american idiot – green day.

I knew the second grades came back for the first semester. AP US History: F. 47.2%, according to the sheet Mr. Richards gave me. Not even close to a passing grade, and now I’d have to make the credit up somehow. I tried not to think about it while I was finishing second semester, but alas. The counselors caught up to me. Bribed me in to going to summer school by knocking $20 off my tuition. My mom accepted it and enrolled me in the American History I class in the Summer Recovery Program. I didn’t think it’d be that bad on the first day. Other than 4.5 hours a day, four days a week, how bad could it possibly be? With that attitude– because I knew, deep down, that I’d hang myself from the shower curtain railing to get out of going if I didn’t– I pulled my hair back, put on shorts and a woven shirt, and went to the junior high.

No one noticed when I slipped in at 7:46, though it starts at 7:45. A sign pointed the summer school kids to the auditorium. The noise hadn’t completely died down yet, so none of the teachers– huddled in to a corner at the back of the room with their heads bent together– noticed the door creak open and me sliding in to the first available seat in the back. That’s when I noticed the… colors of the ethnic rainbow present. I counted heads. Mexican, Mexican, Mexican, black, white kid dressed like a black kid, Mexican, black, black, black, Asian, Mexican, black. Where. Are all the white people? Oh. Found ‘em. A group of goths in the middle. A bunch of them have green hair. Probably hasn’t been washed since school ended three weeks ago. I just remembered that I’m wearing a collared shirt. Also that the back of my ponytail flips out like a prep because the bottom layers are so thin. When did I think dressing like this was a goodidea? Shit. This is like asking to get shanked on my way to the bathroom. Fuckfuckfuck.

A blonde lady walks to the front of the auditorium, but the noise gets louder. She’s smaller than me. The muscles on the black kid in front of me are enormous. So are his tattoos.
Blonde: QUIET!
Juvenile Delinquents:
Blonde: Okay. Welcome to summer school! I’m going to talk to you in detail about our policies first before we group you off for class.
Juvenile Delinquents:
I spaced out for a few minutes. This is NOT regular school, you won’t get away with everything you do at school, only one absence, blah blah.
Blonde: In regards to absences. You can only miss one day of summer school! Any more and we’re dismissing you. That means that whether you’re sick, or you have a court date, or a meeting with your parole officer–
Me:
What the hell?! That shit is normal around here?! I mean, yeah. I was engaged to a guy who had regular meetings with his P.O. for a marijuana possession bust. And also went through all the credit recovery programs at least twice. But I didn’t think you could judge all summer school kids based on that.
Blonde: Okay! Time to go to class.
Me: (gets out a pen.)
Blonde: American History I, you’re with Mr. Hodnik in room 115.
Me: (jots down “115,” bolts to doors.)

I like my class. There are only five of us. One of us isn’t even in American History. He has to make up government. At the end he gets his diploma. He definitely came in stoned, or hungover, or something. He’s blonde with blue eyes though. Seems normal. The others are a pair of Mexicans, one of which dresses like he’s black, bling-bling and all. The other has the tiny little mustache and full sleeve tattoos. He’s a total toothpick, though. A black boy with a shaved head and a neck tattoo, with grimy clothes. One of the goths sits behind me, complete with snake bites and blue hair. Hodnik comes in wearing khakis. His glasses aren’t straight and sit too high on his nose.

Mr. Hodnik: Good morning.
Us:
Mr. Hodnik: I have taught summer school for twenty-five years. I’ve seen it all, guys. Believe me, you are nothing special if you have to schedule meetings with your P.O. around the times you’re in here. Now, you heard her, you only get one absence. And if you’re even a second tardy, don’t think you won’t be giving me that second in detention. You only get three of those before you get kicked out, by the way.
Us:
Mr. Hodnik: Now, we have a treat for you this year: if you have no absences or tardies in the first nine days of summer school, and you have all your work done by 12:15 on Day Nine, you don’t have to come on the tenth day.
Us: !
Mr. Hodnik: Okay. Now I want you guys to take out a piece of paper and write me a few paragraphs about why you’re in here.
Me: (gets out a pen and notebook.)
Mr. Hodnik,
First off, please call me Dani. Absolutely can’t stand my given name, and that’s about all I have to say about that.
I’m in here for a very simple reason. I didn’t fail American History I. I completely bombed AP US History I, known on the Local Community College class listing as “American History: 1492-1877″. I was completely unprepared for the college-level workload; thus, I failed. I don’t want to be here, and I don’t belong here, but I want to graduate and experience more college-level work, which is the academic level I’m currently working at.
It’s only nine days, so let’s get on with it!
I think that seems pretty fair. I don’t want this guy, or anyone else here, knowing anything more about me. I check the clock.
Eight days, 3.75 hours until I get my credit.

Tags: public education, summer school