The Jock and the Nerd

Monday

"Alright students put away your cell phones and get out your number two pencils," Ms. Applebottom said. She was a thin elderly lady with the patience of a flea. Tough on everyone she meets, you never want to cross Ms. Applebottom, unless you have time for logarithms in detention. 

The students shuffled back to their seats. Ms. Applebottom placed the tests facedown on each student's desk. 

"Now remember no peeking until the bell rings."

Henry shoots up from his desk. "Teach! Teach!" 

Ms. Applebottom sighed. The first of many today. "Yes, Henry, and it is Ms. Applebottom to you." 

"I don't have a pencil," Henry said.

The class started an uproar of laughter at Henry's expense. Henry merely smiled. A usual routine of Ms. Applebottom's junior class.

 "Henry, you are almost a senior you must take these tests seriously or you'll end up like a washed up old hag," Ms. Applebottom said. 

Henry was the school's number one sports fanatic and part-time class clown. There was no outdoor activity Henry did not enjoy. Henry was a team player and a great coach. His looks are of nothing short from handsome with a body similar to Hercules. He could bench five hundred pounds without breaking a sweat. The only problem with Henry was, he's fast. 

When going home or to school, Henry runs. A task that would take ten minutes for the average joe takes four minutes or less for Henry. He eats fast. During the lunch rush, Henry is already at his table golfing down heaps of the mystery meat and mash potatoes. Henry goes through girls like fish breath water. Henry even gets ready for school fast. It's no wonder he forgot his pencil.

"Here you go, Henry." Emily the sweetest girl in the class hands Henry a number two pencil. Miss perfection with straight A's, straight teeth, but completely flat.

"Thanks, Em," Henry said. "Hey teach, can I sharpen my pencil?" 

Another sigh passes through Ms. Applebottom's wrinkled lips. "Go ahead."

As Henry sharpens his pencil. The classroom door opens just as the bell rings. Ms. Applebottom lets out another sigh and shakes her head. Another habit of Ms. Applebottom is when she shakes her head in disbelief which occurs often for a certain student. "Well Mr. Anderson, it is nice to have you in class a minute after the bell, as usual."

"Hey it's slow Al," Henry proclaims. 

The rest of the class except for sweet Emily laugh at Henry's remark. Ms. Applebottom sighs and shakes her head again. 

"Mr. Presto, get to your seat. Everyone be quiet the test has begun!" 

Alex shuffles slowly over to his desk. A student sticks his foot in front of Alex's path. Alex falls over with all of his belongings scattered around him. The rest of the class breaks into muffled laughter and towards the poor boy. 

"Silence," Ms. Applebottom yells across the room. "Another peep and I fail all of you." 

Alex gathers his things slowly then settles in his chair. Alex, as you might have figured, is the butt of everyone's jokes, while there is a fast jock like Henry, there is a slow nerd like Alex. Alex enjoys to take his time with things. He prefers the long walks home and to school while looking around his small simple town. A task that would take ten minutes to complete for the average joe will take Alex an hour. If the world moved slower than people would move slower, which to Alex wouldn't be all that bad. 

"Pencils down," Ms. Applebottom said. She strut up and down the rows gathering the papers one by one until she reached Alex's desk.

Alex already finished the test. He just wanted the extra time to recheck his answers. Ms. Applebottom tapped her impatient foot as Alex slowly took notice of his teacher. 

"I said 'Pencils down', Mr. Anderson," Ms. Applebottom said. Her arms were crossed but not as cross her expression.

Alex gladly placed the pencil down allowing Ms. Applebottom to receive the last paper in Alex's row. Now, what was Henry doing during all this? 

Well, Henry finished his test almost immediately after he reached his chair. He was in the middle of drooling over his desk when Ms. Applebottom came around.

"Mr. Presto," Ms. Applebottom said. 

Henry did not stir. 

Ms. Applebottom called Henry again. This time a little louder. "Mr. Presto!"

Henry fell out of his chair in shock. "I'm up. I'm up, Teach." 

Ms. Appelbottom collected Henry's paper then moved on. After the tests were collected everyone was given a brief break time until the bell rang for lunch. Meanwhile, Ms. Applebottom was hard at work in grading the tests.

The girls gathered around Henry's table gossiping about this celebrity and that romance scandal.

"So what do you think, Henry?" Angel, the popular girl in the school, asked. Miss congeniality, miss perfection, miss overconfident on the outside but insecure on the inside. 

"I don't care much about celebrities, but hey did you here the Bears are scouting a new quarterback. I'd love to join that team once I get out of high school," Henry said.

"That's if you get out of high school, with your grades I'm surprised you made it to junior year," Angel said.

The other girls giggled. 

The bell rang for lunch. Everyone gathered their things and headed for the door.

"Before you go," Ms. Applebottom said. "Come pick up your test." 

Everyone lined up in front of Ms. Applebottom's desk to grab their test and go. Of course, the first one to get his test and go was Henry. 

"Henry," Ms. Applebottom called. 

Henry was already half-way to the cafeteria. Henry looked back. Ms. Applebottom beckoned him to return to the classroom.

"What's up teach?" 

"Ms. Applebottom," Ms. Applebottom said, "now listen here, you're failing."

"What? I studied all night last night," Henry said.

"Just last night?" Ms. Applebottom said raising her brow. "If you put as much effort in studying as you do sports you would be an A student like Mr. Anderson." 

"That nerd," Henry scoffed.

"Now listen here, Henry. Alex may be smart but he is just like you and every other boy here." 

"Except him being slow," Henry grumbled.

"That's just it. He's too slow and your too fast, which is why I have set up a buddy system for the two of you."

"Buddy system?" Henry asked. He looked at Ms. Applebottom as if she had fallen from a tree and grew wings.

"You study with Mr. Anderson and retake the test. In return you teach Mr. Anderson to get to school on time so to improve his attendance," Ms. Applebottom said proudly.

"Me with him?" Henry shook his head. "No deal." 

"If you don't, I'll make sure you repeat the semester and lose that scholarship to join the Bears college starter team," Ms. Applebottom said. She crossed her arms and waited for Henry's answer. 

Henry reluctantly agreed to the deal.

end of Monday.