Page 20 of Kisses
Patiently waiting, Professor James hands me my paper. I flip it over to see my grade. That asshole. I do not understand. I worked my ass off on this paper. I knew exactly what I was talking about. I dug deep into the web to find out everything about this killer. I fucking got a C? I have never gotten a C. I am an A student. WTF.
Kandace must have sensed the anger in me. She asks, “You okay?”
I answer, “No, I am not okay. I got a fucking C.”
She looks at me confused and says, “How’s that possible?”
“I have no fucking clue. I’m so tired of him treating me differently from the rest.”
“Do you really think he treats you differently? He’s hard on everybody.”
“You and I wrote our papers together. I critiqued yours.”
She sighs, “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe, try talking to him after class. I dunno.”
“Damn straight, I am. I’m so tired of this,” I say pissy-like.
We get up from our seats and head out. I let Kandace know that I will meet her at home. I am determined to see why.
I walk down the hall where the professors’ offices are. I sit down in the waiting area. He was still in class when I marched on down here.
Professor James walks into the sitting area and sees me. He looks at me and asks, “Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Keaton.”
Snarky, I answer, “I would like to talk to you about my paper.”
“Okay, we will have to make it fast. I have other things to attend to.”
“Let’s hope you give me a decent explanation.”
His eyes shoot daggers at me for my comment. Frankly, I don’t give a shit. Everything I am about to say or do, he has it coming. I do not care if he is my superior.
I follow him into his office. He shuts the door behind me. He signals for me to take a seat.
He questions, “What do you want to know about your paper?”
The attitude is in full force, I state, “You gave me a C.”
“That’s correct.”
“This is better than a C.”
“In your opinion.”
“How is my paper any different from Kandace’s paper? We both worked on them together. I proofread hers.”
He stares at me and says, “If you want to know the truth, I think you could’ve done better. Your paper is typical of a student just trying to get by. I told you in the beginning, that is unacceptable in my class.”
“Are you serious? I put a lot of work into this paper.”
“Not enough. You lack emotions. You lack the urgency of knowing the crime. You researched and put a paper together.”
“How’s that any different from my friend’s paper?”
“She doesn’t want to be a criminal investigator.”
“So?”
He stands up and walks around his desk toward me and sits on the edge. Professor James comments, “I’m going to be frank with you. You have potential but you’re not tapping into that potential.”