The Folder

The Folder(Genevieve) Violet couldn’t help but be annoyed. There was one thing she was truly confident about and that she was exceptionally without a doubt a genius. There was just no other way around it she was an exceptionally talented and bright girl and she said it with no trace of modesty. She was though, horrible at any social skills. Her being a social pariah was putting it very lightly; she couldn’t ever have a conversation with someone her own age without in some way offending them deeply or being called a very rude name. So violet didn’t think about it, and secluded herself in her studies and tried to cast off everyone else as jealous simpletons. She made sure that she was always nothing short of perfection in each class. Over the years she stopped trying to make everyone understand her need for total excellence even her mother and father as supportive as they were of her academical pursuit of flawlessness seemed to stop understanding her after a while. She couldn’t make herself care though as she slowly went off into a state of total coldness as she called it tossing aside feelings and emotions slipping more and more into a cold mask. She should have realized though that this would one day come back to haunt her, and as she thought this she came back from her inner monologue to focus on the problem on hand.
She couldn’t help it she began to glare at the offending books wishing that they would burn up in the heat of her ferocious glare. Why can’t I get this? She asked herself for the 20th time while trying to read the black and white text in her AP physiology text book that seemed to mock her. Memorizing it was simple she could recite every sentence perfectly but her teacher wanted the students to “feel it” to understand the emotions behind human behaviors like lying and cheating but she couldn’t seem to do it. Why lie when telling the truth is ultimately the most logical choice and with cheating she could feel her own disgust at it there were so many idiots in her class that thought she would be willing to let them “look at her homework” but she would always strongly refuse and would always tell them how any organism with half there working brain cells could complete this assignment easily and didn’t understand why they couldn’t. Surprisingly most took offence to that and made her even more ignored during her high school years. She couldn’t make herself care though they were idiots and she was not, it was simple and she would never allow herself to crave companionship with people like that or ever becomes one of them.
She finally got up from her secluded place in the school library shoved her book into her book and hurried out. She headed to Mr. Thompsons class to talk to her about the psychology end of term exam which would count for 1/3 of her overall grade and either make or break her. Violet realized as she walked to his class that this might be the one of the first class she was actually having real problems in, he was different from other teachers that would simply ask them to read their assigned textbook complete the given assignment and pass every few test. “No he was truly dedicated” she thought he really wanted them to see the beauty of psychology. This of course annoyed her if it was any other class she would be thrilled at the dedication but this subject was hard on her and she was barely passing as it was she actually had a 93% in this class which was without a doubt the worst grade she had ever received and she almost cringed in shame of it. This made her increase her pace with vigor she just had to talk to him maybe Mr. Thompson could introduce her to a new book on the subject or know of some good tutor. She thought though that a tutor was impossible, being exceptional came at a price as she basically had no free time and could not afford to devote any more of her time to psychology.
With that depressing though she went into the classroom the calm yellow walls subconsciously relaxed her she remember briefly his lesson on colors and their connection with feelings. She realized with a start though that there was no one there and suddenly dejected decided to leave a note on his desk when she saw it. PROPERTY OF MACKINDER HIGH: AP PYSCLOGOY MIDTERM ANSWER KEY stared back at her on a manila folder. As she saw it a fierce internal debate happened inside of her. On one hand this was her chance she was looking at, the answers literally to all her worries. She knew how messy Mr. Thomson was and if he couldn’t find the answer key would think he just misplaced it and of course nothing would point to her she was, she would admit a teacher’s pet and a very strong follower of the rules no one would ever think she would do this. As she realized this though what she was thinking about in the library stopped her and flooded her with guilt. She was not a cheater though she reasoned this was better than that cheating this was merely a supplement she thought just something to help her along just in case a necessary precaution. As she was internally debating she heard the unmistakable noise of walking in the hallway. Someone was coming. She would later blame her action on adrenaline and pure stupidity, but as Violet heard the noise coming closer she panicked grabbed the answer key and ran out just in time.
The next week was probably the worst week of Violets 16 years of living. Her normal calm and focused and slightly arrogant façade was slowly cracking and she never felt so helpless. She couldn’t seem to focus her usually perfectly organized mind all she could do was think about the folder it haunted her. She slowly stopped sleeping as the guilt of what she was doing was reminded everyday she walked into 7th period psychology and saw her teachers trust filled face. She couldn’t eat and even her parents noticed their usually self drawn daughter was in distress. Violet didn’t notice her parents concern though she didn’t even notice how her grades were actually starting to slip because of her total unawareness totally focused on the folder and all the things it could do to her future good or bad. Her teachers though noticed and excused her as much as they could in pity so that it would not ruin her perfect academic record “Poor thing must be a bad week” most said.
While this was going on she couldn’t help but think how horrible she was acting before how could she not see the grays of the world and added to her guilt the shame of being so quick to judge without having experienced it before hand. She was in a perpetual state of misery and felt any sort of confidence she had developed over the years fade away. Finally exactly 6 days from what was “the day” she came into the class to see Mr. Thompson tell the class about an extra credit assignment he said to “write about an experience that changed your way of thinking and to write about the reasons why it did.” Usually this would be the exact type of assignment Violet hated but, after “the day” she realized she was the best person to write this essay. She wrote about what she did and how it tormented her and why it tempted her she wrote for the first time she thought with emotion instead of cool precision She woke up earlier than usually essay in hand and went to Mr. Thompson’s class. When she saw him sitting on his desk she started speaking very quickly with fear. “I wanted to give you my essay personally” she said, “and I wanted to turn this in” and she gave him the thing she had been obsessing about for one week the thing that could mess up all her planning all her years of hard work, she gave him the folder. He looked up at her with surprise. “I know what you’re thinking and I am fully prepared to accept all the consequences of this I know it was wrong and I am willing...” but before she could finish Mr. Thompson raised his hand “Violet”, “yes Mr. Thompson?” I could feel my lungs constricting and the sense of utter doom. “Could you please sit down” was all he said gesturing to the seats in the classroom. I could barely manage a “yes sir”. I was in full panic mode when I realized he was reading my essay. I don’t think I have ever been so close to having a heart attack then I did at that moment, I was confused and scared. He finally looked up after what I am pretty sure was eternity. “Your writing style changed, it was very good I see you have finally done the applying I’ve talked about it was brilliant.” I considered the possibility of hallucinations and alternative universes seriously for about two minutes before I dismissed them all and finally just asked. “Sir I have to admit I am confused what will my punishment be?” “Punishment? “ he looked bewildered “for what, have you done something wrong Violet.” “Sir I took that answer key shouldn’t you be failing me or reporting me or something?” “Oh yes well of course not I knew you had it”. “What?” ok now I was feeling worried the hallucination idea was making more and more sense. “Violet you left a note with your name on it see?” and he showed me the note I had written on that day with my name clear as day and I realized that one I was really an idiot and number two that I was an idiot. “So when I saw it” he said “and couldn’t find the key I put two and two together.” “I decided to not do anything though as you are an exceptional student that just struggles with the concepts” he explained, “so I used this as a sort of behavioral experiment and decided that if you turned in the key after one week than I would use this another assignment as a substitute grade. I couldn’t have you take the test after giving you the answer.” “This was why” he continued,” I made up the essay I know no one but you would even think of doing the extra credit” he finished. “So basically I’m not getting in trouble for this and it isn’t going to affect my grade?” “Yes that basically sums it up.”

“Yup this is definitely a hallucination.”