The Things We Do (Under Editing)

I Will Not Fail

There's this thing I have a bad habit of doing, which I'm sure that any student can relate to. I call it "forgetting you have to write a paper until the day before it's due".

Now, I'm not the best writer on a good day, but... Who am I kidding? I don't have good days, so let's just say I suck at writing, especially papers. I just can't seem to come up with a good beginning. Or ending. Or, you know, middle. Those titles are killer too.

Really, I'd just spent an hour and a half staring at a document on my laptop that was completely blank other than my name. It probably didn't help that I had the news turned on, but honestly, if it weren't for that, I'd probably be asleep, so which was worse?

Maybe I should invent something that could write my paper's for me.

"Topic. Topic. Topic." I repeated the word over and over, saying it differently each time. "Topic..." Did I mention that I don't have one of those either? I was fairly certain that I was supposed to be writing a report on some kind of new tech, but what exactly my professor wanted wasn't really clear. I could probably ask someone, but then I'd have to admit that I hadn't started yet.

I wasn't going to submit myself to that.

It wasn't until a familiar green hood caught my attention that I realized that my gaze had drifted from my computer to the TV. I'd missed the beginning of the report, but, as I watched, they showed a clip of nearly a dozen blocks of a major street collapsing into the tunnels, taking cars, lamp posts, and pedestrians with it.

With the ground in that condition, all the nearby buildings would probably have to be emptied. There was just no guarantee that it wouldn't collapse further, and it could be months before they got everything stabilized enough to use the area again.

Hangman had really gone all out this time, but it appeared it would be their last trick. The shot changed to a clip of Hangman nearly falling off the roof of a shop after being tased by one of the most bored looking cops I'd ever seen.

If they were going to pull anything else, their next game would have to be escaping from prison.

I guess Kacie had been right about Hangman not really caring whether they got caught. The whole time the police were dragging them away, all they did was laugh, like they were still winning whatever game this was.

Part of me almost believed it was true.

"Amy!" I jumped three feet and nearly dropped my computer as Kacie crashed through my doorway into my room.

"What's wrong!?"

"Get off your butt; we're going to a party!"

My panic faded to annoyance as I looked at her. I went back to my paper without even responding. If no one was dying, then I wasn't moving.

Even if I didn't have things I had to do, there was no way she was going to get me to a party. I'd managed to avoid them since high school, and I wasn't going to break my streak now. Of course, that didn't stop my best friend from attempting to physically drag me out of my apartment.

She grabbed the back of my hoodie and dug her heels into the carpet, using all of her weight to pull on me. It wasn't a whole lot of weight.

"I'm writing a paper," I told her, her efforts having accomplished exactly nothing.

Kacie grunted with effort. "You're always working on homework recently. You need some fun or your brain is going to explode."

Fearing for the state of my hoodie, I finally twisted and allowed Kacie's weight to pull it off of me. Kacie landed on her butt with a thump.

"I think I'll take my chances. If my brain explodes, I get a permanent break, and if it doesn't, I might actually pass my classes. Basically, it's a win-win."

A ridiculously extended groan dragged itself out of Kacie's mouth as she flopped backwards from her sitting position to lying on her back, limbs out like a starfish.

"We're celebrating the fact that I'm still alive, though!"

I reached my leg off my bed to gently prod her with my foot.

"I celebrate the fact that you're alive every day." She looked like she was about to start "aww"-ing at me, so I added, "Just not right now, and certainly not by going to a party."

Kacie stuck her tongue out at me and blew a raspberry. "You used to be so fun!" she complained. As soon as the words left her mouth, we both stopped. "Sorry... I know a lot has happened since then..."

I knew she didn't like remembering those days any more than I did, so I cut the heavy mood short. "In case you've forgotten, I was never 'party' fun. I was 'steal the tires off the principal's car' fun."

Kacie started snickering. "Did he ever figure out who did that?"

"Which time?" I grinned at her and then we both burst out laughing.

Once we'd stopped laughing, she got up and retreated to the door. Pausing with her hand on the frame, she looked back at me.

"I'm not going to bug you about it, but I still think you should go. It'll be fun."

I watched the door close behind her before returning my attention to my paper. Maybe Kacie was right. Maybe I did need a break. I couldn't risk it, though. There was no way I was going to risk my grades dropping again. Not after I was so close to getting out.