Chapter Text
“The assignment is simple: you have six months to complete a personal project. By the end, you must have at least two of three components--a posterboard display, a written report, or a video. Topics are encouraged to be unique and personal to you.”
Ms. Reilly picks up a stack of papers on her desk and slowly crosses the room. “Your topic can be learning something, like an instrument, or it can just be hey, I want to learn all that I can about Vikings. Even if you’re thinking a bit broadly, we can work on fine-tuning later, so don’t worry about being too narrow quite yet.”
She drops a stack of sheets on the front desk of each row. “A lot of kids tend to go for exploring their ancestry and genealogy, which is interesting because it’s always completely different with each person. If you’re blanking on ideas at the moment, just run with that for now. Today is just about brainstorming, nothing is set in stone, you guys know the drill.” She glances at us, a mischievous smile creeping across her face. She's definitely taking pleasure in our bewildered expressions.
A stack of the assignment sheets whizzes past my eyes, landing on the corner of my desk. I take one and pass the rest back. As my head turns, I catch Jessie’s eye. She pulls a face, and I have to keep myself from snorting. This is a pretty odd project, and we’ve lived through some odd things in all our years in gifted programs.
Ms. Reilly continues, “Ask me any questions you may have. I have some sample posters and reports you can look at. Just remember to keep your minds open, and think about what you want to dedicate your time to. It’s a lengthy project, so make sure it’s something you’re interested in.” She finally looks up at us, and her smile grows. She knows she’s got at least half of us stumped, and she’s excited. Ms. Reilly says challenging us is one of her main joys in life.
This is why her next words are no shock to me. As she turns to walk back to her desk, she adds, “Challenge yourself. Do something you’re afraid of.”
Afraid of, afraid of, afraid afraid afraid echoes in my ears, and then it’s silent. Like a puzzle piece falling suddenly and perfectly into its place, something has clicked in my brain. Once I realize what the something is, my heart immediately takes off from the starting line, racing towards a finish that I didn’t know could exist. That maybe doesn’t exist, but… maybe I need to try to look for it. Forget the fear, the endless circles of worrying and wondering what if and am I who I’m supposed to be and is it even possible to figure it all out, or am I heading straight for a dead end? It’s time to dive in. Head first, heart wide open, ready for anything and everything.
A tap on my shoulder startles me. I turn around. Jessie is looking at me, her face twisted in confusion.
“I have no idea what to do,” she whispers. “You?”
As I nod, I feel a mischievous Ms. Reilly smile spreading across my face.
“I’m going back in time.”