So. I have an English paper due on Tuesday. For those of you who care, I got first place for my performance on History Day and now I go to state. I also won my Shakespeare competition so I go to states for that next Saturday. This story came to me while I was (and technically am) procrastinating on the aforementioned English paper.
I was sitting at my computer screen for three hours staring at the same paragraph. Suddenly, I heard a crash in the kitchen. I went to go see what it was and lo and behold it was Boggy. He was on the floor surrounded by pots and pans. I sighed and walked back into the living room to try and finish this ridiculous paper for my AP class when Boggy came toddling out after me. He crawled up on my couch and looked at my half-finished paper.
"Big words," he said.
"Yeah," I replied half-listening.
"Abby write paper? But why Abby write paper not on piece of paper?" he asked.
"Because it has to be in MLA format," I answered.
"Papers for King just need glitter," he commented.
"If only my English teacher would accept that," I mused.
"Abby need help?"
"No. Abby needs to figure out what to write, and Abby doesn't think you can help with that. You haven't read Othello," I explained.
"Oh. Okay!" Boggy said as he got off the couch and skipped away like a goblin on a mission.
"King!" Boggy yelled as he walked into the throne room.
"What is it, Boggy?" Jareth asked.
"Where is Kristin?" Boggy inquired.
"Christian is in the garden, why?"
"Abby need help with paper," Boggy explained and continued out to the garden.
"KRISTIN!" Boggy yelled as he walked through the garden.
"What do you need, Boggy?" Christian replied.
"Abby need help with English. Come, come," Boggy said as he grabbed Christian's hand and sealed my paper's fate.
With a puff of smoke the unlikely pair appeared in my living room to find me bundled in a blanket making fifty shades of frustrated noises at my computer.
"Wow, paper going that bad?" Christian asked with a hint of amusement.
"Don't laugh. This paper's going to be the death of me. I barely managed to turn my grade into an A last quarter and this paper is worth a lot," I explained.
Christian sat down and climbed under my blanket.
"Why is it always so cold when I come here?" he asked.
"It's winter. My windows are half-finished. Quite like my paper come to think of it.." I trailed off.
"What's your paper on?"
"I quote 'Analyze Emilia's character development throughout the course of the play. Pay particular attention to when she decides to speak and when she decides to stay silent. Does the audience forgive her for staying silent about the handkerchief?'" I responded.
"I don't recall asking for the prompt. I asked what your paper is on," Christian said.
"I wanted to show how she's Shakespeare's mouthpiece character and she revolutionizes some new ways of thinking. She shows that men and women should be equal and that the common person can make a difference and should fight for justice. I also wanted to show that she goes from being silent to being killed because she literally can't stay silent. There's just so much to the prompt that I don't know how to include it all in the paper under what should be a narrow thesis," I sighed.
"Have you talked to your teacher about it?"he asked.
"I literally have spent a majority of my advisories in his room to work on my writing. He basically marked up my whole entire rough draft and presented me with a new view of it that scrapped my old paper. I've been trying to combine new and old to make sense and answer the whole prompt but I also need to add in outside sources which is what is hard," I complained.
"So. How long have you been looking at that same paragraph?"
"Three hours."
Christian gave a low whistle and asked, "Want me to read it?"
I pushed my laptop over to him without a second thought. He read it for a few minutes and said,"so you're stuck as to where to go next?"
"Basically," I nodded.
"And it's due when?"
"Tuesday."
"Do you always procrastinate?"
"Hey! I started writing on Friday."
"And you still haven't finished."
"That's besides the point."
"No, I think that IS the point. Otherwise you would be done by now."
"I didn't ask for your help you know."
"I know, but I'm not going to leave until you finish it."
"Ugh."
"Abby. It's been three hours. HOW HARD IS IT TO FINISH AN ENGLISH PAPER?! Give me the iPod. You don't need it to write this paper," Christian reprimanded me.
"Nooooooooo! My high school just finished throwing a party and my other character finished going on a date!" I complained while trying to grab my iPod back.
"What are you on?" Christian said while poking me in the face.
"Nothing. I just am an addict when it comes to My School Story and Hollywood U," I shrugged.
"Well, as great as that is, it's not getting you any closer to finishing your paper," he replied.
"Whatever."
"No. Not whatever. You'll thank me later when you finish it," he reasoned.
"Fine, but I need my iPod back to listen to some power tunes."
"Why not just use your computer? You're not going to fool me."
"It was worth a shot."
Suddenly, a call comes in from the school department in my town. I picked up the phone and answered it to find the automated voice of my superintendent informing me that school has been cancelled tomorrow due to bad weather.
"YES! NO SCHOOL! I CAN FINISH THIS TOMORROW!" I yell while doing a victory dance.
Boggy, who has been sleeping on the couch during this whole endeavor finally wakes up and sees me dancing.
"Abby finish paper? Yay!" Boggy yells while dancing with me.
"NO Abby didn't finish her paper. School just got canceled so she's going to procrastinate and finish it tomorrow," Christian answered sardonically.
"Oh..."Boggy stopped dancing.
"Well. You can just come back and make sure I do finish it tomorrow," I said and stuck my tongue out at Christian.
"So ladylike,"he mocked.
"Oh come on, Christian. Lighten up. We can have some fun now!" I suggested.
"What would you suggest we do then?" he asked with an eyebrow quirked.
"We could make out," I suggested with a mock serious face.
"You just want research for your story," he replied.
"Actually I was joking. But whatever. Let's watch A Haunting," I said.
"Sounds good to me."
"Boggy want popcorn," Boggy declared.
"Sounds good to me," I agreed. So the three of us curled up on my couch in a blanket with popcorn to watch the Haunting and my paper got put off until another day.
A/N: My paper will get done tomorrow. I don't always procrastinate. Although Christian begs to differ.