yikes. Algebra was never my cup of tea either, in fact, I despise tea. I remember once, I wanted to throw my algebra book away. heh. For me, I ended up taking it twice, and it was easier the second time around (naturally, i became the star of the class and a favorite of the teacher ).
Well anyway, imho, I think it's time to get a tutor. It doesn't mean that you're stupid, it's helpful. If you don't want a tutor, all I can say is, turn off/stay away any distractions and separate yourself from the rest of the world when you do algebra. It's important that you do well. You need to focus on getting a C. My guess is though, that things will end out to be a little bit better, at least better enough to get you that one point and get a C.

You can do it!!

ps:I'm sorry you missed it by 1, that's killer.

pss: everyone hates algebra, except math teachers. lol