Deuce, Intelligence (pt1)

Deuce says “going to class is a fun new experience. In middle school, I was, um…absent a lot. For various reasons,” and in Book 5 we learn why.

Deuce explains, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a slow learner. I’d study hard, but my grades always stayed below average. I wanted an excuse for why I did so poorly in school…so over time, I started taking the easy way out. “I’m not even trying Of course my grades are bad.”

Deuce says he didn’t see the point in school back in those days and seems aware of his limitations, saying, “I’m neither book smart or a clever thinker,” and explaining that he found classes “boring and stifling” because he couldn’t understand the material: “And how could I? I was always cutting classes.” 

Deuce has voice lines of, “I know I’m not completely useless, but when people try to throw a lot of information at me all at once, I can’t handle it” and “I’m not very good at studying, so if it were up to me, I wouldn’t. But I can’t run away from it, either. I need to tough it out as best I can.”

(Trey: “Deuce was begging me to help him study. I’m glad he’s committed, at least.”)

We often hear of Deuce struggling with his classes at NRC, with Riddle saying he had to take a remedial test in flight class after falling off his broom.

Deuce says his written exam grades “aren’t great” and we see him struggle in class with Crewel, with Grim saying that both he and Deuce had to take an extra class with Crewel because an answer Deuce gave on his homework was so wrong that “Crewel nearly yelled (their) ears off.” 

Crewel cautions Deuce about failing a final exam, which will bar him from track meet competitions.

This worries Deuce, who says he has been so focused on track that he has barely been studying. It is possible that he did not fail the exam, however, receiving an award in another vignette for his achievements at a track meet.

Deuce also seems to get poor grades in art, saying that class with Vargas is a subject that he is good at.