Boom! Michael getting his history test back on the, what he thought was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, was like a bomb had just fell into his lap.

“Not your best Michael,”

Mrs. Dotter acclaimed after handing back Michael’s test, which was marked with a big, fat, red F.

Michael was so disappointed with himself, and even more scared to have to go home and the test to his father.

Once the last bell rang, Michael rushed home to devise a plan to break the bad news to his father.

“I’m home Julie!”

Michael yelled rushing into the house. Julie entered to greet Michael at the door, taking his Michael’s bag and asking him if he needed anything else. Julie was Michael and his father’s nanny/maid. As soon as Michaels’ mother died from giving birth to Michael, Michael’s father hired Julie to take care of all the jobs a mother would do for her son who’ father was always busy working. Michael had lived a privileged life, he had the fancy car and along with his friends, Bryan and Zack, Michael was one of the most popular kids in school.

“Nah...I’m not feeling so great. I think I’m just going to lay down for a while.”

Michael still didn’t know what he was going to do about the history test and telling his father.

He knew that one of the first questions his father would ask would be ‘What did you do to study?’. Michael tried to remember all of the studying that he wanted to do over the long three day weekend, until Bryan and Zack called Michael with the low-down of the weekend plans.

***
It was a Saturday early afternoon when Michael got the call from Bryan.

“Dude, I heard that your dad was out of town this weekend and the great Jules was visiting family. You know what that means right?”


“No man. Not tonight. Dotter’s test on Tuesday is my only hope to bring my C up to a B. I need to study the whole weekend.”

“C’mon, you know you throw the best parties, plus there will be nobody like your dad or Jules to come home and bust us.”


“ I said..um..NO!”

About eight that night, while Michael was deep into thought about the Civil War, the doorbell rang. It was Bryan and Zack. As Michael opened the door, Zack was the first one of the two boys to speak, always trying to smooth things over.

“Alright, I know you said no, but Bryan and I were at the diner and these really hot chicks walked in and it was like both of our minds clicked and we just had to turn the weekend plans back on.”

Bryan immediately saw Michael's face, “Dude it will be two hours max. Now go get dressed you look like and smell like you just got home from the gym.”

As Michael raced up stairs, he thought to himself, it was only two hours and a couple of girls. What could go wrong?

Michael threw on a clean shirt and was fixing his hair when he heard the doorbell ring again. Michael ran over to the window. Michael saw at least fifteen cars in front of the house. Michael ran downstairs. The boys “little” party was in full hype. Bryan and Zack had just left out one little detail. What once was supposed to be a couple of girls, was know what seemed to be the whole senior class from the boys school.
***
Michael woke up the next morning on the couch and looked around,
“OH...MY...GOD!”

Michael flushed with a mixture of anxiety and anger, beginning to pace the room . From what he could see, last night everybody had cleared out and left except Bryan and Zack, who were already outside lounging by the pool. Michael raced outside,
“What went down last night?”

Bryan stood up, “Last night, we, I mean you threw one of the best parties that I think was ever thrown.”

Michael hated the way that Bryan never thought about the consequences of a situation or the feelings of other people who the consequences would affect. Michael ran over to Bryan and pushed him into the pool. Bryan hit the water exclaiming,

“Dude, I thought you had the time of your life! You should be thanking me.”

Michael looked directly at Bryan.

“Dude, I mean thank you for the great party and thank you for the wonderful mess too! Have you seen this place. It will take me all day to clean.”

“You are absolutely welcome and just to tell you, the water isn’t that bad.

Throw your suit on, Zack got coffee from the diner and…”
Bryan was cut off by Michael.

“You must not get it. Leave! I have to clean and oh my god, Dotter’s test is on Tuesday!”

After Michael kicked out Bryan and Zack, he went right to cleaning. It was ten on that Sunday night when Michael threw away the last bag of trash into the garbage. The house was finally back, spick and span. Michael was exhausted. He crawled upstairs to his bed and passed out.

***
Michael woke up to Julie coming into his room on the Monday morning.

“My god boy! It’s almost noon, I thought you were dead sleeping in this late.”

That was what Michael loved the most about Julie, she was always worrying about him.

“So whats been going on this weekend Mr. Michael. I talked to Mrs. Nadel, next door. Should I be worried or should I just wait for you to tell me how it was just a couple of friends?”

Michael began to laugh, “I don’t really know what to say. Bryan and Zack said that it was just going to be a couple of people and that’s all I really remember.”


“Well at least you’re honest. And by the way, the house looks lovely. I really don’t know why your father keeps me around, I mean you’re a pretty good cleaner.”

“Oh shut up, it only took me all day yesterday. Now if you would excuse me, I have so much studying to do. I had a plan to use the whole weekend, but then...you know the rest of the details.”

Julie left Michael’s room, shaking her head. Michael jumped over to his desk and went right to work, hoping to not waste anymore precious time.

***
The next morning, Michael jolted up with his face plastered to his history textbook. He looked over at his alarm clock, reading 9:00 a.m.. Michael threw on what he thought was clean clothes, raced downstairs, grabbed the protein shake waiting on the counter, and ran out the door. No way was he going to be late for school.

***
After Michael finished reflecting over his weekend, he heard his father’s car pull in the driveway. Michael knew he would have to face his father sometime, so why not now? Michael picked up his graded test and brought it downstairs.

“Um...Dad, I need to talk to you.”

“Hey son, how was your weekend? My business trip was very invigorating, the company is going to…”

“Dad, I failed my history test yesterday.”

“Michael, you had the whole weekend. You said you were doing great in history.”

Michael hated having to tell his father about the test and was even more embarrassed to talk about how much time that he had wasted over the weekend, but his father needed to know about it all, even if it meant being grounded for the rest of his life.

“I know its just my weekend didn’t go as I had wanted it to go, but I know what I need to change.”

“Well that’s good. I am so glad when my own son can realize what he did wrong, even when sometimes his father can’t realize what he does wrong at times.”

“Thanks dad, and I’m fully ready to take any punishment, like…”

Michael was cut off by his father,

“That won’t be necessary, you’re fine. Just don’t do it again and be more responsible next time.”

Michael smiled at his father and began to walk up the stairs to go start his homework, when his father asked him the question that he was the most afraid of.

“So, Michael. What really did happen this weekend?”