Our professor gave us three weeks to complete the project.
There were five of us, so we divided the work evenly. Everyone chose a task. We agreed on a deadline two days before the actual submission date because we were young, hopeful, and apparently still believed people did what they said they would do.
The deadline arrived.
Three sections were finished.
Two were missing.
I messaged the group.
One teammate said, “I’m almost done.”
The other did not respond, although the tiny green dot beside their name suggested they were alive, online, and actively choosing peace at my expense.
The rest of the group told me to wait.
“They’ll finish it.”
“When?”
“Probably tonight.”
Probably.
A beautiful word when the grade does not belong to you.
I tried to work on something else, but my brain had already opened seventeen emergency tabs.
What if they submit it late?
What if the work is terrible?
What if we fail because I trusted two people who apparently considered deadlines optional?
By 9:00 p.m., nothing had arrived.
So I opened my laptop and started doing their parts.
My teammates told me to stop.
“They need to learn.”
I agreed. They absolutely needed to learn.
Unfortunately, I also needed to pass.
I worked until nearly three in the morning, fueled by instant coffee, irritation, and the kind of anger that makes you type with unnecessary force.
We submitted the project on time.
The next morning, one of the missing teammates finally sent a message.
“Sorry, I fell asleep. Is there anything I can still help with?”
I stared at the screen for a long time.
There were many things I wanted to say.
Most of them would have required a meeting with the dean.
Instead, I replied, “It’s already submitted.”
We received a good grade.
Everyone celebrated.
I smiled because technically I was happy.
I was also quietly calculating how much of that grade belonged to me.
Grounding thought: Taking over can protect the deadline, but it can also teach people that you will rescue them. Sometimes the calmer choice is to document what happened, set a final cutoff, and let responsibility remain with the person who accepted it.