2003-05-20 - 1:08 p.m. Awakening 3 The Midterm 3/15/97 I was in class and Jonny Mosto was talking He didn�t do this a lot, which is unusual because he is my teacher. I look around my Physics class, and wonder why I am here, and why we call the teacher iceman. Was it from top gun? I am not smart. I know this. I am in Physics AP, and the class consists of all Asian juniors and five white seniors. (also two smart white juniors who are cute AND smart) I can�t help feeling that everyone in here has a brighter future than me. I sit at a two-person desk, but three of us jamokes have squeezed in. Kerbang, Sam, myself. Behind me are my girlfriend and her best friend. We are all really bad at physics. I am the worst. Kerbang could be really good, but doesn�t try, forgets we have tests, and sometimes just leaves. I am lost in this class. I am so bad at math and not great at science. I am a liberal arts guy. I don�t know why I am here. We are getting our midterms back. I know that mine is gonna blow. I studied really hard for this damn thing. I really tried, and I know what its gonna say. 68/100. I predict the 68. That will be like a B minus in this class. I can take that. Sam is humming some rap tune, and doing the beat on our lab bench. My physics book is covered with a Market Basket Bag, and I have drawn lots of silly snakes on it. One says, �Hi, I�m a big brown snake.� I giggle. The Chens are two Chinese girls who are twin who sit ahead of us. They are smart. On is Linda and the other is Fonda. I think we call them Finda. Or Londa. I can�t remember They are essential at passing this class. Not because we work with them. They would never work with us. The five of us senior white kids in the back all work together, but can never get the right answer. Mosto knows this and always gives us the low-ball question. Still we can never figure it out. So I have to go flirt with the Chen sisters. They like me. My friends feel that I have a pheromone that naturally attracts Chinese girls. They always inexplicably like me. I think its because I am not mean to them. But then other girls would like me too. And that certainly isn�t the case. Speaking of which, Laura, my girlfriend in the class, never seems to mind me flirting for the answers. I guess she sees the big picture. I am taking the hit. Sam went once to try and flirt for the notes. That didn�t go well. Sam has never has had a problem with the ladies, because they like him, but in the flirt for a mission situation, he�s got two left feet. **The hunter approaches** �Hey Finda. How�s it going?� �.laughter --they like the gump--�. �yeah. Good to see you two. Been a while.� �Yes gump. Its been since yesterday.� �So you girls liking the Iceman Johnny Most. I think he�s a drag. How�s that assignment coming.� �Oh gump, we finished a while ago. We have just been talking,� they say in unison. Or at least that�s how I remember it. �Really. Wow, you two are good. We are kinda of stuck on number 5. Yeah the one with the thrust. Yeah the thermodynamic thrust package. I was wondering if I could have some help.� �yes gump. How did you start?� �F=MA?� they erupt in a strange clamoring as if I had just won something. �Very good.� �Then I started plugging (thrust motion) and chugging (moving my hands in a train motion.� --this is pure laughter from the Finda. �yeah, so let me see for a sec, and I will give it right back.� �Very good� �Thank Londa� At this point I hand it to John, who photocopies, and then gives to me to give back. Dirty?�yes. Did I pass? Yes. We all gained, and plus they were nice and it was fun to talk to them. Then Mosto hand back the midterm. He wasn�t lazy so he called the names out, but met you halfway. A diplomat to the end that Iceman. Anyway, at this point I had already developed the typical hand sweat. I was thinking I only do well thanks to Linda and Fonda, It was clear that I bombed it worse that a 68 feeling in my gut. Laura got hers back, and immediately put it away. And took it out, looked mad, put it away, looked mad, put it away, looked sad, took it out. Repeat. �I got a 72,� he announced. My heart dropped. This girl was much better at science than me. Sam and John got their tests back. John got an 79 or 80 I believe and was ho-hum satisfied with it, as he treated most his grades, good or bad. He was already into college. Sam did worse, but better than Laura did. Then he called my name. At this point I had already gone through the whole process of dropping the class, staying after to talk to the teacher, making excuses. �I�m the Capt. of the Swim team and it�s been a tough year.� � I have been training for Volleyball� �The pressure of applying to college is effecting my sleep.� �Home Ec. was tough this week� �I am addicted to the Chens!!!� I look. I got an 88. Stunned. Stunned. I put it away. I take it out. I hide it. I immediately think there has been a mistake. No one notices. Sam is looking at John�s and trying to figure out what he did wrong, trying to get a few points back. He�s already calculated his new GPA, as was custom for our group to do. Laura sees it. �Good Job. You got a 78. Wow. That�s pretty good� �88� sheepishly. �What?� �88�.I got an 88.� �Shut the fuck up,� Sam grabbed it, �No way. Did you cheat.� I suddenly think that I did cheat. I get nervous from that. �I don�t think so.� �What? That�s so Gump. Did you or didn�t you cheat?� �I don�t know. Maybe, I mean. I don�t think I did.� �Oh God. Well that�s bullshit.� It was bullshit. I didn�t cheat. I studied. I studied a long time. It paid off. It was one of the most amazing things I had done. Why? Because I wasn�t good at math and I wasn�t good at science, and I was the dumbest one. But that test grade. That made me know that I can do better. And that I was able to do math, even if it was hard. I just needed to work harder. My ability wasn�t natural, but now I majored in math and economics. I got my masters in economics. The liberal arts kid that can�t spell. Its amazing that you can surprise yourself by doing better than you are expected to, but its even more amazing when you learn that its not a surprise. | |||||||||||
