Would You Rather Work, Study Or Keep Up The Lies About Both?
10th Grade in High School Issue #22
ifOnlyi…did what I was to do, not lie, not try and just get by, and not try and cheat my way through life as I knew it. What in the world was wrong with me going down this path?
In the tenth grade, my second year in high school, I fell behind in my studies and focus. My arrogance in year one cost me a lot in more ways than lack of studying, because I already knew the subject lessons.
Following three years of boarding at The Howard, in my 8th grade year at Margate Intermediate public school, I realized that I had already learned the subject lessons back at The Howard School.
Slacking off in studying for two years, I had become complacent and lost my desire to focus. This was a stupid, stupid decision to slack off as much as I did. Then there were the lies I would tell my parents:
My homework is done
I have no homework
I left my homework assignment at school
I’m going to a friend’s to work on homework together
Anything and everything to avoid studying.
Guess what my parents did so I wouldn’t have free time when I got home?
An extensive list of daily chores, created just for my lazy ass. Oh No!
My morning list of chores:
Wash down the dog run
Feed the dog
Wash the car ashtrays
Make sure the car windows are clean
My after-school list of chores:
Bike 14 miles to their offices, and work in the warehouse until closing.
Peddle back home
Polish brass
Polish shoes
Water the flower pots outdoors
Lay a table for dinner on staff nights off
Wash one of their four cars every 4 days
My Weekend List of Chores
Wax cars monthly
Wash the tennis court
Mow the lawn and pull weeds
Washing windows - outside weekly and inside monthly.
Picking up snails ( yeah, Dad paid me 1 penny for each snail). I even lied and added 150-200 extra snails to get an additional $1.50 -$2.00. Yikes!
Wash down the driveway every other month.
Our butler even Chauffeured me to my customer’s homes (how embarrassing) with the lawn mower in the trunk along with all other garden tools needed in order to mow the lawns, taking care of their grounds one house at a time. At least I got paid some cash for that work, so I tried to get out as much as possible rather than do unpaid chores at home.
This worked out very well until a friend wanted me to help finish building his go-kart. He had the frame, the wheels, and brakes, but no engine. Rick had a brainwave!
“Let’s take apart the lawn mower and use that engine, and we have some real fun”. Rick suggested. Oh Boy, did it hall ass, and what a blast we had every day, until my parents asked why the grass was getting so tall and uncut.
It was then my ass got the attention, another belt whipping, so much so I wouldn’t be able to sit in the go carts seat for a long time.
Homework and studies moved to the bottom of the list below all other obligations. I just had to keep the lies going. How stupid of me.
When grades came out, mine were nothing to frame or be proud of. I was living on the edge, knowing that punishments would be coming my way, so I had to figure out a way out of my mess.
“How can I get out of this mess? HELP, please, someone help me!” I would beg my friends.
Help showed up, it was help that would cost me a few bucks. I felt I had no choice but to agree, as I couldn’t give the report to my parents. Some kids said, “We can change the grades on your paper for a price”. “What, how, really?” I asked.
Yes, we can add a + to the letter grade from the lowest letter, like a C-, to a C+, almost a B. I said okay, let’s do it, but what about my D’s? No worries, we can change that to B. They only needed a typewriter; they had the perfect one. And a sharp pencil to fill in the finest of lines.
I was golden, and my parents would not be overly happy, but the punishments wouldn’t be so bad with the new grades. After this I realized I had to get my shit together as two report cards were handed out every year.
How would this be possible with work, chores, sports, school, and wanting to have friendships with as many kids as possible? I think I had issues, feeling less than, desperately wanting to be accepted.
During my second semester, I started cheating off my friend's tests, looking left and then looking right so as not to make it too obvious. The only problem with that was when I had to write essays. I had to do it independently, when it was multiple choice, and now that was an art form.
If I missed one line item I was totally screwed. Say I looked at #9 and started writing in the letter of the multiple choice and did it as fast as possible, so as not to get caught. But I messed up! I missed a line, and then every single answer was wrong, ALL WRONG.
Now, it was worse than I imagined; the teacher caught on. He could see I got 30 multiple-choice questions wrong in a row. They were all right when he moved up all the answers by one. “Ollie,” he called out, “can I talk with you please?”. I got caught! Oh no, I would get the belt, but I was in big-time trouble.
By the time the report cards came out, I had my guy lined up to change my grades so I could enjoy a stress-free summer! No way, not happening this time.
My mother got a call. The teacher announced, “Ollie needs to go to summer school and make up his failures for the year”. Summer school. Feck when she found out that my grades did not match up to my report card I could feel the belt whipping my ass from miles away.
This time it was with my pants and undies pulled down, bare skin welts were building up with every swing. My mother had a harsh streak; the angrier she became, the more the belt connected to my skin.
Next, she would say, “Wait until your Dad gets home." I hoped he might be on one of his long business trips, and she might forget. Nope, he was home at 7 pm for dinner and a sit-down with me.
Imagine going to school and having to shower after sports period is over? WELTS………… Black & Blue, serves me right, I guess. But did I need Quadruple humiliation?
Teachers
Mom
Dad
School Kids
ifOnlyi…. short stories are published chronologically, and follow my life growing up in California from 4 years old. If you’ve just found me the stories will come together when you start reading from….Issue #1
thx 🌹🌻🌸💐💚💛💜❤️🌼😍🥰