English Literature ~ Tom Hiddleston

4

"You will be coming together in groups of four and design a project of any kind to the novel „to the lighthouse". Get creative and try your best, I do not want that just one or two people from each group do all of the work, I want to see that all four put effort in it. That's it for today, thank you class"
I groaned. I hate group projects with people I barely know.
Tyler poked my shoulder, he was sitting behind me every time now in this class.
„you wanna form a group? I mean it doesn't seem as if you had anybody else to do it with." He suggested with a cocky smile.
Since I actually didn't have anybody else i answered „how could I say no to such a charming offer." And showed him my sarcastic smile. „So who are the other two people who will be joining us for the project?"
We looked around the room and I saw Nora not having a partner yet so I walked up to her.
Nora was kind of a friend of mine, we were really close in the first semester but at some point she got back with her ex boyfriend, who doesn't like her having a lot of friends... so we don't talk anymore.
„Hey Nora, do you wanna pair up with me and Tyler.." I turned around pointing at Tyler to show her who I meant and he was standing there waving to us with another dude, meaning that he found someone too. „and apparently this other guy for the project?" I asked while turning around again to face her with a light smile.
„ehh yeah sure why not." She shrugged with her shoulders and followed me to the boys.
We greeted the other boy, whose name is Cassian and agreed that we would meet in the library tomorrow after class to gather some ideas.

I have to work today so I went home, got my work clothes and left for my 3 pm shift.
My dad wasn't home so that made that easy.
At the bookshop we're only like 3 people so I took the books which came new in and put them in our system.
I love working here. It's always quiet, the smell of books is amazing, I get a discount on every book I buy and I am the first one to see the newly published ones.
Nothing unusual happened so i, as always closed at 8pm and made my way home.
My dad sat on the couch when i came home. I tried to sneak upstairs but the floor cracked and his head swung around at the sound.
„ i missed you at dinner young lady." he said without a mimic on his face. I couldn't tell if he was in a bad or a good mood. „Yeah, i had to work. I told you that im working on Thursdays" i answered his indirect question.
„Well i must've forgotten" he huffed and turned his head to the TV again. „i left you some pasta in the fridge,... if you're hungry" he added.
„Thanks dad." i went to the fridge, made myself a plate and heated the food up in the microwave. He isn't always a bad Father, he's just a drinker and the thing with alcoholics is, that you should never take anything personal what they say. Wether it is i hate you, i love you, you're my favorite pr i hope you die and rott in hell.
It's all the same... meaningless
Under the influence of drugs people are not who they used to be, those who you knew, they are someone else. And their world is only turning around drugs and themselves.
Anyway, i went up to my room, ate and watched one of my favorite series „Game of thrones" again.
I also brainstormed for tomorrow a little bit, i want the project to be good.

The next day passed pretty quickly so it didn't take long for our group to meet in the library. We sat down at a big table and took our stuff out. „Okay at first we need to have a concept, like what are we going to do and how will we be doing that. Maybe we could all come up with one idea at least and explain it to the group." Tyler suggested and we all nodded. Everyone was writing something in their notebook, but since i already made up my mind i just sat there waiting for them to be done.
„I thought about a PowerPoint or a few poster to show the storyline, the characters, the plot and the ending." Tyler began presenting us his suggestion. I already didnt like it, Mr. Hiddleston insisted on us being creative and doing something you wouldn't normally do but i stayed quiet because we agreed to give feedback at the end, when everyone made their suggestion.
„I thought about something a little bit more out going, like scavenger hunt and at each location there's more information to the storyline. Maybe we can even pick suitable locations which correspond with some places in the novel." Nora went on with her suggestion. That one is definitely creative and has a lot of potential.
„I thought about a trailer or a shortfilm, so something visual. We could also do like a shortfilm and show how different effects like music can change the genre. Or we could do something interactive like Nora suggested, perhaps a red thread through the class room, which our fellow students have to follow." The group nodded at my ideas and all heads turned to Cassian.
"Well I also thought about a PowerPoint and since I'm good with computers and stuff I thought about programming a game, based on the novel. But I don't know how convertible that is." He stated.
After we all shared our ideas one after the other got feedback from the group and we thought about which one was the best one to do for this class. We decided that Noras suggestion was the most fun and easy to set up so we went with hers.

