“Your introduction was sloppy,” he says simply. “And your conclusion didn’t make sense based off your main points.”
“Um, okay?” I don’t really know what to say.
“Listen,” he lowers his voice. “I can’t play favorites just because I’m dating your mom. You know that, right?”
“I never asked you for favors, but I think a ‘D’ is a bit harsh.” I shrug, shoving the essay in my bag. Maybe I can retake this class as a summer course. If Scranton won’t pass me, it might be my only option. I can get extra shifts at work or find a second job to pay for the class. Yeah, I wanted to spend the summer messing around with my friends and dancing as much as possible, but if it’s not going to happen, it’s not going to happen.
I take a deep breath.
“If you want to come see me during my office hours, we can discuss a rewrite,” Scranton says. His voice grates on me.
“A rewrite?” I didn’t realize he offered those in his classes.
“You can’t earn higher than a ‘C’ on a rewritten paper, but if you’re willing to revise the entire thing and come up with new sources to back up your arguments, I’d be willing to read it.”
This paper is worth 10% of my total grade and a “C” isn’t much better than a “D.” Still, it won’t hurt to try, and the way Scranton is looking at me, I have a feeling he’s not really giving me much of a choice.
“Of course,” I say, trying not to sound glum. “A rewrite sounds great.”
“Perfect. I’ll be in my office from 3:30 to 5:00 this afternoon.”
“See you then.”
I turn and leave the room, trying not to cry as I make my way out of the classroom. I worked really, really hard on that essay and there’s no way it deserved the grade he gave me. Still, I need to look at things positively, right?
This gives me a chance to work on my writing skills and that’s what I want: I want to be a writer.
Even if Scranton doesn’t see my potential, I see it.
Ignoring the way he makes me feel, I grab some food on campus and mess around on my phone until it’s time to meet Scranton. When I head into his office, I’m not shocked to see my mother hurrying out, looking disheveled.
Gross.
Was she here for a nooner? Really?
I slip back around the corner and luckily, she heads in the opposite direction and doesn’t see me. Good. The last thing I want to do is deal with her drama. My mom did her best raising me as a single mother, but sometimes I wish she hadn’t dated so much while I was a teenager. My mom is really insecure and tends to go from guy-to-guy and relationship-to-relationship.
I’m not more upset about her and Scranton because I know it’s not going to last the semester. My biggest concern, sadly, is that they’ll break up right before finals and he’ll take out his frustration on my grade.
I knock at the door to his office and Scranton opens it quickly. He seems surprised to see me. Did he think I was Mom again?
“Oh, it’s, uh, you.”
I nod, looking pointedly at the large clock on the wall.
“3:30, right?”
“Yes, uh, that’s right. Come on in.”
The room smells like sex and moldy books. Gross. How is Scranton still
teaching here? I know it’s nearly impossible to fire professors, but come on, now. I manage to find my way to a chair amongst the clutter of books, papers, and trinkets scattered throughout his office. I hope this isn’t where he and my mother just… I shudder at the thought and push it from my head.
“So, my paper,” I yank it from my bag. “What pointers do you have?”
***
“He said what?” Kasey shrieks when I get home and tell her about my day.