Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

The Forgotten Test

I roll out of bed in my dorm room at 6:30 in the morning. I shower and dress, and then grab my backpack to do some homework before class. Today I have Computer Repair in the morning, and then Math in the afternoon.

I pull my chair up to the computer desk; I have an essay to start for English class. I type away for an hour and a half, deleting three quarters of the garbage I write until I'm left with a roughly finished project.

On the way to Computer Repair I meet up with my buddy Jake. Jake is taking both the Math and Computer Repair with me.

"Hey," He says, "How late were you up last night studying for that math test this afternoon?"

I stop dead in my tracks. Math test? This afternoon?? I'm dead meat. Math has never been my strong subject. It's the class that I've got the lowest grade in right now, and if I fail this test I've failed the course.

All through Computer Repair I'm worrying. Why did this have to happen to me? Maybe I can get out of it by being sick. I'm almost sick at the moment. I'm so worried that I get the memory chips messed up on the computer that I'm working on.

Since I go straight from one class to the other, I don't have time to even skim through the book. I drag my feet toward the classroom. Jake literally has to pull me through the door.

We sit down at our desks. The professor isn't here yet. The person sitting at his desk must be from the last class that was in here. Then why is she just sitting there waiting?

One by one the rest of the class makes its way through the door. The lady at the desk stands up. "Your professor is out sick today." She says. "So he asked me to give the test. I'm not a math teacher. Is there some way that he usually does these?"

My heart leaps. Could I get away with it? Slowly, I raise a trembling hand. "Yes. He lets us use our books and notes."

"I don't think so." She says, and hands out the test.

My heart sinks. She hands them out. I look at mine. Multiple choice? Calculators allowed? What's this? Grinning, I pull my calculator from my bag and begin the test. Without a doubt, this is the best math exam I've ever taken.

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