More than a Deficiency

Chapter 1

History class.... the most utterly useless class I have. How is knowing the philosophies Confucius made going to help me go to Harvard? Or even yet, pay my taxes? Exactly it's not. You could say history is "fun" but not when Ms.Craponlemons gives you a group work assignment with a bunch of bozos. Like why should 40% of my grade depend on how my fellow ape classmates do their work? What's that saying people say when you try your best but aren't certain if someone likes your efforts?

"It's the thought that counts" they say. Okay well if my teammates try their "best" on the teamwork, the teacher should reasonably be giving us the full grade.

I start to nervously chew on the end of my pencil, waiting ravenously for the grade I hoped to be at least a A-. Ms.Craponlemons places the paper on the table that holds the truth. I quickly snatch the paper moving my eyes across the paper until I find what I was looking for.

Final Grade: C+

I could not believe my eyes. What had I done wrong? I look at the requirements and see that they were all completed but, Brandon and Bonny, two of the apes in my group who did a bad job on their report, meaning everyone else had to suffer from THEIR mistakes. I could not believe it, I put blood, sweat, and tears into this report and this project, only to be lowered down by some peasants.

"Can I see the paper?" Brandon asks. I glare at him, and so does everyone else who already saw the results. I crumble the paper and throw it at Brandon's face. Okay! Come down, calm down, that was in my head, or... what I wanted to do. Instead, I just handed him the paper. The bell rings and everyone runs out of the class in a rush, after all it was the last period .

I slowly walk up to Ms.Craponlemons, in my mind she looked like a fat, greedy pig who destroyed my grade with her dumb, useless history 101 class.

"Ms.Craponlemons?" I ask in a squeak.

"Oh, hello Ella! would you mind pressing that button?" she says as she sits down on her chair. I do so and the chair starts to go around in circular motions causing Ms.Craponlemon's hip to turn.

"It's Alina" I say

"Is there something you wanted to ask Ella?" she asked still turning in circular motions.

"I-uh-yes. It's about the  final grade for the Confucianism group project" I say trying to keep the conversation normal while... she was doing her sedentary exercises.

"What about it" she says as she loudly sips her coffee leaving lipstick marks on the cup.

"I was wondering if there is a way to bring up the final grade" I say cringing of what her response would be.

"Well... ah- I don't think much can be done, it is after all the 'final' grade" she said smiling. I knew it was the final grade but it would be MY final grade in life if my parents find out.

"Please, I'm willing to do extra-credit" I say.

"Well, you have the week off, if you're really desperate then you can do the entire report yourself and bring it back on the Monday we come back. Sounds good?" she asks although her question came out as a statement for me.

"Yes.... thank you" I say.

"Great! Have a nice vacation" she says.

"You too" I say. One week. Seven days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds, for me to finish an entire report that took three weeks to complete, nearly a month. How can she say 'have a nice vacation' with the work load she was giving me?

* * *

Home, sweaty home. You thought I was about to say "Home, sweet home" didn't you? Nah it's like a second gym for me, since the house always feels like a sauna due to how much boiled water and humidifiers my mother turns on everyday. I'd like to say I have a pretty normal family, but I'll let you be the Judge Judy of this episode.

I sit down at the dinner table or based on the fact that I will be eating lunch at this time, the lunch table, and my annoying eight year old brother is blabbing his mouth over something that is most likely useless.

"One doesn't have depression, depression is just a part of life and you can shut it down easily with a remote' he says holding the remote in his hands, "See? it's simple depression is just a feeling, and it's very similar to TV channels, it comes and goes" he says with a proud smile flipping through channels until he lands on his desired channel, channel 3 with Bob.

"I don't think that's how depression works Evan. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and it can be affected by the environment and genetics" I say not half sure f the words that just came out of my mouth.

"There is no chemical imbalance! We are all part of a game! Don't you see? It's like the Sims Tm!" he yells and shakes the table.

"Stop shaking the table boy" my father says. You see my father, oh screw the formalities! My dad had a anime background. When my dad was 12 years old he lost his mom and shortly after, his dad. He was then taken care of by his alcoholic uncle, which basically made my dad study really hard to get away from his alcoholic uncle since according to him his days always were, another day another war. That's the main reason why he's so strict with us.

"So Alina, what did you get on the group report for history?" my mom asks.

"B+" I say nervously hoping she won't catch onto my lie.

"That's not the best grade... try harder next time" my dad says.

"Actually, Ms.Craponlemons is giving me one week to redo it" I say.

"He-he-he, craponlemons" my brother giggles but stops immediately after my dad glared at him.

"That's good, use this opportunity to do better, your father and I expect an 'A' from you this time" my mom says looking at my dad then smiling at me. I smile back, but really I was panicking on the inside, how the hell am I supposed to get an "A" on a FULL report that is do in literally one week? That's like telling Mr.OrangePresident that world peace exists!

I head upstairs to begin my doomsday epitaph.