Status: Complete: Possible re-write/re-post
Two Roads Split Off From Here
Sophomore Year.
Chapter Four: Sophomore Year.
“Matt, lemme see your schedule.” I snatched it out of his hand. “What? We only have four classes together. And you’re only in three honors classes?”
“What can I say?”
“I say get them grades up boy,” I pushed him playfully. “Hey, we got driver’s ed together.”
“Hey look, there’s Steph and that guy,” Matt pointed.
I ran over. “Steph! What’s up?”
“Lisa! Hey!”
“So, we’ve seen you with this guy all last year, and you never introduced us?” I looked at the pale guy with spiky black hair.
“Oh. This is Gerard. He’s a junior this year. Gerard? My best friends, and cutest couple, Lisa, and Matt.”
“Nice to meet you,” Gerard said.
“Likewise. Steph, what ever happened between you and Sonny?”
“He said he liked me, but that was after I met Gerard. I said we should just be
best friends. We are.”
“Oh. Well, does Gerard wanna come to the tree house?” I asked.
“Tree house? Isn’t that a bit childish?” Gerard said.
“No. It’s our hangout place. We’ve always hung out there, since we were all
about eight,” Stephanie said. “Wanna come?”
“I guess. I ain’t got nothing better to do. My brother went home already.”
The four of us went to hang out at the tree house. Nothing special, just talking.
Sophomore year went by a bit more smoothly. Right after Christmas break, the week before midterms was upon us. I remembered our math teacher talking to Matt.
“Mr. Good. Your semester grade here depends on this final. You have to get a B or better to pass this semester.”
Matt nodded and returned to his seat in front of mine.
“Matt, why are you letting your grades slip?” I asked quietly.
“I guess I don’t know how to do this stuff.”
“I can help you?”
“Ahem. Back to what we were going over…” the teacher interrupted us. “You take the square root of…” He turned to the blackboard.
“Matt, do you need help with it?” I whispered.
He shook his head. I sighed and listened to the teacher drone on about the
square roots of negative numbers and what-not.
Matt did end up passing the first semester. All of his classes he passed, some easily, some barely. Second semester was the same, only more verbal. I was starting to worry. I didn’t want this guy to loose out on a good education. He was a smart kid. At least we still got along great. All of us had the same lunch. All of us as in Matt, Gerard, his brother Mikey who was my age., Steph, Sonny, Travis, Derek, and I.
Derek and Travis were Sonny’s new band mates. I should know, because they keep on trying to get Matt to join, and even me, because of my singing. Both of us keep on saying no though. There were some times, just to avoid the question, we would go sit outside for lunch. I enjoyed that more, because Matt would always be romantic and fun.
“One day, we should sneak into my room and…” he proceeded to whisper the rest into my ear.
“Matt, you know that I wanna wait till marriage.”
“Promise me then. We will get married?”
“You’re proposing? You’re only sixteen,” I laughed. “You’ll stop at nothing to get
laid, won’t you?”
“It’s not like I’m forcing you to do anything.”
“I’ll think about it. Come on, the bell’s about to ring.” I got up to my feet.
We went back inside and split up for the locker rooms to gym class. I grabbed my stuff and went to find Steph. She was in the same gym period as me, but in a different kind of class.
“So, you like that Gerard guy?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s so…what’s the word…I dunno. He’s great. He’s so sweet to me.
He’s just like how Matt is to you.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about his grades slipping. Matt used to be in all honors classes, but this year he only has like three.”
“Some people choose to slack off.”
“It worries me. Remember when we were thirteen in the tree house when he said he had no clue what he wanted to do when he grows up?”
“Yeah.”
“My point exactly. And Sonny said that those kind of people were most likely to become killers or something.”
“Lisa, you’re off your rocker.”
I looked at her oddly. “And you’re just as weird as me.”
“Yes I am. Don’t worry. Matt is not going to grow up to be a criminal. Although, he would make a hot one.”
“Hey, he’s mine,” I hit her playfully. “Have fun in your aerobics class. I get to play
hockey.” I laughed.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Matthew Good, put your stick away and get on the track! You do not purposely
hit another player!” The teacher yelled.
