I slowly creaked open the door to European History 301. Mr. Capshaw's back was to the class, writing with marker on the white board. Classmates diligently took notes while Capshaw spoke about some war from long ago. It was becoming a habit of mine to be fifteen minutes late—I still couldn't figure out the train schedule.
I'd only moved to England a few weeks ago with a study-abroad program. Paris was on the top of my list but I didn't know a lick of French. England was the next best choice.
I hunched over and went down the row of desks, scanning for any empty spots. Students watched me as I sneaked by, some giggling and others scoffing.
Why did the whole world only pay attention to me when I was late?
A vacant seat sat all the way at the end of an aisle. Everyone shifted their feet to make way for me as I shuffled through. I passed by Tom and my heart almost jumped out of my chest.
I was sitting so close to him! He threw a smile at me and I almost melted. His tight graphic t-shirt showed off all his muscles. Why couldn't I get a guy like him?
I gently laid my backpack down and took my seat. Mr. Capshaw's back was still turned away— the teacher didn't notice me.
“Nice of you to join us, Ms. Ward,” he announced, turning around to face me.
Busted.
I flushed scarlet and sunk into my chair. The students around me laughed. Tom smirked at me. This had to be the most embarrassing moment of my life.
“Like I was saying before Ms. Ward interrupted us, it's time for your final paper.” Mr. Capshaw wrote Final Paper on the white board with a sad face next to it.
A collective groan echoed throughout the room.
Mr. Capshaw put up his hands in defense. “I know, I know. Most of you have been dreading this since the beginning of the year, but I assure you, it's not as bad as people have told you.”
My palms were sweating and I shifted in my seat. I'd heard that Capshaw graded these papers with an iron fist. Since it accounted for fifty percent of your grade, some students failed the class because of it.
“Let me explain what it's all about and then you guys can judge it. I think a lot of you will actually enjoy the process.” A kid on the other end of the room raised his hand. Capshaw dismissed him. “No questions yet. Let me finish.”
The kid put his hand back down. I pulled out my notebook and flipped to an empty page.
“Each and every one of you will be writing a twenty page paper on English royalty,” the professor said in his booming voice. The students looked at one another in confusion. “Pick one royal figure in history and focus on him/her. I need primary sources. I don't want some copy of a wikipedia article. So go to the library and gather as much as you can. I expect a bibliography at the end of the paper.”
“This is what history is all about. We could read endless books about what others have researched before, but until you do it for yourself, you can never really appreciate it. Now I'll take questions.”
A girl in the back raised her hand. The professor pointed at her. “Yes, Ms. Harper?”
“Does the person have to be a king or queen?”
“I'm glad you asked.” Mr. Capshaw walked over to his desk and pulled out a massive tome. “This is the names of all the lords and ladies. You can pick the lowest of the lowest or Queen Elizabeth herself. But I recommend you choose somebody you haven't heard of before. I'd rather not get fifty papers on Prince Harry.”
The girls all swooned.
A student in the front row raised his hand. “Have you ever met any royalty, Mr. Capshaw?”
The teacher looked offended but then smiled. “Of course not. You think the Queen comes by to hear my boring lectures? Anymore questions?”
The professor looked over the crowd of students. “Then I guess were done for the day. I'll be available for questions for the next couple of hours in my office. We'll skip next week's class and come back in two weeks when your paper is due. If you need any help during that time, feel free to email me.”
Everyone began gathering their things and leaving while I stayed at the front of the class. I approached the teacher as he crammed papers into his briefcase.
“Mr. Capshaw, I don't quite understand the assignment. Is this a profile or a summary of their life?”
The teacher grinned. “Ms. Ward, you can do whatever you want. You can make the focus as narrow or broad as you desire. My opinion is to pick something very specific like a romance or big event in their life.”
“What if I can't find what I need at the university library?”
“There are plenty of public libraries that can be of service. If you still can't find anything, come to me and we'll find you someone else.”
I smiled. “Thank you Mr. Capshaw. I'll do my best.”