"Thomas, do you hear me?"
"Yes, mom" Thomas shouted in a low voice and got out of bed.
"What took you so long? "
Thomas went to the kitchen, sat down at the table, looked at his mother, and then at his father, who was sitting across from him.
"Why are you looking at me like that, has something happen?"
"Yes, Thomas, something has happened"
"What happened this time?"
"Your grades for the first half of the year are very bad, Thomas"
His father said it meaningfully. Thomas reluctantly looked up at his father.
"So what? "
"What do you mean, so what, you are planning to leave school educated, aren't you?
"God, who needs it," Thomas said, "except you".
"How dare you" his father snapped.
"Calm down, Kevin,"said a mom
"I can't be calm. Thomas, " his father continued, lowering his voice "I don't want to receive messages about your terrible grades every time."
Thomas, as if ignoring the words, began to deliberately rub his fingers on the table.
"Maybe you can answer at least something"
"What am I supposed to say?"
"I'll show you," father stood up from the table.
"Kevin, don't," mother stopped him.
"Scoundrel" father said, putting up his hands, "you can talk to him now, Olivia".
"You will show me what"
Thomas looked steadfastly at his parents.
"How to be more polite" said the father and glared at Thomas.
After that there was silence.
"I'm sick of this," Thomas said after a few minutes, getting up from his chair and going to his room.
"We haven't finished talking yet, wait," his father shouted, but Thomas didn't listen.
He went to his room and slammed the door, and then looked in the mirror. Thomas was a 17-year-old guy, good looking, with dark hair and blue eyes.
"Calm down, Thomas, he said to himself, I'm so sick of this school". Thomas put on a shirt, slacks and a jacket, took the pocket money he had earned working in his grandmother's field before they died, slung his bag over his shoulder and ran out of the room. He passed the kitchen without saying a word.
"Will you at least have breakfast?" his mother asked, looking at her son.
Thomas didn't answer, he was already standing on the porch breathing in the fresh air after the rain. "I should go to the school cafeteria to eat something," Thomas thought while walking to school. The wind outside was tousling Thomas's hair, but he didn't mind. His parents were worried about him, but he thought they were worried about the wrong things. Thomas wasn't a good student, but it was up to him to decide whether he wanted to go to school or not, and he didn't really like going to school because it took all his energy, and those teachers, they were so mean, as if they were all against him. Tomas exhaled heavily and then opened the front door.
"Oh, hello, Thomas, " he was greeted by his friend John. "I've been waiting for you. The lesson hasn't started yet, so we can go to the cafeteria"
"Okay".
John had been Thomas's friend for a long time, he was shorter than him, had brown hair and a much more tenacious personality, he never cared about such trifles as grades. They went into the cafeteria. Thomas sat down on one of the chairs and exhaled heavily. He put his backpack next to him.
"What's wrong with you, Thomas, are you upset or is it just me?"
"You're imagining things," Thomas said, looking at his friend "It's just my parents, they make me study hard, what a stupid thing right".
Suddenly, John became cheerful.
"Really?"
"Yes," said Thomas, not understanding John's mirth.
"You're in trouble, buddy, I'm sorry," John said, lightly hitting Thomas on the shoulder.
"Stop making fun of me"
"Come on, I'm just kidding, forget about what your parents are telling you, I haven't been an A student for 11 years and I'm still fine."
"And I'm talking about that, but they say I have to come out of school educated."
John was sitting across from Thomas. He suddenly got up and left, coming back with glasses of tea in his hands.
He handed one to his friend.
"To come out of school educated," John grumbled and took a sip of tea, -But they're completely crazy, mine also talk about studying, but have I ever listened to it."
These words made Thomas feel warm.
"I'm starved " Thomas said, pulling out his pocket money "And all this reproaching has made me not want to eat at home."
Thomas got up and went to buy some food. He took the potatoes and salad and sat down across from John, looking at him, who was looking to the left, watching someone.
"Julia" he hissed, barely audible, "It's always her and that bastard Ethan."
"Do you like Julia?" Thomas asked, smiling slyly and eating the first portion of potatoes and salad.
"Jesus, are you kidding me, her face is as round as... "
John was thinking about what to compare Julia's face to, and Thomas looked at her and she smiled at him, noticing the look on her face. Julia had a long, lush black hair, brown eyes, and her face was not round as John had said, but rather the dimples in her face looked quite beautiful. She sat next to Ethan. He wasn't a nice guy, Thomas and John hadn't liked him since elementary school, but Julia seemed to like him. He had blond hair and dark eyes. Julia was telling him something, smiling cheerfully.
"Why aren't they in class yet" John wondered, frowning a little.
Thomas felt some anger in him that he had been holding back, and with it some overwhelming feeling that Thomas could not understand. The dining room was empty, and then Julia and Ethan left as well.
