"WOOOOO!" yelled JD. "This is it, baby! This is it!"

Shouts of happy agreement sounded from different places in the hallway. A couple of kids started to clap, and one unfortunately fat kid by the name of Josh began to dance.

"Get fuckin' PUMPED!" JD yelled, even louder this time.

The responding shouts got louder. A can of Canada Dry ginger ale was thrown, its contents splattering onto the floor. A trashy looking girl quickly picked it up and drank what had remained in the can. Rather than soda, it was bourbon. A clever, if unoriginal, effort to bring alcohol into the school.

"This is it, baby!" JD yelled again. "This is fucking it! Let's mother fucking go!"

The responding cheers were now deafaning.

"Sing it with me! 2012! 2012! 2012!" Slowly but steadily, every kid in the hallway and lobby was swept up by the infectious cheering. Soon, everyone, even the kids who were not members of the class of 2012, was chanting at the top of their lungs.

"Yeah!" JD yelled. He would have said something else, but he felt a hard clap on his shoulder. "Hey-" he began, turning around.

Unfortunately for JD, it was Officer Kim, the school security guard. "What's going on here, JD?"

JD began to answer the officer, but the cheering was too loud for him to hear properly. "Let's go over there," said Officer Kim, pointing to a small area around the corner. JD complied.

"Now. What's going on?"

JD shrugged. "Just enjoying senior year while it's still here."

"I don't have any objection to that principle. But I do when you go about it like that?"

"What?" JD asked inoccently.

"Causing a ruckus right in the hallway when students are supposed to be going to class. Just because you don't go any more doesn't mean you should keep others from doing so."

JD raised his hands to indicate his inoccence. "Hey, man. I been going to class." The statement was met with some skepticism, so JD said, "I'm just trying to have a good time during senior year."

Officer Kim gave JD a long look. "If you're going to do it like that, do it after school." He walked away.

What Officer Kim said was true. JD didn't really go to class at all lately, and when he did go, he would usually sneak out a few minutes in. He had paid his dues for three years, and if he wanted to do whatever he wanted to do during his senior year, then by God, he was going to do it.

Somehow, however, JD was able to maintain pretty good grades and never accumulate quite enough absences to be reported to the dean. Despite his rowdy persona and status as the hardest partier and Blake High School, he was headed to Northeastern University in Boston to major in engineering. It was far from the best school in the country, but it was pretty damn good, and JD was pleased.

With a clarion call, the bell rang, and JD scurried off to class. It was sixth period, time for the only class that he never wanted to miss: earth science with Mr. Bowyer. JD did't actually care about earth science. Nobody who took the class did. Bowyer was a loud, funny guy who didn't really take his teaching seriously-a bit like a teacher version of JD. Many were the days that Bowyer would simply not teach and show a funny slob comedy or talk about aliens, in which he was a firm believer. All in all, it was a fun environment in which to be.

JD rolled in just on time and took his seat next to his best friend Greg Nota, called No. "Sup?" asked JD.

No raised his hand and gave JD a high five. "Dude," he said. "I heard you were quite the hit in the hallways a few minutes ago."

JD chortled. "Haha, true that, brah. You ain't seen nothing yet, though, dude. Wait'll Jake's party on Saturday. It's gon' be bomb ass dank ass."

No smiled. "Damn straight, brah."

Mr. Bowyer, who had been reading the paper, called the class to order. "Hey! Shut up!" he yelled.

The class laughed, then quickly shut up.

Bowyer stood up. "Alright. How's everyone doing?" he asked amiably.

"Keepin' it tight!" yelled a kid named Dave.

JD gave a quick whoop, then exclaimed, "True that!"

Bowyer laughed. "Alright, guys. Settle down." He paced around the front of the class for a while. "Hey. Why don't you take your homework out? I'll come around and collect it."

JD practically burst out laughing. He nudged No. "Haha, dude. Like anyone actually did their homework in this joke of a class."

No gave a concerned look to JD. "Dude. he said yesterday he was going to collect it. Don't you remember?"

JD shrugged.

No went on, "If you didn't do it, you're fucked, dude. We've got like, no grades for this class, so it might actually count for a lot."

Sure enough, everyone had done their homework. When Bowyer got to JD, he asked, "Where's your homework, JD?"

JD shrugged. "Didn't do it."

Bowyer chuckled for a quick second, but then he looked mad. "Didn't do it!" he exclaimed. He quickly went over to the phone on the wall. "Oh, hello, NASA? This is your rocket scientist, Rob Bowyer. No, no, nothing's wrong. Yeah...I just wanted to let you know that I know I was supposed to finish making your rocket safe...but I didn't do it. Bye." Bowyer looked at JD sharply. Even though he did it with a joke, it was clear that he was mad. "How do you feel, JD? You just killed two astronauts!"

"Dude, Bowyer, what's with you? Gettin' mad and collecting homework and shit?" JD asked with some earnestness.

Bowyer readied himself to yell, then stopped. "Actually, there is a reason. It's almost time for performance reviews, and I gotta keep my job. Some years, it's harder than others. I guess I've been slacking a little this year-" He stopped to laugh for about five minutes. He continued, "I guess I've been slacking a little this year, because the principal got wind that you guys haven't had any tests or quizzes all year. I don't really remember that well. Did I give you any?"

The class was silent. "I don't think so," said a stupid blond chick.

"Makes sense then," said Bowyer with a laugh. "You know what-let's skip the homework."

The class groaned. "Dude," said a kid named Tracy. "The one time we actually do work and then you say that we didn't even have to do it? Bullshit!"

Bowyer shrugged. "I ever tell you guys about the time I went to Roswell?"