Max

School stands for: six cruel hours of our lives. That statement is so true, so very true. Especially going to Mr. Hoover's math class, my least favorite class. The subject that threatens my playing football. 

Mr. Hoover's class is the first one I go to in the morning which puts me in a bad mood. I walk in the with a scowl on my face.

"Max." I heared my best friend Carter say. "I am guessing you haven't caught up with all your assignments." 

I roll my eyes, sure enough he was right. Why do best friends know everything?

Carter shook his head. "Think about it dude, you are our quarterback, if you don't get your act up you may not be able to play."

'Ugh he does sound just like the teacher.'

I catch the pair of eyes that was looking at me. There, sat curly redhead Sally Mcdonaldson, giving her obnoxious shy smile. 'That girl really needs to give up.' 

Sally, the happy nerdy theater girl, has had a crush on me ever since the beginning of high school. She'd always look at me and give that dorky smile. She will try to find a way to talk to me or be around me. I make an effort to avoid her at all times.

"Hi-ya Mmax." Oh great, this is the other reason why I hate this class. She would try to come up to me and talk.

"I-I was wondering, are-are you, I mean do you need help with assignments you are behind on?"

"No but thanks for offering," I replied bluntly.

She smiled at me and walked to her best friend, Charlie, who was sitting at a desk rolling her eyes and a grin on her face.

Pathetic! Thing One and Thing Two always got on the last of my nerves. I sat down at my desk and roll my eyes and Carter looked at me.

"Just try to be kind to them. This our senior year, in a few months you won't see them anymore."

"Yeah, a few month too long." I grumbled and gave Sally a glare. I put up with her for so long. And every time I make sure she knows I reject her. Why won't she ever give up!

"Heya man." when I heard that voice irritation boiled inside of me. Right after Sally, Xander Washington would be my least favorite person in the school. But the thing with Xander, is that he is on the football team with me. He is jealous of my skills since I am the team main quarterback. While he mostly is sits on the sidelines in games as the secondary quarterback. 

"Ya uncle probably gonna give ya extra recess," Xander said. I roll my eyes. How many times is he going to use 'My uncle is the coach therefore he favors me' accusation. It was true that the coach was my uncle, but he only had me as the quarterback since I was the one who did it the best.

"Screw off, Xander," I said with a growl.

Xander put his hands up looking all defensive "Gosh, my man, I was just trying to be friendly."

I took a deep long sigh when I hear the footsteps of our math teacher, Mr. Hoover walking to the class. When he came in, he looked straight at me like he always does before he starts his lesson. I have always been his least favorite student. 

He put down his briefcase on his desk while he still stares directly at me. I avoid making eye contact for too long. When he took his eyes off me, he stood before the class to begin his lesson.

"Good morning class, today we are going to start off what we learned yesterday as a review. Before I begin-

Oh no.

-I want you all to know that we will be taking a quiz on Friday, in two days. I want everyone to work hard. It going to be on everything we have learned over this month. I expect nothing lower than a C plus. If you fail, you will have to stay after school to learn what you didn't understand," the teacher looked right at me.

"Great!" I said under my breath.

"Do you have something to say Mr. Turner?" Mr. Hoover said giving me a stern look. I shake my head.

"Max, I suggest you listen and study hard for this quiz. You have failed many assignments and are behind everyone else. If you don't start getting your act together, I will keep you after school."

"Yes sir," I said but deep down I won't even put an ounce of effort to the assignment.

"Next assignment you need to at least a B and to catch up with all your work. To make sure you will study hard and complete your assignments, I will assign Sally Mcdonaldson to help you out for you to catch up-

'Of course it's Sally! Everything always works against me.' I look over at her, there she sat with cheeks burning red that match her hair.

-You must get it done no later than next week Friday, which would be plenty of time," Mr. Hoover's voice was stern.

"Yes sir."

"Now," he said getting his attention off me, "Open up to chapter twenty-four as I explain how to do this formula..."

~•~

"Give me one hundred! Now go!" 

I heard my Uncle Peter, well Coach Ross, shouting to us commands to do push ups. 

"Do you think you can win the next game with those push ups? No! Get yourself lower to the ground and as high into the sky as you can!"

I listen to what my uncle says and improved my form for my pushups. I keep pushing myself even though my muscles were screaming to stop. When I got to the hundredth one I collapsed on the ground.

"Get up Max! This isn't nap time, it's practice! Go and do a hundred sit-ups! All of you, go!" My uncle shouted.

I lay down on the ground while Carter keeps my feet to the ground and says, "Dude, you need to work hard on Mr. Hoover's class as much as you do in football practice."

"The thing is I am not going to do that kind of crap in real life, football is my future," I replied.

"But if you don't work hard complete and get good grades in class, you won't be able to play."

"Yeah, yeah, I am going to have that Sally girl do my assignments for me."

"You can't do that man. What if Mr. Hoover finds-

"Mr. Hoovever is not going to find out," I say cutting him off.

"Speaking of Sally, look over by the bleachers."

I didn't need to look at the bleachers to know that Sally would be sitting on them watching us practice while she was doing her homework. She has been doing this every school day since freshman year. And my gosh, it is so annoying. I shake my head. "That girl needs to get a life. A life that doesn't involve stalking me or those silly little theater songs."

