Better Than the Rest

Title: Better Than the Rest
By: kac09

Theme: Striving to be the best that you can be.

Setting: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Characters: Nick Peters, Jonathan Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Peters, Mr. Jacobs.

Narrative: Third Person

Conflict: Nick is one of the intelligent children in 12th grade class in high school. His parents dropped out of school in their teen years and they do not see the value of completing high school.

Plot:
Coming home from having a good day at school, Nick was excited to tell his parents about his day. When he got inside the house, he went to the kitchen where his mother was. He started telling her about his day, but she told him that she has a lot of work to do and does not have time to listen. So Nick brushed off the rejection and went to his dad who was watching television. He sat down next to his dad on the couch and started to talk and his dad got mad and told him to be quiet, because he was into his television show. Nick got upset and went upstairs to his room.
In his room he laid down on his bed and tried to figure out why his parents were not supportive of him. Even though they didn’t go to school he thought that they would be interested in him getting an education. He thought of the time he was talking to his mother, and what she told him,”Son the only way to make a living in this world is to make money anyway you can.” Take for example your father, and I dropped out of school because we knew that school does not pay money, so we went straight to work now your father is a bus driver and I am a waitress.” Nick turned over and groaned at the thought of what she said. Nick said to himself that life had to be better than that with an education. He fell asleep with that thought on his mind.
The next day Nick got up took a bath, got dressed and went downstairs, to the kitchen to eat the breakfast his mother made for him. He had nothing to say to his parents. He got up and went outside to wait for his bus. When his bus came he got on and sat down by his friend Jonathan.
On the drive to school Nick told his friend his problem. Jonathan told him to speak with Mr. Jacobs their teacher about his problem because it appeared to be serious. So Nick went to his teacher and told him his problem, the teacher told him that he will come with him to his house to have a discussion with his parents on the matter.
During the day Nick was nervous about what his about what his parents reaction would have been. If they were going to even listen to what Mr. Jacobs would say or they would actually listen and understand what he was saying.

That afternoon Nick and his teacher went to his home and Mr. Jacobs told Nick’s parents about the situation. Mr. Jacobs ask Ms. Peters if she told Nick that money is the only way to survive in this life. He reminded them that having an education opens so many doors of opportunity,such as getting better jobs and also more money, after Mr. Jacobs spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Peter’s they understood what he said and they took it to heart.
That night Nick’s parents went to his room and told him that they were wrong and that it is good to get an education and not to be like them. He should strive to be the best that he could be.
Six months later, Nick graduated the top of his class. He got a scholarship for four years at one of the top colleges in the U.S.A. His parents were very proud to see that their son is not taking a page out their book but making better a good living for himself and being the best that he could be.