a lot more to take on

Sam didn't know what it was with Rachel. He guessed they were friends. Evidently. Nothing more. Nothing less.

She said he helped her get on at the school as an aid.

"You did that, all yourself." He told her, yet he was happy to see her everyday at summer school, helping out. She was after all, working her days at school, her nights at the mortuary. Really, she had no time for dating and he guessed he was OK with that.

As it was, all he needed to do was to take a teacher's test and most likely, he'd get a job at the school teaching health and P.E. But the thought made him miserable even if he were signed up and acting all happy about it around the teachers. He felt as if his days were numbered here.

"I wish I knew what to do." He let slip one afternoon, when the kids were gone, and it was as if they were the only two in the building. Summer school would be over in a few days. Then the holiday and he'd have the rest of the month to get ready for the Teacher's test.

"About what?" Rachel looked at him concerned.

"Well, you might as well know, I'm just a dumb jock." He smiled.

"No, you're not." She gave him a playful shove.

"But I am. I've-I've taken that test a couple of times, already." He nodded.

"So, you're a bad test taker." She looked at him as if that would be easy to fix as they walked out toward the parking lot.

"Its more than that." He winced. "I-I don't read very well, even worse, can't even put a sentence together. Add a bad case of ADD and well, here I am."

"It can't be that bad." She eyed him.

"It is. I'm just pretty good at covering it up. I can't be a teacher." He shook his head. "Its you, who should be a teacher. Not me."

"Quit selling yourself short," Rachel said. "We are going to study."

He had a feeling if she took the test on the spot she'd pass it, and she hadn't even gone to college. She'd been home-schooled by her mother, and he had a feeling she was suppose to follow in her mother's footsteps, but she hadn't.

"I'm going to get you through this." She informed him.

Sam bit the corner of his bottom lip. He had a feeling she'd see his true colors soon enough.