The Grade

The sequence commences with Veronica, an 18-year-old secondary school student, ensconced in her dimly lit room. Her bed is strewn with textbooks, notebooks, tissues, and crumpled papers... including a term paper that was recently returned to her by her teacher. Despite her best attempts, Mr. Pullman has assigned her a failing grade, leaving the adolescent in utter despair. She sits hunched over in the center of the bed, a box cutter in her grasp, toying with destiny as she traces the blade back and forth against her skin. The door rattles, jolting the young woman. From beyond the door, her mother tenderly inquires if she's ready to leave her room. Veronica vehemently refuses. Her mother beseeches her to unlock the door and come downstairs, reassuring her that it's only one term she'll have to retake... she could even do it during the summer. Veronica pleads for her mother to leave her in peace and wipes her eyes. She picks up the term paper, scrutinizing it intensely before tearing it to shreds. 'There's absolutely no way I'm failing this year because of you,' she mumbles. A tea kettle whistles. Mr. Pullman, clad in comfortable home attire, enters the kitchen and lifts the kettle off the stove. He pours himself a cup of tea and, peeking around the corner, calls upstairs to his wife that he's going to spend some quiet time in his study. He has a plethora of papers left to grade. The man enters his study and settles down on the sofa, a pile of papers neatly arranged before him along with his grading pen and laptop. He gives off an aura of being meticulously organized. He lifts a paper and starts scrutinizing it when there's a knock at the door. Taken aback, he saunters over to the door and opens it to find Veronica standing there. She has spruced herself up and is dressed impeccably, a stark contrast to her previous state. When he questions her presence at his home, the young woman invites herself in and informs Mr. Pullman that she needs to have a word with him. It's critical. He closes the door and follows her back inside, casting a cautious glance over his shoulder to check if his wife has noticed. The house is eerily quiet. He invites the girl to take a seat on the sofa and he himself sits on his armchair, maintaining a respectable distance between them. He questions her once more about her unanticipated visit on a Friday night. How did she obtain his address? This is generally deemed inappropriate by school guidelines. Veronica apologizes for the intrusion and, speaking in a respectful manner, requests her teacher to elucidate why he assigned her a failing grade on her term paper. Mr. Pullman takes a moment before delving into his reasoning, emphasizing all the historical inaccuracies she included and implying that he suspected plagiarism. Veronica gazes at him icily, urging him to repeat his explanation multiple times. She grabs a handful of the papers he has neatly arranged and defiantly asks if these are plagiarized as well. She begins to casually peruse them and tosses the papers around his room while making comments. Annoyed, particularly when she starts tearing up pages, Mr. Pullman seizes her wrist and propels her back onto the sofa. He instructs her to cease her actions and reminds her that his wife is upstairs. She cannot just barge into his house and cause such chaos over a poor grade.