Playing by Ear (Country Roads #1) - Chapter 16

I told Hanna that afternoon that I’d asked Rhonda to be my girlfriend. She said she was happy for me, but didn’t seem to think it was particularly earth-shattering news. I was probably taking it more seriously than everyone else, since I hadn’t really dated before and definitely never had a girlfriend before.

They’d all started in junior high and had a string of relationships by now. I was sure the newness would eventually wear off, but for now, I was just really enjoying it.

Even though I was still worried about my math grades and what I was going to do about it, I wasn’t as depressed about it as I had been. Rhonda and I talked on the phone every few days before, but that night our phone call was a lot longer. We didn’t really talk about anything in particular, just made idle chit chat while we each went about our night.

Once again, school managed to put a dent in my good mood. This time it was in Coach Bryant’s class, which shouldn’t surprise me at all. If ever there was a place to ruin a good mood, it was around him.

To be fair, this time he actually had a reason to call me out. I’d been daydreaming and hadn’t been paying particular attention when he called my name, pulling me out of my reverie.

“Mr. Nelson. I know you think you don’t have to pay attention like everyone else, so show us how smart you are. We were discussing the characteristics that we use to define a civilization. I gave you six. Name three for me.”

Shit, I was screwed. I’d done the required reading and the book had talked about that, but hadn’t answered that specific question.

“Umm … Agriculture.”

“At least you got the obvious one. Two more.”

“Language?”

“Is that a question?”

“No, language.”

“A shared system of communication. One more.”

“An army?” I said, guessing completely.

“This, ladies and gentlemen, is why it’s important to pay attention in class. Some of you,” he said, not even pretending not to look directly at me, “think you’re too good to put in the work. I’m here to tell you that isn’t how the world works. My boys can tell you how hard I make them work on the field. I know some of you are less athletically inclined …”

He paused to look at me again before continuing, “So you might not have had the chance to learn this. Take Mr. Nelson’s incompetence as a life lesson. You have to do the work and stay focused if you want to win. Or, you can follow Mr. Nelson here and decide winning isn’t everything. Someone’s gotta make fries for the rest of us. Now, let’s continue …”

I tried to keep the anger off my face. The last thing I wanted to do was let him see he’d scored some hits. It wasn’t easy, considering the three football players in the class who seemed to think my embarrassment was hilarious.

I could have kicked myself, in hindsight. I knew Coach Bryant had it in for me, and I’d made myself an easy target by daydreaming.