🦉WIse OWL CHRONICLES🦉

 I reminisced about Sunday, the day of the big game.  The sweat trickled down my face during the last few seconds of the game, and I knew that this game depended on me. Without hesitation I kicked the ball and watched in delight as the goalie went from determined to defeated. The buzzer sounded and our team had won! I was overjoyed that we had won, even though now  it was Monday, where I had my first period with Mrs. Fitzgerald, my science teacher. “Carrie got out of bed and came down for breakfast!” My mom yelled. “ Coming!” I replied. As I headed downstairs, the smell of blueberry pancakes reached my nose. I scarfed down the pancakes and headed out the door.

As I walked into the science room, my friends Angela and Jessica gave me worried looks. It was then I noticed the folders around the room. Then it dawned on me, it was a pop quiz. I groaned with disappointment, as science was my worst subject and this probably wouldn’t help my grade. Then I picked up my pencil and began.Ok first question, I thought. How has the surface of earth changed over time? I didn’t remember learning about that so I skipped the first question, and the second and the third……  I didn’t know any of these! “ Ok, ten minutes left everybody!” Mrs. Fitzgerald yelled. I figured that I didn’t know anything on the quiz so I just scribbled down some random answers and walked to turn it in. “ Are you sure you want to turn that in? You finished the quiz?” Mrs. Fitzgerald asked with a doubtful face. I sighed and responded “ No it finished me.” and walked back to my desk with a cloud of gloom over my head. 

Later at lunch I plopped down at our usual table and turned to Angela and Jessica, “ Ok what was that science test? Please tell me I’m not the only one who thought that was hella rigged.”  

Jessica responded with “ I know right?! None of that was on the study guide.” 

“ Actually, I thought it was easy, we learned it but yeah the study guide was kinda lacking. I think I got like a B+.” Angela said. “ Easy for you to say.” Jessica retorted, “ You’re like hella smart. And you 100%  got an A.”

 “ My parents are gonna kill me!” I whined, “ I definitely got like a C or D.”  “ Let’s talk about something else.” Jessica said, wanting to change the subject. I nodded my head in agreement. “ Ok Angela, how about we tell Jessica about our soccer game?” I said. 

 Angela beamed with excitement and said “ It was amazing! The other team was so good but we beat them 8-7, because Carrie scored the winning goal!” Then the bell rang, and it was time for Spanish. I went through the next two periods with a sense of dread inside me. I couldn’t get the science quiz out of my head. I knew that I didn’t do great, because well, I didn’t exactly understand the science test. But how bad did I do?

The next day at school, I tensely waited for science class. Ms. Fitzgerald was notorious for NEVER grading our homework but deciding to grade our TESTS in a day. I have homework from September that hasn’t been graded, but I think our test will be back today. I turned to Angela and panicked “ Do you think she’ll let me make the test up?”

Angela looked at me with pity and responded “ Unfortunately, probably not because she doesn’t believe in second chances, or freedom, or child labor laws……” “ But look on the bright side! When you’re a famous soccer player nobody’s gonna care about if you did good in science or not!” I gave Angela a sad smile, appreciative of her attempt to cheer me up. However, I didn’t know if I would be a professional soccer player. No thanks to Ms. Fitzgerald, and her grading system! My parents said if I didn’t bring up my science grades, then I couldn’t do soccer till they improved. And this would DEFINITELY bring my grades down. I was trapped in thought until I snapped out of it, as the bell rang for class.

“ Hey, you good? You looked kinda spacey.” Angela said.

“ I’m ok,” I replied, not really meaning it. “ Just thinking.”

Angela gave me a sympathetic look “ It’s time for science. Good luck…”

I anxiously entered the science room, and plopped down in my chair. A quick glance around the room showed that there were no papers passed out, and Mrs.Fitzgerald wasn’t here. I sighed with relief. Maybe she hadn’t graded them yet, and was absent. Then my tranquility was shattered, as Mrs. Fitzgerald walked in the room.

“ Sorry I’m late everyone.” Ms. Fitzgerald said.

“ I’ll be passing back your tests in a minute. And let’s just say it’s not something to brag about. I’m very disappointed about these results. I hope you’ll all try harder next time.”

Time slowed down as Mrs. Fitzgerald walked around the room, the click-clack of her heels,the expression on each person changing from being nervous to horrified. Until she got to me. I’ll never forget the disappointed, disgusted look on Ms. Fitzgerald’s face as she handed my paper face down. I couldn’t see the grade but all the red markings and x’s bled through to the back. I flipped over the paper and my eyes turned wide in bewilderment. My first F, glaring at me with red eyes and taunting me. I clutched my paper, not believing what stood before me. I had gotten bad grades before, a couple C’s and D’s but I had NEVER gotten an F.

What were my parents going to say about this? I’d be grounded for sure, but they wouldn’t stop at that. They threatened to take me out of soccer and I couldn’t let that happen. Then an idea struck me. What if I didn’t tell them? They wouldn’t find out, because they haven’t figured out how to access my schoology account. Yes! That was perfect, my parents wouldn’t be mad, I wouldn’t be grounded, and I wouldn’t have to worry about my grades anymore! I trotted off to my next class with a sense of joy inside me. I had figured out the solution to all of my problems!

