Persistence

III

If there's one thing I hate most in this world, it's English papers. I'm not a big fan of reading, let alone having to read specific books that I have no interest in whatsoever. Not only do I have to read a boring book I could care less about, but I also have to construct a thesis paper that plays a big role in my graduation. Luckily we had free-range to this paper - we could choose whatever book we wanted as long as we could come up with a decent thesis. I've learned that having no limitations is beneficial, but it also puts you at a disadvantage if you're like me and have no idea where to start.

In the three years I've spent at Saratoga High, I've only stepped foot in the library twice if that. I didn't know where anything was, and even if I did I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I walked up and down the various stacks of books hoping that I'd get an idea from the titles. Along one of the corners, I saw a pair of legs sticking out. I didn't want to disturb whomever was sitting, but I was too lazy to walk all the way back down the aisle I just came from. I tried my best to not be a disturbance as I got closer to the corner, but I began to recognize the person the more they came into view.

It was Cassidy. She was focused on her reading as usual, but my presence must've snapped her out of her trance because she turned to look at me. As soon as she saw me, she rolled her eyes and marked her place in her book before closing it. "Lucas, there is a difference between friendship and stalking," she said in a bitter tone with a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I promise this is just a coincidence," I said shaking my head.

Cassidy's green eyes glanced me up and down. "I've never seen you in here before."

I laughed under my breath and looked down at my feet. I felt embarrassed, and her gaze made me even more bashful. "Yeah," I said scratching the back of my head. "I'm only in here to find a book for Jennings's class."

"What are you thinking about writing?" she asked. Her eyes were filled with excitement and fascination.

I shrugged. "I have no idea," I admitted. "I came in here hoping to get an idea."

"Well, what are you looking for?" she asked. Her hands crossed over her lap and she looked at me attentively. "Are you wanting to get deep with your thesis, or just get an easy A?"

"An easy A," I admitted with a laugh.

Cassidy jumped to her feet. She threw her bag over her shoulder and turned to me radiating with enthusiasm. "Follow me," she said turning on her heels. I did as she commanded and followed her down a couple of aisles before turning down one. She stopped and stooped down, tracing her fingers along the spines of the books until she found the one she was looking for. She grabbed it and turned to me with a smile on her face. "The Metamorphosis," she said. "There's only three main parts you have to read and it's fairly easy to B.S. a paper if you don't mind writing about Catholicism."

I looked down at the book. Below the title was a picture of a beetle. I felt my brows furrow in confusion. "What is it about?" I asked looking at her.

"The main character turns into a giant ass bug," she said nonchalantly.

"A bug?"

"Yup," she answered. "There's some imagery in there that you could easily relate to the Bible and Jesus Christ."

I looked down at the book again. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the story, but Cassidy has read more books than I could name. "Okay," I muttered. "Do you mind helping me out if I need assistance?"

Cassidy smiled. "Sure," she answered. "That's what friends are for right?"