Project Pen (first draft)

Chapter One

     I rolled my eyes as Professor Martin spoke.  For a man paid to teach, he is a total imbecile.  Every time we discuss a book, Professor Martin analyzes it as little as possible.  It’s almost like he doesn’t even like the subject he teaches.  It’s obvious he’s here for the money and nothing else.

     Our curriculum has been lackluster at best, and downright despicable at worst.  Currently, we’ve been talking about how an author makes use of extended metaphors, something Professor dimwit here obviously doesn’t understand.   At the end of the lecture, I brought up Franz Kafka, and his expertise on the subject, even though his metaphors are pretty obvious, or at least I thought they were.

      In a blasphemous attempt to speak on The Metamorphosis, he’s slandering the name of Kafka.  His narrowed eyes fixated on me as he continued to argue.
“Sometimes, Miss Wilson, a book is just a book.  It doesn’t always mean something.”  He finishes his argument, looking proud of himself.  It repulsed me that a professor of any institute, let alone one as prestigious as mine, could conduct a class this way. 
“Have you even read it?  It’s obviously an allegory for mental illness!  Anyone could see it.”  I crossed my arms, as I rolled my eyes.  “It’s so obvious!  Any level of critical thinking would allow you to see what Kafka meant!  I mean, it directly parallels his life and inability to marry the woman he loved and his hypochondria!” 

     Our argument had been going on for about two classes now.  Professor Martin saw me reading The Metamorphosis and wanted me to know that he thinks the novella is beneath him.  I know I should let these things go, some people aren't intelligent enough to understand these things, but it's hard.

     Kafka was my first love.  His writing is beautiful.  He made me realize my passion for writing, and his fate was my first exposure to the world's injustice.  It's hard to let an ignorant, dim-witted, overconfident man insult Kafka to make himself seem unique.

     “Why do you even care so much?  I mean it’s not like you knew the guy.”  The class idiot and suck-up, Kevin Walsh chimed in.  He only got into this school because of his parents’ generous donation that went towards the Walsh Library, and he only stays in the school because teachers like Prof. Martin don’t mind accepting a check to round up a grade.  He’s incapable of going an hour without lending unsolicited advice or harassing some poor girl who made the mistake of looking in his direction.  I’ve had more intelligent conversations with Tiffany’s cat.

     “Have you even read The Metamorphosis?” I turned to face him with pure disdain in my eyes and mocking in my tone, “It’s a little bit harder than The Amazing Spider-man comics, so I doubt you understood it.”
The argument was cut short by the chime of the clock tower outside, signaling that it was 3:00, the end of class.  Ordinarily, I would spend more time on this, but I’m meeting Tiffany soon.

      In this school, I'm constantly surrounded by idiots.  Lazy, irresponsible, products of nepotism that don't even understand how lucky they are to be here.  Tiffany is a breath of fresh air.  Both of us are from less-than-wealthy families, and we bonded pretty quickly.   She's the more empathetic of us, constantly defending our peers against my harsh words.  She sees most things differently in that sense.  Tiffany has a way of finding the good in most things.

     Her kindness landed her a boyfriend, Daniel, who I’ve been in constant feud with since I met.  I suppose he provides a genial energy that she finds comfort in.  Personally, I think he’s sort of daft, but she’s been spending all of her time with him.  I’m lucky to get these pre-Irish Lit coffee stops with her anymore. 

     We met up outside of the lecture hall and went down our usual path.  Our footprints were practically imprinted upon the leaf-strewn pathway having gone this way thousands of times before.  Tiffany was wearing an oversized lilac sweater and straight jeans.  Her favorite heart shaped necklace bounced as she jumped excitedly at seeing me.