So I'm John Lawrence's son

Jack had never been a fan of tests. In fact, he'd never been a fan of anything that involved sitting in a room answering questions that seemed to have nothing to do with real life. But now here he was, sitting at an empty desk at West Valley High, a pencil in his hand and a stack of paper in front of him. It was the placement test—a chance to prove that even though he hadn't set foot in a school in years, he could keep up with high school.

The director, a middle-aged man with thick glasses and a serious look, watched Jack from a distance. He didn't look very convinced, but Jack didn't care. He wasn't there to please anyone.

"You have two hours to finish," the director said, adjusting his glasses. "Good luck."

Jack looked at the papers. Math, English, science... He took a deep breath and began. The first few questions were easy, but soon he got to more complex ones. He paused for a moment, staring at the paper as if it were an enemy to be defeated.

"Focus, Jack," he thought. "You've been through worse."

The room was silent except for the sound of Jack's pencil scraping against the paper. He didn't know all the answers, but he was doing his best. When he got to the last math question, he stopped. It was an algebra problem, something he'd never seen before. He glanced at his watch. He still had time.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember something—anything—that might help him. He hadn't studied, but he had lived. And somehow, that counted.

He began to write, step by step, trying to reason the way he had on the street when he had to solve real problems. When he finished, he wasn't sure if he had it right, but he felt a twinge of pride. He had tried.

At the end of the two hours, the principal collected the papers and began to grade them in front of Jack. The silence was heavy, but Jack didn't mind. He was used to waiting.

"Hmm," the director murmured, flipping through the pages. "You got a few questions wrong, but... surprisingly, you got more right than I expected."

Jack didn't say anything. He just looked at the director, waiting.

"You pass," the director finally said, looking at Jack over his glasses. "But don't think it's going to be easy. You have a lot of catching up to do."

— I don't expect it to be easy. — Jack replied, his tone firm. — I just want a chance.

The director studied Jack for a moment, as if trying to figure him out. Then he nodded.

— Very well. You start tomorrow. Don't disappoint me.

Back at his apartment, Jack threw his backpack on the floor and sat down on the mattress. He stared at the blank walls, feeling the weight of the day. He had made it. He was in school. But somehow, it didn't seem as important as he thought it would be.

He picked up the photo his mother had given him—the only thing he had of her—and looked into the face of Johnny Lawrence. That man was his father. And somewhere in Reseda, he was living his life, unaware that he had a son.

"I'll find you." Jack thought, putting the photo away again. "And when I do, I want to know what kind of person you are, old man." 

Jack closed the apartment door and began to walk aimlessly. The night air was cool, and the streets were quieter than during the day. He didn't have a destination in mind—he just needed to get out of those four walls for a while.

He passed a small park, where some children were still playing under the streetlights. Further ahead, he saw a group of skateboarders doing tricks on a makeshift track. The sound of the wheels on the concrete and the laughter of the kids made him stop for a moment. It was strange, but something about the scene attracted him.

"Hey, can you skate?" One of the skaters asked, noticing Jack standing there.

"No." Jack replied, shrugging.

"Wanna try?" The boy held out his skateboard to him, with a challenging smile.

Jack hesitated for a second, but then he picked up his skateboard. He had nothing to lose. He put his foot on the board and pushed off. He didn't get very far—he almost fell on the first turn—but the boys laughed and started giving him tips.

— Relax your body, man! — One of them shouted.

— Don't try to control it too much, let the skateboard take you! — Another added.

Jack tried again. This time he managed to keep his balance for a few feet before jumping off. The boys cheered, and he felt a twinge of satisfaction. It was the first time in a long time that he had done something just for fun.

— You're good at it. — The first boy said, taking his skateboard back. — If you want, we're here almost every night.

— Maybe I'll show up. — Jack replied, with a half smile.

He continued walking, but now with a little more ease. The city was still strange to him, but perhaps it wasn't so bad.