Shawn was an average student. His grades were only decent and could be improved if only he gave a shit. He was a returning graduate, nineteen in a class with seventeen year olds. The truth was, he really didn't care. Shawn and his mother lived alone and moved around the country at least once a year. Her jobs were only temporary so he never had motivation to do well in his classes because he would not be there long. He had been at Cordell High for about two months, and found himself acting up in class in order to be noticed; he did not have time to get close enough to anybody to call a friend.
One Thursday night after dinner, Shawn's mother was clearing up the table when the telephone rang. "Hello?" she answered after a few rings. She talked softly into the phone, and after a while began to form that familiar "mother look" as she glanced disapprovingly to her son. "Okay, thank you. I will. Bye."
Shawn groaned as he watched his mother stand over him with her arms crossed- he knew he was in trouble. "Shawn... that was your teacher, Miss Donovan."
"And?" Shawn inquired. "I aced that test didn't I? What did I get? 100%?
"Try 20%, what the hell do you think you're doing?" She angrily spat out. "I work too hard to get you a good education, I have money saved up for college, and you won't even try!"
Shawn would normally brush this off and go to his room to play his new football game, but there was something about his mother's face that made him feel guilty. He knew his mom worked really hard, and it was tough for her ever since his dad walked out on her. This was obviously something that meant a lot to her, so he sat at the table and let her finish talking.
"Your teacher is giving you another chance to study for this test. She wants to see you do well and sees your potential, so you are going to stay after school tomorrow and write it over again. She is giving up her own time for you- so you had better not blow it. I will call her on Saturday morning to see your results; I think you had better study now.