Hellooo!
I spent Thanksgiving writing the majority of this chapter. Well, and eating until I nearly popped. You know how it is.
The format of part of this chapter is different, which I decided on to add some variety. I hope you choose to bear with it.
On an unrelated note, I turned 22 on Saturday! My friends planned a surprise party for the president of our anime club and I (her birthday is the 14th). I'm so lucky to have such awesome people in my life.
Since Christmas/winter break has started officially, I'll be off for a month. The next chapter is on its way.
Thank you guys so much for your kind and encouraging words. I love you! :3
Chapter 15
Friday arrived with the thick air of giddy exhaustion, half the student body so weary from the week's stress that dark circles hung from their eyes while the other half sprinted through the halls, too elated at the impending three-month break to care about tests. Eddward spent his first period helping a small crowd of grim, anxious students prepare for a history test, making them recite a series of rhymes he'd come up with on the spot to help them remember the capitals of various countries as their teacher fiddled with her phone and a documentary about reptiles droned on in the background. His biology final was so easy he was nearly offended. Lunch was spent picking at a container of grapes and melon pieces as he cleaned his locker a final time.
The genius was unaware that the lunch period had ended until a peal of distant laughter caused him to jump. Glancing at his watch to confirm the time, he folded the paper towel square he'd been polishing the shelves with and deposited it in the garbage can in the nearby alcove.
"I can't do this, Ed. How am I supposed to know what the cosine of the tangerine is?!"
"Tangerines are good for your feet."
The short male looked up from his crumpled study guide to shoot his best friend a dirty look. "I'm gonna kill you, Ed."
"Greetings, gentlemen." Double Dee smiled brightly, fingers fastened around his messenger bag strap. His gaze flickered between the pair, attempting to decipher their expressions.
"Eddy's doing feet math, Double Dee." Ed beamed at the smartest of the group.
"Oh, um, I'm happy to hear that, Ed."
"I'm studyin' for stupid math," the shortest of the Eds corrected, eyes scanning the scrawl on the paper. "Can't wait for this to be over with."
"Well, the semester will be concluded in a mere two hours. We're still going to your house after school is over, right, Eddy?"
"Yeah yeah," Eddy muttered dismissively. "Just wait on the playground or somethin' when you get out."
Smiling, the genius gave a curt nod. "Very well, then. I'm off to debate class. I believe our final is made up of a single essay question - I've prepared by composing a few practice responses over the past few days."
"That's too much writing," Ed murmured severely. "We're watching movies in my last two classes."
"I almost envy you," the ravenette responded, giving his tall friend a pat on the shoulder.
"I don't." The slowest Ed blinked at the shortest. "Eddy gets to add tangerines."
Eddy spared a moment to frown at his yellowish friend. "I'll add you, ya pit stain."
"Eddy, Ed, we shall reconvene here at the day's conclusion. I agreed to water the plants in the chemistry lab in my free period. I certainly hope they won't be neglected by the custodians over the summer…"
"Are custodians the ones who sweep the chimneys at night, Double Dee?"
The genius blinked up at Ed, exhaling softly. "I honestly don't know how to answer that, Ed."
The late bell thrummed loudly overhead, sending the tallest of the Eds into a series of ecstatic hops. "Movie time, guys!"
"Pray for me," Eddy growled, shoving the study guide into his baggy pants pocket, "Or do a rain dance or somethin'."
Eddward gave his companions a final smile before gathering his books.
The location of the brilliant boy's last exam was dark, the only lights buzzing with life at the very back of the room. Mr. Smith was a notoriously peculiar teacher, excusing his un-teacherlike hatred for blinding florescent bulbs on chronic headaches. He huffed out a long, whistling breath as the room filled with muttering, fidgety high-schoolers, passing out uneven stacks of tests to the student at the front of each row silently. The ravenette took a packet of stapled sheets, nodding and uttering "likewise" when the girl behind him took the stack and wished him luck. The whispers and zipping of pencil pouches died down, and Edd signed his test, turning his complete attention to the instructions.
ESSAY. Choose one of the following topics and argue for or against it in paragraph form, using as many examples as necessary to make your stance convincing.
Religion Integrated into the Curriculum
Fines for Not Recycling
Stricter Immigration Laws
Cameras at Stoplights
Abortion
Raising the Voting Age
Physician-Assisted Suicide
Removing Classic Literature from the Curriculum
Animal Testing
GMO's
Mandatory Warning on Cigarette Cartons
Double Dee glanced at his watch, quickly approximating how much time he had to create an outline and how long he could spend on each example. Long before anyone else's pencil had begun to tap on their papers, the ravenette had picked his topic and started his opening paragraph.
The decline of our nation's status in educational esteem and prowess has sparked many a debate as to what reforms would facilitate improvement. One suggestion made by educators and students alike is to place a higher priority on courses that teach modern concepts applicable to careers and the world's interconnected economy. This would shift the focus of literature and language arts from Greek theatre and Shakespearean-era classics to current books and theatrical productions in an attempt to more thoroughly show students the mindset and communication techniques of the world they are maturing in. While, in theory, this is a rational way to make an often tangential system more effective, eliminating historical literature from the curriculum would, in fact, be detrimental to our students and our culture overall.
One of the more obvious merits of learning classic literature is due to the multitude of euphemisms originating from it. William Shakespeare alone has penned dozens of phrases that have become universally recognized, from "my kingdom for a horse," and "all the world's a stage" to concepts that were previously unnamed in the English language, such as "breaking the ice" and "full-circle." The Iliad and The Odyssey are the inspiration for dozens of video game and movie monsters. Likewise, if one's therapist hypothesizes that he suffers from an Oedipus complex, being familiar with the term's origin will be greatly beneficial.
