You Did What? ((1915))

[amanika]

"I'd like t'see you try." All the same, Tugger didn't quite dare to growl back at Macavity. Rather the words were muttered, though he raised his voice as he repeated himself, "How is doin' the ninth grade again gonna end up any different to the first time?"

[victoriousscarf]

"Don't know. Maybe this time you'll realize that you already wasted one year and that it'd be wise ta not waste another?" Mac was still growling. "This isn't hard, Tug."

[amanika]

Tugger took a step backwards, his brother had never hit him, but experience from his father had taught him to be wary nonetheless. "I ain't gonna pass the classes even if I go. Don't see what good it'll do me anyway. You ain't exactly done much with your highschool diploma. Only one who did was Munk, an' if gettin' a good job means abandoninin' people t'do it, well that ain't me, stuff the good job." he took another step back as he finished what he was saying.

[victoriousscarf]

Mac noticed him taking steps back and that almost wiped the scowl off his face. Did Tugger seriously think he would ever...? He took a deep breath as his tail swished quickly behind him. "I... you can pass the classes," he said softly. "You just have ta try is all. And last I checked, I at least am holdin' down a steady job... the only job currently in this house, so yeah, I did somethin' with it. I'm feedin' you aren't I?" Of course, if his current track rate of working more for the underworld than for the bank kept up, he might not be holding down a steady job much longer, but that was certainly not going to come into this conversation.

[amanika]

Tugger fell somewhat silent as he listened to his brother's words, ears lacing back on his head, more out of shame now than any midguided fear. "What makes you so sure I could pass? None of my teachers seem t'think so." the tone had changed though, some of the defiance gone.

[victoriousscarf]

"Cause despite everythin' you do have a brain in there, you just never take the damn time ta use it. How many times have you skipped this year, huh? You think you could try actually goin' ta school and then decidin' whether you can pass or not?"

[amanika]

Tugger's ears flicked back a little more, he pulled a chair from the kitchen table and sat down, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Coz I bleedin' hate it." the protest was weak though, "Even before I started skippin' out, they got no time f'questions if I don't understand somethin'. They think that just coz' I talk a lot, I'm stupid an' don't bother."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac nearly growled, this time not at Tugger but the damn teachers. "Just... at least go the beginnin' of the year, alright? For my sake if nothin' else? There's other schools in the district, and other teachers for each subject, so if we have ta move things around, just give it one more try?"

[amanika]

Tugger couldn't help but pull a face, "Have I really got ta'?" By this point, and probably, in all reality, from the start of the argument, he knew Macavity would win, but it wasn't in Tugger's nature to agree to anything quietly.

[victoriousscarf]

"Yes, you really got ta," Mac replied, sighing.

[amanika]

Tugger's tail curled again, "Jeez, this is gonna be so embarrasin'."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac considered him, and rising, ruffled his headfur on his way to the stove. "You'll be fine though."

[amanika]

Tugger ducked a little, smoothing his headfur back down as his brother moved away. "Easy f'you t'say."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac glanced back at him, managing not to frown. It wasn't actually that easy for him to say, but he shrugged and turned to making something for a late lunch or early dinner, depending on how one wanted to define it. "Maybe," he settled on finally, it being the vaguest answer available.

[amanika]

Tugger frowned at his elder brother for a moment, "Alright, I'll go, but don't expect me t'be happy about it."