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He holds the paper up in the air and shakes it "Is everyone ready to hear which poe as he waits on a response

No one says anything Except Eddie

"Some of us rote those poeot I know I don't"

Will takes a few steps toward Eddie "If you don't care how many points it’s worth, then why did you write it?"

Eddie is quiet for a moment as she thinks about Will's question

"Aside fro to be exempt from your final?" she asks

Will nods

"I guess because I had so to say"

Will looks at ain"

My question I try to remember what my question was Oh yeah, what's his point?

"What's the point of this assignment?" I ask cautiously

Will holds the paper up in front of hiht down the middle He reaches behind him and picks the stack of poems up that everyone scored and he throws theins to write so on the board When he's finished, he steps aside

"The points are not the point; the point is poetry" ~Allan Wolf

The class is quiet as we take in the words sprawled across the board Will allows a moment of silence before he continues

"It shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks about your words When you’re on that stage-you share a piece of your soul You can’t assign points to that"

The bell rings On any other day, students would be filing out the door No one hason the board

"The points are not the point; the point is poetry" ~Allan Wolf

"Tomorrow, be prepared to learn why it's important for you to write poetry," he says

There was a moment, in the ot he was Will I listened to hiet up, soon followed by the rest of the students Will is facing the desk with his back to me when Eddie walks up, detention slip in hand I had already forgotten he gave us detention She gives me a wink as she passes me and stops at his desk

"Mr Cooper?" She’s being respectful, but dra that detention proceeds commencement of the final class period at approximately three-thirty It is my desire, as I’m sure it is Layken’s desire as well, to be punctual, so that we ence Would you be so kind as to share with us the location in which this sentence shall be carried out?"

Will never looks at her as he walks toward the door "Here Just you two Three-thirty"

And he’s gone Just like that

Eddie bursts out laughing "What did you do to him?"

I stand up and walk to the door with her "Oh it wasn’t just me, Eddie It was both of us"

She spins around wide eyed "Ohto say about it?"

I shrug uess we’ll find out at three-thirty"

"Detention? Duckie gave you detention?" Gavin laughs

"Man, he really needs to get laid," Nick says

Nick’s coh and spew milk out of her mouth I shoot her a cease and desist look

"I can’t believe he gave you detention," Gavin says "But you aren’t positive that’s what it’s for, right? For skipping? I mean, he already mentioned that at the slam last week and he didn’t seem too mad"

I knohat the detention is for I’m pretty sure I know, anyway He wants to h, so I lie

"He said it’s for not turning in the assignment ere supposed to do the day we skipped"

Gavin turns to Eddie "But you did that one, I remember"

Eddie looks at s

Eddie and I meet outside the door to Will's classroom at approximately three-thirty

"You know, the more I think about it, this really sucks," Eddie says "Why couldn't he just callif he wanted to talk about what I know? I had plans today"

"Maybe on't have to stay long," I say

"I hate detention It's boring I'd rather lay in Will's floor with you than sit in detention," she says