Another example of dated literature's relevance is its subject matter. Despite the common misconception that the Greeks and the seventeenth-century British were preoccupied with olive wreaths and the beauty of springtime flowers, the majority of classic literature studied at the high-school level deals with humanity's timeless pursuits. Emily Dickenson dwelled on the fragility of sanity and the inevitability of death, while Shakespeare's Hamlet follows a revenge-driven prince whose mother married the recently-dead king's brother, culminating in Hamlet discovering that his father was murdered and his subsequent revenge. The many gods of Greek mythology succumbed to lust, jealousy and rage. Edgar Allan Poe relied on shock value and humanity's fear of the unknown to draw in his audience before leaving them deeply disturbed.
Perhaps most significantly, the sharing, investigation, and analysis of historic literature is an activity that brings individuals together. While current literature is often an obvious commentary on society and its struggles, poems, stories, and scripts penned centuries ago are far more challenging for young adults to decipher. Expressing different interpretations and researching the events of the period can be an engaging and rewarding experience, demanding a level of cooperation and critical thinking not matched when discussing law-firm scandals and werewolf dramas. The relationships forged through the reading and discussion of classic literature prove to be challenging and immensely rewarding.
The nation's decline in educational effectiveness has facilitated many suggestions on how to make school more impactful and effective. Eliminating dated and irrelevant courses is a practical suggestion. Upon inspection, however, classic literature is far from irrelevant. Shakespearean idioms permeate every aspect of the English language. Ancient plays and legends boast themes of greed, jealousy, pride, and forbidden love, resonating with any audience. Finally, the challenge of analyzing and interpreting old stories can be a delightful experience that adds depth to any relationship of a scholarly nature. Sharing the timeless wisdom of historical literature is crucial to understanding our language and our society as it has been molded today.
Eddward had just enough time to reread his essay before the teacher hefted himself from his seat and shuffled to the board to scrawl 10 Minutes Remaining. Someone heaved a frustrated sigh, and someone else - probably Marie - cracked their knuckles. The genius triple-checked that he'd written his name and the correct date, and just as the bell rang, the crashing of lockers and thumping of feet filled the hallway.
"No pushing, no shoving, papers in a neat stack on my desk," Mr. Smith droned immediately over the spark of elation from the nineteen adolescents who sat facing him. A few individuals blatantly ignored him, thrusting their tests down and sprinting from the classroom. Eddward waited until the room emptied and placed his test on the pile, tidying it until the corners aligned. "Thank you," Smith breathed, his voice wavering as if a mental breakdown was imminent. Double Dee nodded politely.
"Thank you for a thought-provoking course, sir."
The man heaved a sigh and nodded.
Eddward spent the next hour in the chemistry room, moving between ferns and cacti, marking the appropriate watering times on the clipboard that had been neglected for the past two weeks. He highlighted the days on which routine care would be necessary, and allowed himself to be amazed by the perfect, uniform needles on a tiny echinocactus as he sparingly dampened its soil. Being finished with his exams filled the ravenette with an exhausted, delighted feeling, one that made his limbs feel heavy. Humming quietly, he slid onto one of the stools and flipped through the pages of his agenda, counting the tidy checkmarks and bullet points under each day of the week.
"Hello. What's this?"
The genius pulled a sealed envelope out from underneath the appointment book, turning it over in his hands. In tidy cursive, it was addressed simply to Eddward Vincent. He had pushed his neat fingernails underneath the seal when the voice of one of the seniors crackled over the intercom. "Attention all students: on behalf of all staff of Peach Creek High, we would like to thank you for another year of enthusiasm and growth." Someone with at least two doors between himself and Edd let out a girlish scream of delight. "Have a safe, productive, and wonderful summer, everyone. You are dismissed!"
Eddward had exited the laboratory and taken two steps in the direction of his locker when a sound akin to an oncoming train set off alarm bells in his head.
"DOUBLE DEE!"
The genius's books went flying when he was swept off his feet, and a faint, breathy noise escaped him as Ed spun him around in a crushing hug.
"DOUBLE DEE, ALL DONE!"
"Ed I - for goodness - I'm - ribs … bruising…"
"All done," Jonny singsonged, dashing by with Plank. "All done all done all done!"
"Jesus, you're killin' 'em!" Eddy's frantic voice filled the genius's head as nausea began to stir in the pit of his stomach.
"SPINNING," Ed agreed. At Eddy's fussing, the giant male set Edd on his feet.
"Jesus Christ, Ed," the short boy uttered, catching the stumbling ravenette. Double Dee wilted limply over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Eddy, but we're done!"
"Sockhead might be done for good." The loudmouthed boy patted Eddward on the back when the genius groaned softly.
"You really can't wait to do that somewhere else?"
"Can it, twerp," snapped Eddy automatically at the sound of Sarah's voice. The redhead was for once without Jimmy as she came to stand beside them, crossing her arms and eying the shortest boy with a smug expression.
"You're going straight home, Ed."
The large male was on his hands and knees, one of the ravenette's scattered papers between his teeth. "Sarah, we're having a sleepover at Eddy's!"
"Is Ed in some kind of trouble, Sarah?"
The redhead shrugged at the genius in a way that pushed her breasts upward (something Eddy was convinced she did on purpose.) "Just come home or else."
"Well, we'll just move the party to your place," Eddy grumbled. Double Dee shifted to hold his own weight, placing a hand on his stomach. Throwing a glare at the shortest of the trio, the redhead turned to disappear down the hall.
"Perhaps you should get a head start, Ed. Eddy and I will gather our provisions while you talk to your mother."
Ed placed the drool-soaked stack of papers at the brilliant one's feet, expression lifting. "Okay, Double Dee."
"I might vomit after all," the genius said as he stared down at the saliva-soaked pages. Eddy snickered.