Hereâs a little something from the Little Talks universe thatâs been sitting in my notes for a few weeks now. This is set when Lukas was freshman in high school.
Lukas gripped the paper tightly, shaking slightly. 82%. His vision blurred until all he could see was that number. A B, how could he have gotten a B? And in Algebra of all things? Math was one of his best subjects, it was unfathomable that he could have gotten anything less than an A on a test.
He glanced cautiously around the room, keeping his face blank. âOxenstierna,â he called to the boy in front of him. He didnât know him that well, since they had gone to different middle schools, but he knew that Berwald also got top grades. The boy turned around, glaring at him silently, and Lukas frowned back.
âHmm?â Berwald prompted.
âWhat did you get for number three?â
In lieu of a response, the boy showed him his test. Lukas only needed to glance at it to realize what his mistake had been: he had missed a negative. Stupid, so stupid. The one-millimeter-sized symbol had cost him an A. He readjusted his glasses, thinking of the consequences heâd face for this. Would it be a lecture about maintaining focus, a snide remark about finding him a tutor, or a passive-aggressive question of âhow many Bâs do you have nowâ? It was hard to predict his parentsâ reactions, only that theyâd have one. Thatâs why it was easier to focus and study and work until he achieved the perfection they demanded from him. Then, if he was lucky, theyâd be proud of him. Well, they certainly wouldnât be proud of a B...
âThanks,â he muttered to his classmate.
His chest ached, and it was getting hard to breathe. The tips of his fingers were going numb.
âIf anyone is unhappy with their grades, Iâm giving out extra credit if you participate in the math competition on Saturday,â announced their teacher.
Lukas sat up a little straighter in his seat. At least he could assure his parents that he would make up for the lapse with extra credit. He took a deep breath. At least he had a plan now. After class, he went straight to the sign-up sheet.
âDidnât think youâd need extra credit, Thomassen.â
Lukas whirled around to scowl at his classmate. âItâs none of your business, Oxenstierna.â
Berwald grabbed the test from his hands and scanned it before Lukas could snatch it back. âNot bad,â he said.
âNot good either,â he spat.
âYou could say that.â
Berwald grunted and turned around, heading for his next class, and Lukas glowered at his back. Not bad, indeed, who did he think he was?
He tried to put the test out of his mind for the rest of the day. He couldnât let this slip mess up his focus in his other classes. He was like a juggler tossing porcelain plates; one misstep, and it would all come crashing down.
He sat by himself on the bus as usual, dug the test out of his bag, and started preparing his speech. Iâm sorry, Mother and Father, but Iâll make up for it. It was a mistake, and I wonât make it again. I wonât let it affect my gradeâŚ
âThomassen.â Lukas jumped as his thoughts were interrupted. Berwald was sitting next to him.
âOxenstierna,â he acknowledged before looking out the window. He had to concentrate, figure out exactly what to say to appease his parents as quickly as possible.
His classmate suddenly snatched the test out of his hands once again. Lukas opened his mouth to protest, but Berwald held up one finger. He pulled two markers out of his backpack: a whiteout marker, and a fat, red correction marker. He leaned over the test, squinting in concentration, and after a minute or two gave it back to Lukas. The negative sign that he had missed was gone, as was the big red check next to problem number three. His test now proudly proclaimed 100% at the top, and you could hardly tell it had once said something different.
Lukas gaped at his classmate, who stared back silently.
Of course, these days teachers posted grades online for any parent to snoop through, but by the time Lukasâs parents would see his real grade, he would already have the extra credit from the math competition. Maybe they wouldnât even notice it if it didnât affect his grade. This forgery had bought him some time.
The bus came to a stop. âSee you Saturday,â Berwald said, gathering his belongings and exiting. Lukas stared after him. Why had someone he barely knew done something so nice for him?
And why wouldnât his heart stop pounding in his chest?