My Favorite Part // Fexi

14. The Dropout

Lexi had barely slept the night before, but for good reason; she'd stayed up half the night talking to Fez on the phone. It was cheesy and clearly something that only seemed to exist in rom coms. It was surely something she'd never really pictured herself doing-that was definitely more of Cassie's thing-but, in the same sense, it was also romantic and made her feel like other girls her age. Giddy and in love. And normal.

Well, as normal as her first secret relationship with a drug dealer could be.

Admittedly, although the recent fallout between her family had been very rough, there were actually a few slight advantages to Cassie now being gone and Lexi finally having a room to herself. She could stay up all night long, literally until the sun came up, chatting on the phone with her own boyfriend (which was still so strange to wrap her head around) this time. With nobody to stop her, or tell her to shut it off. She could have that feeling of privacy to tell him the things she wanted out loud, even when they were apart.

"..So for the Spring Fling dance I'm thinking of wearing green..but not like gross grassy green, but, more of an emerald green..with maybe gold accessories. Kind of going for a royalty look, you know?"

"..You'll look gorgeous in whatever you choose, shorty. I just wish I could go with you," Fez sighed in reply; partially in tiredness, but also because the disappointing thought of missing out on important events like school dances with Lexi.

Sometimes, though he never opened up about it, Fez truly did wish that he could have the normal school experience like other people his age. He somewhat missed it.

Academics were never his strong point, though, and after years of being ridiculed and doubted by both peers and teachers for his struggles with learning, it gave him even more of a reason to drop out-along with him getting more involved with the drug game. But all in all, he just missed having the choice to feel like a normal kid his age and participate in stupid things like Spirit Week or corny school dances.

He would've loved to go with Lexi Howard, no matter how stupid the concept of Spring Fling really was.

Since dropping out, however, he realized that he was actually pretty decent in mathematics-he was very accurate when it came to business and keeping track of all of the profits down to every last penny. Who knows if he would've discovered this skill otherwise?

Fez was still looking into taking GED (General Education Development) courses, and with Lexi's support, he was going to start making some phone calls around to see where he could get in at. Not many people in his life had encouraged him until this point. But he now knew that it wasn't too late for him.

{A Week Later}

"..Well, sweetheart, they do say-that the longer you wait, the harder it is to go back or to stick with it. But, see I'm living proof that's not true. I got my GED at 27 years old, after giving birth to my second child. I'd been out of school for about..hm, I'd say 12 years at that point! And my parents had completely given up on me.

..You know, life got real. I'm going to be completely candid with you right now. I met someone-and ended up having a baby at 15 years old. Ultimately, then the pressure of motherhood, trying to maintain my education and provide financially for a new baby was just too much on me-I..I had to make tough sacrifices, so unfortunately-school was the first thing I threw the towel in on. I never ever thought I'd be able to go back. I was ashamed for a long time.

Luckily, when I finally did make the choice to go back, I had an instructor who believed in me! She encouraged me, and also-she allowed me to bring my newborn son on nights where I didn't have a sitter. I appreciated that more than anybody could ever know.