At lunch I sat down with a grin on my face. Jessica gave me a weird look. “ Why do you look so happy? I presume your test went well?” 

Still grinning I responded “ Nope it actually went horrible. I got an F.”

Jessica turned to me confused “ Ok… and I thought my C was bad. But an F is like REALLY REALLY bad, why are you happy?!”

“ I’ve decided not to tell my parents! They’ll never find out!” I responded happily.

“ That’s not a good idea,” said Jessica.

“ Why not? No one’s getting hurt, and I’d probably get grounded if I told them.”

Jessica started to say something but then Angela cut in “ I actually think it’s a great idea. Your parents won’t be mad and you’ll get to stay on the soccer team. Which is good for us, ‘cause we can’t survive without you on the team.”

“ I still think it’s a bad idea,” Jessica said. “ But do what you gotta do, I guess.” “ Oh hey Angela, what did you get on the quiz?” Jessica asked.

“ I got an A minus,” Angela said disappointedly. “ I could’ve done better but that test was kinda hard.” 

I chucked a french fry at Angela “ HOW are you disappointed with AN A??!??!?”

“ Because I usually do better…” Angela said sheepishly. “ Oh and don’t forget we’ve got soccer practice after school.”

When I went home from school I felt a strange sense of liberation. I was free from all worries about my grades.

I walked in and saw my dad in the kitchen making dinner. “ Hey dad.” I said.

“Oh hi Carrie! Don’t forget you’ve got soccer practice today.” Dad said. “ And by the way how did that science test go?”

I sunk to my stomach, did my parents find out? “ She hasn’t graded it yet,” I lied.

“ Oh that’s a shame. Now go get ready for soccer.”

I trudged up the stairs and to my room. I didn’t want to lie to my parents but I also didn’t want to tell them. As I slipped on my uniform, I considered telling my parents. Then I considered the consequences of doing so, and I decided to not tell them. The drive to the soccer field felt like hours, as my dad asked countless questions about school. As soon as we reached I rushed out of the car, and waved bye to my dad. I glanced around looking for Angela, and when I spotted her she waved. I walked over to her, and asked “ So what are we doing in soccer practice today?”

“ We’re doing the cone drills right now and dribbling later.” Angela respond. 

“Ugh! I hate those!” I said with a twinge of annoyance.

“ Why? Your so good at everything!” Angela said.

“ Also we have another science test. Tomorrow.” Angela said.

“ WHAT! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT EARLIER!” I yelped.

“ It was literally written on the calender 2 weeks ago,” Angela said in disbelief.

“ OK KIDS BREAK IT UP ITS TIME FOR CONES,” our coach yelled.

I was a blur running around the cones with the ball, in my element not seeing the cones but my future as a soccer player. I then stopped dead in my tracks when I heard my name being called.

“ CARRIE THOMAS! YOU GET OVER HERE NOW.RIGHT NOW.” It was my mom, and she used my full name, so she was definitely mad. Oh no, did she find out about my grades? I rushed over in a panic, “ What’s wrong mum?” I said knowing the answer.

“ Oh you know what’s wrong.” She said in an angry tone. “ Your teacher Mrs. Fitzgerald just called and informed me that you’re failing science and have a test TOMORROW.” “ We’re going home right now, and you’re going to study.”

“ But what about soccer!?” I said.

“ You won’t have to worry about that anymore. Me and your father and taking you out of the team, and you’re grounded.”

“ But soccer is my dream!” I yelled defeated with tears glistening in my eyes.

“ If you wanna make your dreams come true, better get studying.” My mom said with anger.

As I sat at my desk, poring over my science notes, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of my stomach. The looming science test felt like a dark cloud hanging over me, casting a shadow over everything else in my life, including soccer, my future. Despite my best efforts to focus, my mind kept drifting back to the events of the past week. The F on my last test haunted me like a specter, a constant reminder of my failure. I knew I had let down my parents, but even worse, I had lost my spot on the soccer team. I threw myself into studying with renewed determination. Every spare moment was devoted to mastering the material, to proving to myself and everyone else that I was capable of more than just failure. Finally, the dreaded day arrived. As I sat at my desk, pencil poised over the test paper, my heart raced with nervous energy. But this time, I was ready. I answered each question to the best of my ability, drawing on everything I had learned in my hours of study. When Mrs. Fitzgerald collected the tests, I felt a flicker of hope amidst the anxiety. Maybe this time would be different. Maybe this time, I would finally succeed. The next day at school I walked into the science room with hope and determination. I sat down, closed my eyes and braced myself for the worst. Then Mrs. Fitzgerald walked over to my desk, and placed my paper face up. “ Good job Carrie.” I opened my eyes, gripped the paper with my hands trembling, scanned my paper and saw a beautiful bold  B+ in all it’s glory.