"Finally" John yawned "But I still don't understand what she sees in him, that Ethan, he's such a jerk. "
"Yeah, she obviously sees something in him that we will never see."
"You always speak in riddles."
Thomas finished his portion of potatoes and then looked at his friend, who had just finished his tea, but was still brooding and twirling the glass in his hands.
"Forget it, don't you care," Thomas said, putting the plate away and taking his backpack on his shoulders.
"Of course, I don't , John said, "I wouldn't be surprised if they kissed in public next time. "
Thomas smiled as he felt the anger leave his friend, but as for that "of course, I don't" Thomas knew his friend were lying.
"What is the lesson now?" asked Thomas.
"Physical education."
"Damn it, I left my uniform at home," Thomas cursed.
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to go anyway."
John smiled slyly and led Thomas outside, but just as they were about to leave, the teacher stopped them.
"Where are you going?" he asked, and Thomas could hear the nervousness in his voice.
"We just wanted to get some air, because we were a little tired."
"What were you tired of, Mr. Derkins? "
John didn't know what to say, and then the teacher looked at Thomas.
"You, Tachful, are going to get the worst grade all the time for being late to class."
"Okay".
Thomas just shrugged his shoulders and wanted to leave, but the teacher ordered them.
"Get to the gym right away."
"But we don't have uniforms." John complained.
"To the lesson, or to the director," shouted the teacher in response.
Thomas sensed anger in him. John scowled at his friend, and then they went to the gym together.
"You could think of something better than we are a little tired," said Thomas, looking at his friend.
"This fool Taylor Orfel, I hate him. "
Thomas agreed. Taylor Orfel was an annoying teacher who seemed to hate Thomas and John, but liked people like Ethan.
"Maybe he pays him " John suggested "Because he is too kind to him."
Thomas simply couldn't stand him, and in physical education classes he always made him do hard work, perform various exercises, although Taylor himself had never shown a master class, and the others at that time just whispered and joked. Thomas did not understand why he was still kept in this school.
"Maybe we shouldn't go, Thomas," John suggested, smiling.
"No, otherwise he will make us go to the director." Although Thomas himself would be in the seventh heaven of happiness if he didn't go there.
John just snorted, but didn't say anything.
The guys entered the gym, Thomas dropped his backpack and outerwear. Taylor came in after them with a class-book in his hands. He looked at everyone.
"Pull-ups will be the first to pass... " he ran his finger down the list. " Tachful, come here."
Thomas had no doubt that he would be the first.
"Why don't you have a uniform, Tachful?"
"I told I forgot it at home."
"Already minus 3 points."
Thomas sighed heavily as he completed 10 pull-ups, while Taylor drilled him intently with his gaze.
"You could have done more, Tachful."
Taylor wrote something down in his class-book, but didn't say anything.
"I want you all to know that pull-ups develop the muscles of the upper part of the body, very useful exercise, by the way."
Thomas sat down next to John on the bench.
"You were good, dude". Taylor called John right after Thomas. John did 8 pull-ups, because Thomas seemed to be physically fitter than John.
Thomas heard laughter not far from where Ethan and his company were sitting. And these were Burke, Harry and Oliver, who always walked with him like faithful dogs.
"He won't call him again" remarked John, pointing at Ethan.
Thomas felt his friend's anger, he was mad himself, Taylor called five students, and then made Thomas do different exercises again.
"I'm fed up".
Thomas looked at John, who was barely breathing, but noticing Julia's gaze on him, who was sitting in the company of girls, John again began to resort to heroism, instead of forty push-ups, he did sixty, and instead of 60 squats, he did eighty. Julia, seemed not to pay attention to it. When Thomas caught her gaze on him, she turned away. Thomas himself was no longer able to do anything, his hands hurt, and his legs were frail and weak.
"It used to be much better, guys" said Taylor, looking at Thomas and John "Who would want you, such weaklings, I was much better in your years..."
Laughter again.
"Bastard" John clenched his teeth.
"Calm down" said Thomas.
"You heard me Tachful. " Thomas could not stand it anymore.
"You made us work without a break, and the others " Thomas glanced at Ethan and his supporters - "didnt do any exercises".
"Do you have complaints against me, Tachful? If so, then let's go to the director, express all your displeasure about the lesson, in which I just did what I always do, namely gave you the simplest exercises that you barely did."
Thomas jumped up from his seat and immediately scurried away where his feet took him. John followed him, Thomas could hear his steps.
"Finally", John said, taking a breath when Thomas stopped runnin "Do not pay attention to him."
Thomas's face flushed. He was mad.
"Here you go, you left it" John handed Thomas his jacket and backpack.