Since it was getting a little late we made a groupchat to discuss the following things about the project, who will be doing what etc.
i took the same bus as Cassian and we talked a bit on the ride home. He's actually kind of cute, he's a little nerdy and therefore he's super smart. He likes Star Wars, which i can totally relate and we didn't ran out of things to talk about so there was no awkward silence. He got off the bus two stops before i did.
When i got home my dad slept on the couch. The TV was still on so i tiptoed to him, took the remote and shut it off. Fortunately he didn't wake up so i went up to my room.

I woke up from laughter coming from downstairs. It was 10 am on a Saturday so who would be here? I asked myself. Sadly the answere knocked on my door a few minutes later.
„Nia say hello to uncle Peete. I missed you. Where's my big girl? I haven't seen you in ages."
Ugh
This „Uncle" was a friend of my father who knows me since i was born. He was often there in my childhood but nothing good ever happens when he's around. My Dad and him often play cards like Poker or Black jack and they drink an alarming amount of beer while doing it. So im not a big fan of him, he's even responsible for some of the huge fights my parents had in their marriage.
I didn't answer, i just hoped they would go away when they think that im still asleep, what i was a few minutes ago.
They actually went down the stairs again and i slept a little more.
The second time i woke up it was 11:30 am and after a short time on my phone i decided it was time for breakfast. I dressed myself in case they were still downstairs so i wouldn't be getting any comment on why im still in my pjs this late. I have to work at 2 pm so i thought about making myself some lunch for my break while heading downstairs.
Of course they were still there and even worse more Friends of my father joined them to play cards. Five men were sitting at my dinner table and staring at me while i walked into the kitchen mumbling a good morning, so quiet almost only i could here it.
They were chatting and i made myself a smoothie bowl for now and some sandwiches for work. Suddenly i felt a hand on my back and spun around quickly to see whose hand that was.
„hello gorgeous, are eating all that by yourself?" one of the friends asked while smirking disgustingly in my face. He didn't just say that did he? It was way to early for this kind of harassment. „Excuse me?" i was too stunned to speak, what a dick. „ can you not speak to me that way, this early, in my own home, where you are a guest of my father?" i put him into place „and besides, what if i would be eating that all myself right now, wouldn't it be any of your fucking business you old bastard!", now he was too stunned to speak so i left him there in the kitchen with his mouth wide open and went to eat in my room.
This incident alone could have ruin my whole day, but i thought i give this Saturday another chance to be great.
Dumb.
Dumb and naive.
One hour before i had to go to work i went downstairs again getting ready to leave so wouldn't have to stress myself or walk very fast to the bookshop.
I thought I'd stop by the living room to say goodbye very briefly just out of kindness when my dad called me over to his chair.
„Sit down little one and have fun with us. Well more likely big one." he laughed. They all laughed.
„Come on Nia just like the old days, sit on your fathers lap and watch us playing cards. Oh maybe get another chair, i don't think my leg can hold all the weight." he added.
„Did you just called me over to make fun of me?" i asked with a straight face.
„Oh god damn Nia don't be so serious all the time. With that disgusted look on your face you look like your mother." They all laughed again.
„Oh i don't think she got the joke" Peete throws in „he said you look like your mother, because she also always had that disappointed look on her face."
„Oh i remember times when Loretta didn't have that kind of look on her face" my dad made everyone laugh again „oh well maybe i just didn't see her face in that posit-„ i slammed my hand on the table and everybody was quiet at an instant.
„Do not talk about my mother that way" i pointed my finger right in his face, warning him „any of you. Don't take my mothers name in your mouth." i couldn't take it anymore they were just drunk assholes but what they said still hurt. I made a step away from them when my father grabbed my arm, yanked me down on my knees and slapped me across the face. My head was turned to the side, my cheek was in flames and a single tear formed in my eye. I was too proud to let it drop in front of these bastards so i held it in.
„Don't ever talk to me like that!" he warned me, his grip still tight around my wrist. Then they all started laughing again.
He let me go and i almost run outside.
I walked a few blocks till i came to a halt and held my cheek. Not really progressing what just happened, i went to work.

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Well that's todays chapter
I hope you liked it
Sorry for the sad ending but i promise the next ones are gonna be better ;)