eyes, they were wide with concern.
"You ok? You look a bit sick." her voice had a bit of a southern accent, and it was calm and soft, yet it wasn't at all like my mom's or Mrs. Beechler's.
"I...I...uhhh." I stuttered. Oh god Andy, how much more of a freak could you look like?
"Hi. I'm Sarah Prince. I'm new here. You are?" She stuck her hand out, expecting me to shake it. I took it hestitantly, my palm sweaty. I could feel the warmth of her hand on mine, and wondered for a brief second if the rest of her body was just as warm.
"I...uh, I'm Andy, uh...Andrew Bevington." Her hand let go of mine, and I immeditaly missed her touch. She smiled at me and turned away from me a bit.
"Well, I have to go. I'm trying out for the cheerleadin' team, and the captain wanted me to be here early so she could go over some rules with me."
"Ah, well I wouldn't keep her waiting." I replied. She waved a little at me, and turned around. I watched her walk away, her hips slighty swaying as she left. I sucked in the breath that I had no idea I had lost, and turned around, facing back to where I had come from.
It was going to be a long day.
My first couple classes that day breezed by, as all I could think about was Sarah. Her hair, her eyes, her body in general just mezmerized me. I was perfectly content until the last period of tha day.
I walked in and was the only one in the class, as usual. I really didn't have any friends. Most of my time was spent studying, or reading. Besides, being invisible to the world was best for both of us. That was until I could my college degree. Anyway, I walked in early. I greeted my teacher with the utmost politeness I could muster. She was thin, and lanky, and the very air around her smelled of tuna fish and cod liver oil.
"Hello, dearest." she said, her voice cracking and frog-like. I murmered a quick hello, and sat myself down in the front row closest to the windows. I may have been a teacher's pet, but I wasn't that desperate. I noticed that the teacher kept looking to the back of the room, her eyes squinty and her hands on her heart. I rolled my eyes.
When the rest of the students started pouring in, I began to get nervous. Many of students were jocks and cheerleaders, and I immediatly thought of Sarah. I would just die if she was in the class. We'd sit together and take notes together. We'd study and she'd invite me over to help her with her exam preporations. I'd be on her bed, and she'd look at me as we'd lean in slowly and....
"Do you think he's daydreaming? His eyes are flitting around like they would in REM." said a nasily voice from besides me. I snapped my head to the sound and jumped when I saw double. Two girls, exact twins in every physical trait as it appeared, were staring at me. They were both smiling, a mischievous glint in their blue eyes.
"Hi." they said, at the exact same time. I knew this would get annoying.
"Hello." I said, turning back to my books, blushing slightly. How could I have had such a dream?
"You know, ignorance is bliss, my ignoring someone isn't the most flattering way to make friends."
"Too true, Claire, too true." spoke the one, and Claire smiled at me.
"Bridget, I think it is only right that we should require his name." said Claire, and Bridget grinned a toothy grin. Then, at the same time, they flipped their long red hair over their right shoulder. That is definatly going to get old....
"I'm Andrew. Andy, if you would." I said, sticking out my hand. They both looked at it and laughed. One after the other they leaned over to kiss my on my cheek.
"Such a cute..."
"Little thing."
I stared, shocked. That was totally and utterly unexpected.
"Andrew?" I hear her voice long before I saw her face.
"S-Sarah! Hi!" I gushed, and the twins giggled. I glared at them, and they immedaiatly sat down....at the same time.
"Your in this class to? Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" she said, a big smile on her face.
"Yeah!" I said, trying to sound less than nervous.
"So, did you do the assigned reading for the summer list?" she asked, as she sat down in the desk behind me. I didn't want to tell her that I had read every book on the list and then some of them from the college list of course too, so I just shrugged.
"Yeah, took me forever though." I lied. Her face lit up, and I smiled. This was going to be one hell of a year...
I got home late that night. I had gone straight to the library to get some homework done, but it was all in vain. All I could think about was Sarah and her smile. And the twins. They were interesting enough. They seemed to be like me, alone, nerdy, extremely smart. And I could tell they saw straight through my lie in class. They probably read through the entire list just like I had.
"Hello sweets! How was your day Andy?" Mom said as I walked through the front door, placing kisses on both my cheeks. I smiled and watched as my mom took my backpack("This must be so heavy!) and took me and led me into the kitchen("You must be starving!").
"It was perfect, Mom." I replied.
"Oh? Did you see Mrs. Beechler?" she asked, passing me a huge plate of lasagna. It was still steaming, and the cheese was melting and oozy. It was my favorite meal.
"Yes! And guess what?" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering the morning's conversation.
"What? Grennon say's you can skip your last year? They'll take you as soon as possible?" said my father, walking into the kitchen grinning. He kissed my mother, and then sat down as mom placed a whopping plate of lasagna in front of him. He smiled as he grabbed his fork.
"Well....They told me they were happy to have me if..."I stumbled. My mom looked at me, and I smiled.
"Sweetheart?" she cooed.
"I need sixty hours of community service by the summer." I stated simply, taking a bite of my lasagna.
My father looked up, smiling wide. My mother however, was shocked.
"Sixty? Sixty hours?! How on earth do they expect you to get all those hours by the end of the year?" she shrieked.
"Laura, dear, don't worry! Andy here will be fine!" my father said, wiping his mouth on his napkin. Mom just opened and closed her mouth, looking much like a fish out of water. She suddenly turned around and headed into the kitchen. I heard the opening of a cabniet, rumbling around of bottles, and a popping noise. A few seconds later, I heard a squeak, more rumbling, and a cabniet closing.
Mum returned, a smile on her face. I could smell a touch of wine as she sat down.
It was going to be a long night.......