"Thank you", said Thomas, taking the things.
"Listen, maybe we should go to... "
"I wanna be alone."
Thomas pulled his backpack over his shoulders and held his jacket in his hand. He left, and John just looked after him.
Thomas stopped at the windowsill, there he put his jacket and sat down. He exhaled heavily.
"I hate Taylor, such a fucker."
Thomas slammed his hand on the windowsill and it swayed. He wanted to be alone but suddenly he felt someone's footsteps. The sound of the impact echoed throughout the corridor, and someone's steps were approaching. Who could it be? Thomas turned and looked out the window, but did not see anything interesting there.
"Hello".
Thomas heard a quiet voice and immediately recognized who it was. It was Julia. He felt some excitement and fear in her. Thomas turned to her and noticed a smile on her face. Julia's long hair was straight and her light makeup maked her look quite pretty and neat. She looked at Thomas with her green eyes.
"Oh, hello" answered Thomas, stepping aside to give the girl a place. "Why are you here? "
"I saw that you were a little upset because of Taylor, maybe he is wrong but... "
"It's not that he's wrong, Julia, he's just a dork" Thomas snapped, despite Julia's smile, which suddenly faded.
"I wanted to tell you not to be upset about it." Julia stared at the floor.
"I wasn't upset, I didn't even think about such a thing, I don't take his words seriously."
"I'm glad to hear". She said that and a smile appeared on her face again. Suddenly Thomas felt some sadness in her.
"Something happened? " he asked, looking at her.
"No, everything is fine, why are you asking? "
"Never mind".
They were silent for a moment.
"You know, I always thought you were such a bore... "
Julia immediately blushed.
"What do you mean?" Thomas asked, not really understanding why she was saying this.
"Nothing "
Julia quickly turned and left. Thomas looked after her, feeling her steps receding. Julia never seemed to be a very calm girl, but Thomas felt a kind of fear in her, and the cheerfulness that radiated through her smile at the same time. Thomas stood still for a moment, and then went to class, hearing the bell that signaled the end of physical education. Entering the classroom, Thomas was immediately called by Olivia Parker, to whom Thomas was quite fond. She was the head of his class.
"Come here, Thomas" Thomas sensed some anxiety in her.
"Did something happen? "
"Your grades are not satisfactory. "
"How come?"
Thomas said that, feigning despair, but Olivia looked at him sternly and Thomas resolutely straightened up. The guy looked into the woman's eyes. They were blue, like water in a well, and Mrs. Olivia herself was a 40-year-old woman with black hair and she always walked in pants, she was obviously comfortable with it, but she was a good person anyway. The woman glanced at Thomas over her black-rimmed glasses.
"Your parents have already been informed about it, I didn't want to do this, Thomas, but you yourself know it's my job, and you stopped studying at all, I don't know what happened to you, maybe it's Derkins...
"I know that, something else?"
"Tachful, you heard me, no more bad grades."
Thomas was about to leave, but stopped at the table.
"John has nothing to do with my grades, I decide what to do myself."
Thomas did not want to talk for a long time, so he simply moved away from the table and sat down at his workplace, at the penultimate desk. He was sitting with John, but now knowing Mrs. Olivia's responsibility for her students' knowledge, he wondered if she would consider seating them separately.
"Thomas, are you alright now?" asked John, sitting down in his seat.
"Wasn't I? "
"Don't deny it, after that fool Taylor you were all red with fuly."
"Well, yeah" replied Thomas, staring into his cell phone "Taylor is a scum."
"I just sat in the dining room until the end of the lesson, and where were you?"
Thomas didn't answer, he just stared at his mobile without blinking. The bell rang.
"What is the lesson now? " he asked
"Math."
"I hate math."
"Same"
Mrs. Morgen Oklide was a tall, thin woman with gray hair and a hooked nose.
"Please, Mr. Tachful, come to the blackboard, now you will explain to us what mathematical statistics are."
"No, I can't go to the blackboard" - said Thomas, not taking his eyes off the phone, as Julia posted a new photo on the social network.
"Do you hear me?"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Morgen, I'm just not ready"
Thomas slowly got up. He felt dissatisfaction in her.
"And you, Mr. Derkins, are you ready to go to the blackboard?
"No." Thomas sat down.
Someone's laughter was heard from behind.
"Mr. McRane, maybe you want to go to the blackboard."
Ethan stood up.
"Why not"
Morgen gave him a task and he solved it.
"Well done, Ethan" she praised "But don't talk in class again, you heard me Julia Roberts. "
"Yes, Mrs. Morgen."
Thomas looked around, Julia was sitting next to Ethan.
"So they are together" asked Thomas, turning to John.
"Probably." Thomas looked at his cell phone.
There was a photo of Julia hugging Ethan.