"This isn't chit chat time! It is practice time. Now shut your mouths and get back to work!" My uncle ordered.

I shut my mouth but that didn't stop me from giving Sally a glare. Even though we are about a hundred feet away, I could see her flush red and see her white teeth grin that smile. I turn away from her to keep myself from getting sick.

~•~

Sally

"Sally, are you stalking him again?" my best friend Charlie Hays asked with a laugh.

"Maybe," I replied giggling.

"Girl, how many years has it been? 2-3-4 years!" She said counting on her fingers.

"And this is my last year to get his attention."

"Isn't he dating Lindsey Cash."

"Don't bring her up," I said with a disgusted face.

Lindsey and I have never been close at all. We were sworn enemies. She would always try to find a way to make my day worse than it already is.

"You know Lindsey and Max go well together, same nasty, arrogant personality. You aren't missing anything. Ugh speaking of the devil, here she comes," I hear Charlie lower her voice when a blonde haired girl walks up and sits beside us.

"Ah hi Sally, Charles-

"It's Charlie."

"Isn't nice to watch my wonderful boyfriend practice playing football. You know he could get a scholarship for how well he plays. Which one if your guys boyfriends. Oh wait... theater nerds don't get the good ones." Lindsey said smiled big with her perfect pink lips.

"But the 'good one' also go for blonde haired hookers like you," Charlie spat back.

"But people like you would pay to have someone like me because you can't ones yourselves."

Charlie gritted her teeth and turned red. I pulled her back from Lindsey. 

"Sally why do you always come to school with bed hair?" Lindsey said.

"Come on Charlie let's go somewhere else," I say grabbing my friend's arm to walk away. But unfortunately Lindsey grab me from behind.

"I was speaking to you, you red leech!" With that she pushed me down making me crash onto the bleachers. It hurt a lot, enough to make my eyes fill with tears.

"What is wrong with you?!" Charlie shouted.

"Oops, I am sorry let me help you up," Lindsey said with mock sympathy reaching out her hand to me.

"Don't touch her, you you you-

"Charlie I-I am fine let's just go," I said reaching for my backpack until Lindsey snatched it away.

"Is this your backpack? Here...Oh oops!" All my things in my backpack fell to the ground when she purposefully held my open back upside down. "Let me help you put your stuff back."

"No we can do it! Now go, shoo," Charlie said waving her hands.

"Well gosh, if this what happens when I try to be nice," Lindsey scoffed.

After gathering my stuff we walked away as quickly as we could. 

"That Lindsey Cash is a rash on the ass," Charlie scoffed, "No wonder she and Max are so good together. I can't believe you like him, for four years! I don't know what you see in him. He is rude, arrogant, dumb jerk!"

"Says the person who has a crush Big Bird from Sesame Street ," I teased my best friend.

"Hey, I was five! Don't use my stupid child brain against me," she said jokingly shaking her fist at me.

"Come on let's get out of here before Lindsey presses her perfect but rancid lips on his."

We walked out of the school property and went into the neighborhoods where I lived. I always walked to and from school since it's only a ten minute walk. 

When we got my house I noticed my dad's car in the driveway. Charlie looked at me was a concerned expression. "Want me to walk you in?"

"No, it would be better if you don't," I quietly, "I don't want anything to happen."

"Ok, just if things get bad, call me and you can stay at my house tonight."

"Thanks Charlie. I better get inside now," I said waving my friend a goodbye. I anxiously walk into the house preparing myself for whatever may come. When I heard shouting, I ran to the kitchen 

In the kitchen I saw him, him pressing my mom against the wall, shouting profanities and threats at her. I had to stop him.

"Get your grubby hands off her!" I shouted and pushed him as hard as I could. 

"Is that how talk to your father?!" He growled glaring at me with hatred in his eyes. He raised his hand and it met my face. 

"Just don't hurt her please," I begged.

"This filthy pig won't do as I say! I am her husband she much listen to me!

"Why are you back anyways Jared? Did the other woman dump you?"

His eyes boiled with rage, "I am your father and you should respect me!"

"You aren't a father to me, Jared! Now leave my mother and me alone!"

"Not until I get five hundred dollars!"

"Did you lose a bet or is it money to sleep around?"

His hand met my face again but this time harder. I look into is eyes again and I see so much evil and hatred in them.

"I-I have some m-money," I said shaking in fear.

"Hand it over!"

"I-it in my r-room," I say trying to sound strong but my fear overtakes me.

"No Sally sweetie, I won't let you give your money away," my mom said, "Jared, I going to send the money to you. You will get it by tonight."

"It better! Because I know where you live!" With that he stormed out of the house.

"I am so sorry you had to see that Sally," my mother said hugging me.

"It is alright I am used to it. He comes back every month begging for money."

"I am just so sorry Sally."

"It isn't your fault mom," I said reassuring her.

"I wish you could grow up with a real family."

"I do have a real family, because I have you mom. That's all I need."

I hugged my mom again and went upstairs to my room. I crashed onto the bed and sighed. It will be a while before highschool is over. But once it is over I can escape this place called hell and never look back.

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Hope you enjoyed my first chapter. Feel free to point out any grammar mistakes. Thanks a lot ❤️