Quick AN: I wrote this for fun, so I hope you enjoy the read. I also want to apologize about my lack of knowledge about different countries school systems, naming practices, or honorifics. If I do something stupid or disrespectful, I apologize and please send me a message about my mistake. I will do my best to correct it. Also, I own nothing.

Kai looked down at the paper in his hands and winced again. He had repeated this process about three other times, but he couldn't quite get his head around it. Shop Class. He had a D in Shop Class. He had taken the class because he needed another elective credit and it had seemed like an easy A.

But it was not an easy A. He never knew which screws or bolts went where, and when his teacher tried to help him, the names of the tools he was told to use seemed like a foreign language.

Honestly, he was screwed. It was his senior year. He had everything else taken care of. He was ready to graduate, as Valedictorian, a title he had worked his ass of to get over four years. But it didn't seem like he would make it to that podium in May if he couldn't make it to an A by December when grades and class rankings were finalized.

Four years of hard work ruined in seven weeks. He looked down at the paper again, willing the print to change. But it stayed there in black and white. He winced again and stopped in front of the door to Mr. Lou's classroom. He turned the handle, and when he entered, Mr. Lou looked up at him and the older man's salt and pepper beard moved as he gave Kai a sympathetic smile.

"I thought I might be seeing you today Huang. Not too happy with that progress report, I take it?"

Kai's wince turned into a grimace. "No sir."

"I'm sorry Huang, I'll take a second look at your projects, but I can't promise you that your grade is going to change."

"That's alright" Kai spoke quickly. "You don't need to look at my old projects, that's not why I'm here." Kai was ashamed to admit that Mr. Lou had probably been a bit too generous in his grading the first time around, if he got a second look at some of that stuff he might just fail Kai altogether. "It's not that I have a problem with my grading scale. I just - I was wondering if you had a free period and you wouldn't mind using some of that time to tutor me?"

Mr. Lou looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment, but his face then brightened. "I'm afraid last year was the last year teacher's had free periods. When they switched from eight to seven periods we lost that time. But I have a star student that might be able to help you, if you're interested in a peer tutor."

Kai nodded his head. "Absolutely. If you think he'll be able to help then I'd appreciate it."

"Well," the teacher started with a twinkle in his eye, "I'll ask her in class tomorrow. If her schedule is too full, I'll tell the office to send you a note. But if you don't hear otherwise, go to the workshop after school. I will give her the same instructions and then the two of you will be able to decide when and where you want to study."

Kai felt the knot of tension between his shoulders ease a bit and he smiled. "Thank you. I'll be here."

Mr. Lou gave him an authoritative nod and dismissed him.

Kai walked to the parking lot and got into his car. He revved up the engine and it's quiet rumble matched the buzzing in his head. Well, it was one thing crossed off of his to do list at least. He hadn't solved the problem, that he knew, but he was one step closer. Everything else, all of the other issues swarmed his thoughts. The most present of which was his father's health.

Huang Rikan had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and…it didn't look good. Rikan, as the CEO of Eastern Enterprises, had the money to pay for a lot of treatments normal people didn't get. They were extending his life, but not by much.

Kai's fists clenched as he thought of the doctors and nurses that had seen his father. The looks of sympathy and pity on their faces as they informed him and Konn Torin, one of his father's oldest friends and the executor of his estate, that Rikan had a year left at best.

With his father's illness, business competitors had started to become more aggressive. The worst of which was Luna Corp The woman it was run by, Levana Something-or-other, was a hard woman. She had tried for years to convince Kai's father to merge their companies and to stabilize the merger with their marriage. Now, she had turned her sights on Kai.

One of the scariest parts of having Levana's attention, was the fact that sometimes Kai crazed it. The woman was cold and vicious, but when she looked at him, Auburn curls falling around her face, he forgot about her bad side. It was hard to believe that someone that beautiful could be anything but perfect.

But, if he believed the rumours, she was far from perfect. Not that he always bought into that gossip. There had been something about him going around that said he had gotten some girl pregnant and left her to deal with the child on its own, but most people didn't buy too much into it and it was forgotten pretty quickly.

The thing with Levana's rumours was they had some facts involved. Years ago, Levana's house had burned down. Still inside the house was Levana's sister Channery the then-head of Luna Corp, and her daughter Selene. The police had investigated, but couldn't pinpoint any sort of error that would have caused the tragic accident to take place.

There had been some discussion of a murder investigation, and Levana as the inheritor of the estate certainly had motive, but the case closed and called it an accident. Conspiracy theorists said Levana had bought everyone off to stop the investigation, and Kai couldn't say he completely disregarded it.

He pulled up into his driveway, shut off the engine, and then sat there for a moment. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He anticipated seeing the wires and tubes sticking from his previously vibrant father. He shut his eyes for a second and then walked inside the house.

What'd you think? Constructive criticism is appreciated, but any sort of comment (even flames) is accepted. Seriously, if you want to tell me how bad I suck, I still wanna thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to say anything.

Also, I'm not really sure whose point of view to do in the next chapter. Switch to see Cinder's POV on this flirty senior, or see what meeting Cinder is like in Kai's head?