Sidelines ✔️

15 • Studying, like together ? • 15

I bit my lip and turned over the paper, reading the question:

'The past will always haunt those not satisfied with their present.'
How far and in what ways do you agree with this view of The Great Gatsby?

I bit down harder on my lip as I read the question. The question wasn't what I was expecting completely as I was expecting something on the American dream or the concept of the Great Gatsby being a tragedy. However, when reading the question, I realised Billy had warned me about a question just like it. The question Mr Atwood had set was about the past and present. It tied perfectly into Jay Gatsby's fatal flaw that Billy had reminded me off.

I sighed in relief when I realised, I had something to write about. I jotted out a plan for the essay and came up with an argument that would agree with the question as I knew Jay Gatsby was a prime example of someone who wouldn't let himself be happy because he was obsessed with a love from the past.

When I had my points written out, I started writing. My heart was racing as I wrote as quickly as I could. There was so much I had to cover in my head that I was scared I wouldn't be able to get it down in my essay and form a cohesive argument. What made it worse was that the boy in front of me was already on his second sheet of paper when I was still on my first.

I bit my, thinking, how could someone write that fast?

Time seemed to flash by and before I knew it, Mr Atwood was telling us that our time was up just as I finished my last sentence. My heart raced as I put a full stop at the end of the sentence as he finished speaking. I had just made it, but I had no time to go back through the essay to check my spelling or grammar.

Mr Atwood came round and picked up the essay's, thanking students as they handed them to him. I sat nervously until he came to collect the tests from my row.

Mr Atwood smiled at me as I handed him my test and said, "Thank you, Charlie", before moving on to collect the paper from the boy in front of me who had somehow managed to write twice the amount that I had, causing me to bite my lip even harder. How did he write so much?

"How'd you find it?" Tommy asked me. He seemed a lot calmer this time.

"I'm not sure." I replied. "I finished the essay, that's a start." I said.

I knew I'd written what I thought was right, but I didn't know if it would be what Mr Atwood would think is right.

Tommy nodded, but Harry scoffed. "I definitely got a C on that. It could have been much worse." He said. However, if I wasn't mistaken, I was pretty sure there was a tinge of relief in his voice.

I Ignored Harry and glanced at Tommy, who was twiddling with his thumbs for the second time this lesson. He seemed more nervous for a good outcome on this test than I had first realised.

"I'm sure you did fine." I smiled, trying to sound like I was certain our grades would be fine. Yet, I knew I was just as nervous as Tommy. I wasn't the one marking our papers. How could I be completely convinced by my words?

The class was caught up in post exam chat, when Mr Atwood returned to the front of the class and leaned against his desk, waiting for us to get the message that he had something to say. The class was quick to catch on. Mr Atwood had our attention got all of our attention and the class was quiet.

"First, well done for completing the test. You'll get your results back in the next couple of days. Second, there's going to be another test on Thursday next week! You will be assessed on T our second book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Better get studying." He said, smiling slightly.

I mentally groaned. Another test? Wonderful.

The class was dismissed and I headed out to go to my next class with Taylor.