What's Enough?

Chapter 114

One Month Later

The bell rings, everyone gets up and turns in the assignment to Ms.Collins.

I write my name at the top of the paper; for some reason, I never write it before I start working; I always write it after I'm finished with the assignment.

"Here you go," I hand her the paper.

She takes it out my hand, "I graded your essay from last week,"

"You graded everyone's early?" She told us that she planned to grade our five-page The Catcher in the Rye essay over winter break.

"Not everyone, just yours," she informs me.

"Oh,"

She pulls out the paper from a plain folder and then hands it to me. My eyes enlarge as I stare at the big red F on the front page. "An F, I don't understand," I have read that book a hundred times. It's not too hard to interpret.

"It wasn't your best work," she states, and I'm kind of offended. I worked for hours on that paper.  "Everything seemed... basic. I need something new from you, Jayda, something different."

"What do you mean?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Your writing technique and writing style is phenomenal, but it's what I expect from you."

I narrow my eyes, "And that's a bad thing?"

"It's not, but all good writers change it up sometimes. I have been teaching you for a month, and Everything you have given feels the same," she says honestly. "Besides the writing style and technique. You didn't really interpret the story; you told me about the surface things," she stands up from her desk. "I wanted you in my class because, in that brain of yours, you're able to view books differently than other people, you're able to change everyone's perspective and come up with a different approach,"

If I'm being honest with myself, I didn't really dive deep into the book. Though I have read it many times, I wasn't really reading when it was time for me to reread it for the essay. I didn't feel like digging deep.

She sighs, "Look, I know things have been difficult for you since the shooting. It's been challenging for everyone; we're all still a little shaken up."

Shaken up is an understatement; everyone is terrified. All school events have been canceled except for the ones off school property. They canceled the winter ball. Of course, everyone was devastated—everyone except me.

"Look, just take it home, do it over. It's the 7th; I need it before we go on break, which is the 18th."

"Okay," I give her a smile and then walk out the door.

...

When I open the door to the diner, I spot Violet, James, Thomas, and Liam sitting at the back. Their eyes land on me.

Damn, now I have to speak.

I walk to the back of the diner over to where they are.

"Hey, guys,

Everyone greets me.

"Shit, it feels like we haven't seen you in ages," James says. "Well, me and Violet,"

I see Liam and Thomas all the time, well, not all the time only at STEM club, and that's it. I do see them more than Violet and James; we don't sit together at lunch anymore. I'm mostly only with Jessica now. We have really grown closer over the last month, mainly because of the project.

Violet slides over, bumping into James, "Sit, sit." she urges me.

I slide in beside them.

"I'm so mad you're not in Brooke's class anymore.," she pouts.