Classes..... plus update

A/N: Hey guys, I just wanted to give you all a quick update. Turns out I had pneumonia, and every time I breathed, I was unintentionally adding air to my stomach, which made me feel bloated and uncomfortable. On top of that, I was coughing up mucus with some blood, which was honestly pretty scary. But I'm feeling at least a little better now.(doctor said it could've killed me. I'm still shocked even now)

but this was the chapter i planned to post weeks ago. 

finally got plans 2 chap a week to save my energy to balance my day to day life with this 

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As Jaxon walked in the hallway towards his next class, he heard a voice call out from behind him.

"Wait, Jaxon!"

He turned to see Jessica jogging up to him, a hopeful expression on her face. She slowed as she reached him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah? What's up?" he asked, curious.

Jessica shifted slightly on her feet. "I wanted to ask… would you like to come to a party at my place after school?" Her tone was hopeful, eyes searching his face for a reaction.

Jaxon considered it for a moment before deciding to give her the light of day. "Sure, I'll go."

Jessica's face lit up. "Great! See you then!" She spun around and ran back to her friend group, excitement practically radiating off of her.

Jaxon exhaled, about to turn away when he noticed Bella and Angela lingering nearby. Bella, in particular, was watching him with an unreadable expression. Feeling awkward under her gaze, he turned on his heel and headed toward his next class—English.

Bella watched him go, her hands gripping the strap of her bag as a pang of something unfamiliar settled in her chest.

Entering the English classroom, Jaxon made his way to the back, settling into his seat. With a moment to spare before class started, he pulled out his phone and shot Leah a message.

Jaxon: Gonna be late tonight. Classmate's throwing a party, figured I'd stop by.

Her reply came almost instantly.

Leah: Make sure to come home, you hear me?!

Jaxon smirked slightly, shaking his head before pocketing his phone. Just then, the door swung open, and their teacher strode in, setting his books on the desk.

"Good morning, everyone," the teacher greeted, adjusting his glasses.

A few students echoed back a "Good morning," and Jaxon nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"Alright," the teacher continued, "today we're focusing on group work. Topics will be assigned at random, and you'll be graded based on how quickly you complete the task and how well you present it. Groups of three."

He began listing off names, pairing students together.

"Jaxon, Angela, and Mark."

Jaxon glanced over at Angela, who sent him a small, polite smile. Mark, a quiet but sharp-eyed student, nodded in acknowledgment.

As they shifted their desks closer together, the teacher clapped his hands once. "Your topic—symbolism in literature. You have twenty minutes. Go."

Angela pulled out a notebook, clicking her pen as she glanced between Jaxon and Mark. "Alright, so symbolism in literature… we should probably pick a book first," she said, looking thoughtful.

Mark shrugged. "Something common? Maybe Lord of the Flies or The Great Gatsby?"

Jaxon leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers against the desk. "Gatsby's an easy one. The green light, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg—plenty of symbolism to talk about."

Angela nodded, already jotting things down. "Okay, so we can divide it up. One of us can talk about the green light, someone else can take the eyes, and then we can talk about Gatsby's house and what it represents."

Mark adjusted his glasses. "I'll take the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. They represent judgment—like, a god watching over everything but doing nothing."

"I'll do the green light," Angela offered. "It represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams, right?"

Jaxon nodded. "Yeah. It's basically about him chasing something he'll never actually have." He glanced down at Angela's notes. "I'll take Gatsby's house, then. It's all about status and illusion—he built it to impress Daisy, but at the end of the day, it didn't mean anything."

Angela tapped her pen against the page. "That actually works. The house, the green light, and the eyes all tie into the idea of illusion versus reality."

Mark smirked. "Damn, we might actually ace this."

Jaxon chuckled. "Yeah, if we don't mess up the presentation part."

They spent the next several minutes organizing their points, writing key details down so they wouldn't forget. As time ticked down, Angela glanced up at the clock.

"We should start figuring out who talks first," she said.

Mark stretched. "Angela should go first since she has the green light—it kind of introduces Gatsby's whole goal. Then I'll go, since the eyes show how everything's being watched and judged. Jaxon can close with Gatsby's house, since it wraps up the theme."

"Sounds good to me," Jaxon said, leaning back.

The teacher clapped his hands. "Time's up! Who wants to present first?"

A few groups groaned, but Angela, with a determined look, raised her hand. "We'll go."

Jaxon smirked slightly. At least this will be over quickly.

---

The class quieted as Angela, Jaxon, and Mark stood up and made their way to the front of the room. Angela adjusted her notebook, taking a steadying breath before beginning.

"So, we chose The Great Gatsby and focused on three major symbols," she started, glancing around the room. "I'll be covering the green light, which represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams—specifically, his dream of being with Daisy." She turned slightly toward the teacher. "Throughout the book, Gatsby reaches for this light, which is at the end of Daisy's dock. It's just across the water, close enough to see but too far to reach—kind of like Daisy herself. The light symbolizes this unreachable dream, and how Gatsby is stuck chasing something that's already in the past."

A few students nodded, and even the teacher looked pleased. Angela relaxed a little and continued. "It also connects to the idea of the American Dream—how people keep striving for success or happiness, but for some, no matter how hard they try, it's just not possible." She glanced at Mark. "Mark's going to talk about the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg."

Mark stepped forward, pushing his glasses up. "So, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are on this old billboard, and they kind of symbolize judgment. They're watching over everything, but they don't do anything—kind of like an uncaring god." He gestured vaguely. "They're in the valley of ashes, which is this rundown area between the rich parts of town, showing the divide between the wealthy and the poor. And since Wilson, who owns the garage nearby, actually believes the eyes are like God watching him, it adds this whole theme of morality—or the lack of it."

There were a few murmurs in the room. Even some students who weren't paying attention earlier seemed to be following along now. Mark glanced at Jaxon. "Jaxon's gonna wrap it up with Gatsby's house."

Jaxon, who had been leaning against the teacher's desk, pushed off and stepped forward with a lazy sort of confidence. "So, Gatsby's house is another major symbol," he started, his tone steady but casual. "It's huge, extravagant—designed to impress Daisy. But at the end of the day, it's empty. Just like his dream."

He let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "The house represents how Gatsby built his entire life around an illusion. He throws parties, hoping she'll show up, but she never really does—at least, not the way he wants. In the end, the house, the parties, all of it? They mean nothing. He dies alone, and no one from those parties even cares enough to show up at his funeral."

A few students shifted uncomfortably. Jaxon's voice had a weight to it, like he wasn't just talking about Gatsby. The room was silent for a beat before he exhaled and shrugged slightly. "So yeah. His house symbolizes how some people chase dreams that aren't real—how no matter how much they build, it won't bring them happiness if they're chasing the wrong thing."

The teacher clapped his hands together. "That was a strong conclusion. Great analysis from all three of you." He looked toward the class. "Any questions for this group?"

A hand went up. Jessica. She tilted her head at Jaxon. "You really get all that from a house?"

Jaxon smirked slightly. "It's a metaphor. You know, symbolism?"

Jessica rolled her eyes but grinned. The teacher chuckled. "Alright, good work. You can take your seats."

As they walked back, Angela nudged Jaxon. "That was impressive."

Jaxon shrugged. "Just saying what's in the book."

Mark snorted. "Yeah, but you made it sound deep."

Jaxon just smirked and dropped into his seat, glad the presentation was over.