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“A family can be the bane of one's existence. A family can also be most of the meaning of one's existence. I don't know whether my family is bane or meaning.”
— Keri Hulme
Thursday
Today was BORING ,just like every other day,. I woke up, got ready, brushed my teeth. Had breakfast then walked to school with Rowley; who started talking about what he and his parents were planning to do over the weekend: Something about going to the movies? I honestly wasn't really listening.
Which was WAY more interesting then what mom has planned for the weekend.
Anyways, today is also when Ms. Nolan is giving out the test results. Honestly I HOPE I get a good grade,if not I'll probably regret it for the rest of the day. Not because I actually like science but because if I don't, Mom's probably going to give me one of her lectures. And I'm NOT looking forward to one of those
{·---___---· }
Ms. Nolan walked into the classroom carrying a thick stack of papers. And placed them on her desk before turning to the class.
"Alright class. I've graded everyone's tests from yesterday, and now I'll be handing them out to all of you, just right after taking attendance"
A few people groaned. Already feeling that they probably bomed the test already. Greg, honestly for once, couldn't blame them he wasn't ready for his test results either.
Ms. Nolan started taking attendance, calling out for each name, after the attendance was done and Ms. Nolan had wrote down the people who were absent. She picked up the test results and started to hand the tests back row by row.
"Gregory Heffley" Greg could feel his stomach drop as Ms. Nolan walked up to his desk and placed his test result on the desk.
After a long moment of hesitance. Because flipping over a test paper either felt like a surprise gift at a family reunion. That might make you happy or disappointed...
Greg he flipped the paper over. And written in red ink, circled, 79. It actually wasn't bad...
Okay- so Ms. Nolan gave me my test result. Rowley got his. So did Albert. And most of the class.
And I apparently got a 79! ....yeah okay it's not the best grade out there. And I'm SURE that some people in the class got higher than me. Despite all of them being morons.
It was the best grade I got from this whole week. Now I just hope that mom thinks the same... And dad.
{·---___---· }
Greg folded the test in half and slipped it in between one of the pages of his journal.
He tried not to think about it for the rest of the class. That was easier said than done.
Every few minutes, whenever he'd zone out of Ms. Nolan explaining the lesson, something about plant and animal cells, his mind kept going back to the red number written at the top of the page.
--
Soon. The bell finally rung. Indicating that it was lunch time (the best time of the day). Greg gathered his things and shoved them into his backpack. He waited until most of the class had already left before getting up —He didn't really feel like getting caught in the hallway crowd and get trampled in it.
Greg got out to the class and reached for his locker, pulling the door open and shoved his science book and journal (not diary)inside.
Then headed to the cafeteria, following the stream of students down the hallway. The noise grew louder as he got closer, students talking to one another, chairs scraping against the floor. Greg looked around and easily found the table he usually sits at rowely and sometimes his other friends sit at.
Rowley was sitting at the table with Chirag Gupta and Albert Sandy. Greg walked over and dropped his tray onto the table before sitting down.
"Hey Greg!" Rowley greeted.
"Hi Rowley"
"What did you get on your science test?"
Greg hesatied for a moment debating if he should lie about his grade or just tell the truth like mom always said: "Honesty is the best policy!" she'd say. Finally Greg relented and answered.
"I got a 79"
"Hey that's way better than what Albert got. He got a 74" Chirag added in. Ignoring the 'hey! Not cool' that he got from Albert.
Chirag had a habit of saying things without really thinking about how they sounded. Greg had noticed that about him.
"So what did you guys get?" Greg asked.
"74" Albert repeated, sounding slightly annoyed that Chirag had already announced it to the entire table. Rowley laughed slightly at Albert's expression. While Chirag looked unbothered.
Greg looked at Rowley, sitting next to him, and asked. "What did you get?"
"I got an 86!"
"That's great. Rowley" Greg forced himself to smile back. A part of him meant it. He really did. But that didn't stop the unpleasant twist in his stomach.
why did Greg feel irritated? Maybe because Rowley always seemed to get lucky. And plus It wasn't like Greg thought Rowley was smarter than him.
---
The rest of the school day went by without anything particularly interesting happening. By the time the final bell rang, Greg was already thinking about the walk home. With the test still in his bag.
The walk with Rowley wasn't anything out of the usual. They just talked about that one tricky level in twisted wizards. And the new joshie album that came out recently.
Greg actually listened for the most part.
He briefly thought of telling Rowley his worries but immediately pushed that thought away. It wasn't like Rowley could do anything about it.. he'll deal with it himself.
Puls isn't that like what dad always said? How he needs to 'man up' and take care of his own problems instead of whining about it.
When they reached the corner where they usually split up.
"See you tomorrow Greg! And maybe ask if your parents will let you come over to my house"
"Yeah, sure. See you Rowley…"
Greg watched him walk away before turning toward his own house.The closer he got, the more the knot in his chest seemed to tighten further.
He wondered if rowely also felt irritated or jealous when someone was better than him…Probably not. Greg knows Rowley, and the annoying thing about Rowley, is that rowely doesn't think about wether he's better than someone.
He just simply moves on with his life and continues to be overly cheerful as always. Greg wished he could be that simple too. To live in the same bubble as Rowley's.
But that, unfortunately,wasn't an option for him.
Greg finally reached home, he pushed open the front door. Mom wasn't in the kitchen, instead she was sitting next to Manny. While manny was sitting at the dining table with his crayons spread around him, drawing something on a piece of paper.
Greg started taking off his shoes as the door closed behind him. Then Mom looked over.
"Oh, Greg, before you go upstairs—how did you do on your science test?"
"Uh. I got a 79"
Mom's expression changed slightly.
"That's.... good, Greg. It's not a bad grade"
"It isn't?"
"No. But you can do better than that." There it was. The words that he was expecting to come out. Greg's shoulders dropped slightly.
"Yeah, I know"
Greg walks upstairs to his room. Not bothering to wash his hand yet-. He went to his room and closed the door..
--
After having dinner as usual,and mom telling dad about his test. Then going back upstairs to his room. Greg went back downstairs to get a cup of water. Then ran into Manny.
Greg paused near the kitchen, noticing Manny who came running to Greg yelling ‘Bubby!’
"Uh yeah Manny?" Manny just held up the drawing, the one he was drawing earlier, to Greg. To which Greg took the picture from Manny's hands.
It was a drawing of them just in crooked stick figures who all for some reason have large heads. Mom and dad were holding hands with a small heart between them. Rodrick was standing right next to them holding two lines. Which is probably his drumsticks.
Greg, himself was standing next to Rodrick. And Manny was in the middle with his favorite dinosaur plush.
"Uhm this is great Manny...." Greg said. Manny smiled widened. And ran off to wherever he was running off to. Probably to mom.
Greg looked at the drawing again. Staring at the poorly spelled words thT said: “I love my family!”with numerous hearts and smiley faces.
It reminded Greg of the family picture upstairs. Greg looked at the childish drawing again and quietly just left it on the kitchen counter for mom too find and put it away in the box in the closet.
Or hang it on the fridge. As Greg started to walk back upstairs one thought surfaced in his mind.
‘Is this really how Manny sees their family?’