I continued to play as I watched Matt slowly jog laps, speeding up when the
teacher looked. I shook my head and sighed.
“Matt, lemme see your schedule.” I snatched it out of his hand. “What? We only have four classes together. And you’re only in three honors classes?”
“What can I say?”
“I say get them grades up boy,” I pushed him playfully. “Hey, we got driver’s ed together.”
“Hey look, there’s Steph and that guy,” Matt pointed.
I ran over. “Steph! What’s up?”
“Lisa! Hey!”
“So, we’ve seen you with this guy all last year, and you never introduced us?” I looked at the pale guy with spiky black hair.
“Oh. This is Gerard. He’s a junior this year. Gerard? My best friends, and cutest couple, Lisa, and Matt.”
“Nice to meet you,” Gerard said.
“Likewise. Steph, what ever happened between you and Sonny?”
“He said he liked me, but that was after I met Gerard. I said we should just be
best friends. We are.”
“Oh. Well, does Gerard wanna come to the tree house?” I asked.
“Tree house? Isn’t that a bit childish?” Gerard said.
“No. It’s our hangout place. We’ve always hung out there, since we were all
about eight,” Stephanie said. “Wanna come?”
“I guess. I ain’t got nothing better to do. My brother went home already.”
The four of us went to hang out at the tree house. Nothing special, just talking.
Sophomore year went by a bit more smoothly. Right after Christmas break, the week before midterms was upon us. I remembered our math teacher talking to Matt.
“Mr. Good. Your semester grade here depends on this final. You have to get a B or better to pass this semester.”
Matt nodded and returned to his seat in front of mine.
“Matt, why are you letting your grades slip?” I asked quietly.
“I guess I don’t know how to do this stuff.”
“I can help you?”
“Ahem. Back to what we were going over…” the teacher interrupted us. “You take the square root of…” He turned to the blackboard.
“Matt, do you need help with it?” I whispered.
He shook his head. I sighed and listened to the teacher drone on about the
square roots of negative numbers and what-not.
Matt did end up passing the first semester. All of his classes he passed, some easily, some barely. Second semester was the same, only more verbal. I was starting to worry. I didn’t want this guy to loose out on a good education. He was a smart kid. At least we still got along great. All of us had the same lunch. All of us as in Matt, Gerard, his brother Mikey who was my age., Steph, Sonny, Travis, Derek, and I.
Derek and Travis were Sonny’s new band mates. I should know, because they keep on trying to get Matt to join, and even me, because of my singing. Both of us keep on saying no though. There were some times, just to avoid the question, we would go sit outside for lunch. I enjoyed that more, because Matt would always be romantic and fun.
“One day, we should sneak into my room and…” he proceeded to whisper the rest into my ear.
“Matt, you know that I wanna wait till marriage.”
“Promise me then. We will get married?”
“You’re proposing? You’re only sixteen,” I laughed. “You’ll stop at nothing to get
laid, won’t you?”
“It’s not like I’m forcing you to do anything.”
“I’ll think about it. Come on, the bell’s about to ring.” I got up to my feet.
We went back inside and split up for the locker rooms to gym class. I grabbed my stuff and went to find Steph. She was in the same gym period as me, but in a different kind of class.
“So, you like that Gerard guy?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s so…what’s the word…I dunno. He’s great. He’s so sweet to me.
He’s just like how Matt is to you.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about his grades slipping. Matt used to be in all honors classes, but this year he only has like three.”
“Some people choose to slack off.”
“It worries me. Remember when we were thirteen in the tree house when he said he had no clue what he wanted to do when he grows up?”
“Yeah.”
“My point exactly. And Sonny said that those kind of people were most likely to become killers or something.”
“Lisa, you’re off your rocker.”
I looked at her oddly. “And you’re just as weird as me.”
“Yes I am. Don’t worry. Matt is not going to grow up to be a criminal. Although, he would make a hot one.”
“Hey, he’s mine,” I hit her playfully. “Have fun in your aerobics class. I get to play
hockey.” I laughed.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Matthew Good, put your stick away and get on the track! You do not purposely
hit another player!” The teacher yelled.
I continued to play as I watched Matt slowly jog laps, speeding up when the
teacher looked. I shook my head and sighed.