"Wait so it's not graded," Ben asked.

Ben passed the joint to Clint. He took a hit and passed it to Lina.

"No-" Clint coughed.

"It's extra credit so it can affect your grade but it's not grade-" he coughed again.

"What the hell. Why are we studying for this then?" Ben asked.

"We have to, you don't. Did you not pay any attention," Clint replied.

He said, "No. Lina beat me at pool on messages during lunch. I couldn't let her win like that."

Lina passed the joint to Ben.

She coughed. Then said, "Don't blame me. You're the one that kept distracting me whenever it was my turn."

"You cheated during lunch!" he yelled.

"I did not. Just admit you lost," Lina said.

He threw the filter at her and got up from the couch.

"Are you sure your dad won't mind us smoking in here?" he asked as he grabbed a bottle of purified water out of a container that was near the entrance to the house.

"No. My brother smokes. It always smells like weed in here," she said, fishing the butt out of her hair and throwing it at Ben.

He stepped aside and it went straight into the large garbage bin behind him.

"Nice one," Clint said.

"I could have made that," Ben retorted as he sat back down.

"Yeah right," Lina laughed.

"Why are we studying then if it's extra credit?" Lina asked.

"Yeah I have a A in there, I'm not worried," Ben said.

Clint looked at the floor and muttered, "I have a D-."

"What?" Lina asked curiously.

Clint looked up, "I have a D-. I thought Civics was going to be as easy as World History so I skipped most of the assignments and that first test killed me."

"Why were you yapping at us for not paying attention then?" Ben asked.

"Lina, what's your grade?" Clint asked.

"Its a C-," she said.

Clint looked at Ben, "That's why."

"Then why do I have to be here?" Ben asked.

"If we have to suffer, you have to suffer," Lina said as she grabbed one of the three notebooks that were sprawled out on the coffee table.

The garage door started to rise.

"Crap, pass me the other joint." Lina quickly told Ben.

Ben took the single joint that was on the coffee table, near his end of the couch, and tossed it at Lina. She caught it and stuffed it into her hoodie as the door slid up past the car's window.

"That was close," she said quietly.

She waved at her dad as he pulled the car into the garage. He turned the car off and stepped out. He was holding a suit jacket in one hand and a grey computer bag in the other.

"Hey Lin, hey guys," he said as he walked up to the couch in the corner of the garage.

"Hey dad," Lina said.

"Hey, Rick," Ben and Clint said unanimously.

"Are you kids studying?" Rick asked.

"Yeah. We have a history test tomorrow," Lina said.

"I see. Well, make sure you study well," Rick said.

Rick started walking towards the door that led into the house.

"It's only for extra credit so it's not like it matters," Ben muttered.

He stopped at the door and turned to look at Ben. "It's not the credit. It's the knowledge. Study hard," he said and went inside.

Lina said, "It's not about the credit. It's about the knowledge."

Ben and Clint both snickered.

Her father's voice could be heard from the other side of the wall, "I heard that."

Lina muttered under her breath and Ben and Clint laughed harder.

"Whatever, let's just get this done," she said.

...

"You guys want to go see a movie after school tomorrow? Small compensation for the

bad time we're set in for with that exam." Lina said.

"Yeah. Im not doing anything." Clint said.

"Is Claudia going?" Ben asked.

"No. She has knowledge bowl practice."

Clint snickered.

"I'm down to go but not right after school. Tomorrow I'm staying after for half an hour or so." Ben said.

"What for?" Clint asked.

"I asked Sapkowski to help me with a few assignments for the A.P class." Ben said.

"What a nerd." Clint said.

"Shut up Mr. Failing Pre-Cal." Ben retorted.

"Don't tell me to shut up Mr-"

"We can wait. The movie I want to see doesn't start till 4 anyways." Lina interrupted.

"Cool. Where should we meet up?" Ben asked.

"Let's just meet up at theatre. I'm sure we can find some way to kill the time." Clint replied.