"Damn it" shouted John "look at this." John showed Thomas the photo he was looking at.
Julia continued talking to Ethan and smiling happily at him.
"Shameful photo" John threw the phone on the dask, and it fell with a crash. "Dating this jerk, Julia clearly has no taste."
"Mr. Derkins, you and Mr. Tachful did not answer my questions, but Mr. McRane correctly solved the task, so why are you talking and not listening to the explanation."
"McRane again " John slammed his hand on the desk "I'll put an end to this."
"What are you going to do, dawg? " Thomas felt anger in his friend, rather even hatred, he felt somehow afraid for John. He was seething with anger.
"Didn't you say that you don't care about her anyway? "
"You don't understand, she's dating a fool, she's ruined her own life."
He was in despair. When the class was over, Thomas and John went out into the hallway and just happened to run into Ethan. Julia was not there, only his friends Burke and Oliver were there. Harry obviously wasn't at school. Burke was smaller than Ethan and had a long face, white hair, and his clothes were similar to Ethan's. Oliver was stockier and bigger than Ethan and Burke. His hair was brown, and his face was mostly always crooked from his hideous grin. Ethan was a tall black man and always dressed smartly in various suits and ties and looked quite handsome, but his eyes twinkled ominously.
"Wait McRane" John shouted, following Ethan.
"What do you need Derkins? "
Ethan looked around reluctantly, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.
"We need to talk. "
John was serious.
"Maybe no need to deal with him, John," Thomas said a little worriedly.
"It's all right, friend, don't worry, we'll just talk."
"Burke, Oliver, could you please leave me alone."
Burke and Oliver exchanged glances and nodded. They disappeared, although they would have been happy to kick John and Thomas.
Ethan pulled his hands out of his pockets
"Tachful, you also want to talk to me. " John stepped forward and faced Ethan. Suddenly Thomas felt John's anger. John grabbed Ethan by the collar.
"You are a scumbag, don't come near Julia, you heard me. "
"How rude," Ethan grumbled with a smile, pushing John away and adjusting a new suit.
"Up close, you're even more wretched."
"Julia, how naive she is, and what did she find in you?"
"We love each other, and no one will separate us, it's clear to you. " John clenched his fists nervously.
"She doesn't love you, you just make her... "
"What are you on about, Julia is my girlfriend, finally admit it."
"I will never admit this. " John lunged at Ethan with his fists, but Ethan ducked back, punching John in the face. He whimpered and Thomas looked at his lip. It was cut open and blood was dripping. John was sitting on the floor and Thomas helped him up.
"You're worthless "Ethan snorted "Don't come near me and Julia, it's clear, otherwise I'll wipe you out. " Ethan stuffed his hands in his pockets and left. Thomas felt exalted in him.
"You said that you would just talk." Thomas felt sorry for his friend.
"What a bastard he is"
"Calm down, John, you need to go to the medical center."
"I don't need to go anywhere, it's just a scratch. "
John backed away from Thomas and started somewhere, wiping his split lip with his hand. In the next lesson, he wasn't there, and Ethan loudly talked about his exploits.
Thomas could not listen to this, but he was worried about his friend, where he could go.
"Today I will tell you one piece of news" said Olivia Parker, ending her history lesson. Ethan did not seem to hear this, he went on telling how he had beaten that pathetic Derkins and how he had run away in tears. Everyone laughed. Thomas looked at Julia, she was sitting on the phone and did not pay attention to others, but catching Thomas's gaze, she looked at him. He turned away.
"Do you hear me McRane?
"Yes, sorry."
"Next week there will be a winter ball" she said monotonously "as a class teacher, I want everything to go well."
"Winter Ball," Ethan repeated, "isn't that wonderful, Julia?"
"Quieter, McNair, no alcohol, you heard me, I don't want you to embarrass me for the whole school."
Ethan let out a heavy breath, but he was glad, and Thomas wondered if he was happy or not, but why not, he wanted some rest. When he told the news to John, whom he found in the dining room, he wasn't satisfied.
"I won't go" he grumbled, poking at the wound on his lip and cringing "Those two will be there, no, no, I can't, it's a shame, he beat me. "
"Don't worry so much, maybe it's the opposite for the better, you'll relax a little, you'll forget about Ethan."
"Thomas, don't you understand, I can't go there, everyone will laugh at me, look at them. " John pointed to some children who were buying food for themselves, they were looking at them for some reason.
"Even they are laughing at me, I embarrassed the whole school."
"It seems to you, no one is laughing"
"It is non-negotiable," John said and quickly left the dining room, and when Thomas returned to the classroom, John's backpack dissappeared. Thomas felt self-loathing in him, probably because of the fact that he lost to Ethan, that's obvious.