Principal Tom held the answer key in his hand. After carefully comparing it several times, he finally wrote an A+ on Jimmy's exam.
It was a test that an average senior high school student could solve without much trouble. Of course, this particular exam was reserved only for students who had worked hard during their time at the institute and had aspirations of attending university. It included basic subjects, especially in the field of mathematics: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and differential calculus.
Jimmy barely needed to skim through the problems to find the correct answers. If he took a little longer, it was because of natural sciences. He had never been particularly good at biology, chemistry, or physics.
He thought he'd struggle with the humanities, but those bedtime readings ended up working in his favor.
Even though he didn't put much effort into the exam, Jimmy got the highest possible grade. With results like that, he'd have the door open to apply to a prestigious university—assuming he had the necessary resources. However, at that moment, he wasn't really thinking about studying there. If anything, it might be useful to him later on.
He was there because of his mother. She needed to see him grow up, and he needed some space to continue his private research.
"So, since your results are promising, tell me…" Principal Tom seemed more excited about Jimmy than he had been with Sheldon, and with growing enthusiasm, he asked, "Which grade would you like to be placed in? With your grades, you could easily get into a good university next year. But I recommend staying here for at least two years to learn how to interact with others."
The reasoning behind that suggestion was clear. Public school funding at the secondary level depends on the quality of teaching, largely measured by the academic performance of its students.
If Jimmy stayed at the school, he would help raise its prestige and, with that, increase the government's educational budget for the institution.
Furthermore, if he managed to graduate with honors, the school would receive an even greater amount of funding the following year.
In fact, Melford Institute already had a little genius, Sheldon, who helped maintain its academic level. But with Jimmy there, the potential for improvement was much greater—and the administration knew it well.
Now that he had someone like Jimmy, Principal Tom fully understood the benefits that geniuses could bring.
"I'll enroll in tenth grade. I want to be here for a while before deciding when to graduate," Jimmy said, after thinking about how he wanted to spend his school days.
As far as he knew, that was the same class Sheldon would be in—unless he'd been assigned to a different group, which wouldn't bother him at all.
Jimmy wanted to start a company before even thinking about going to university. From there, he planned to follow a path aligned with his research interests.
He also believed that, in time, he could make his own decisions about the future. Once he proved to his parents how mature he'd become, maybe he could finally do what he really wanted—even if he wasn't of legal age yet.
Only when he had enough money could he decide what was best for him, without others making that choice for him.
Seeing that Jimmy, like Sheldon, wanted to advance grades, Principal Tom couldn't hide his smile. If he managed to get two geniuses in the same class, the benefits for the school would be huge.
So, knowing the typical behavior of a genius, he asked, "What do you hope to gain from this school?"
"Do you think I could have a private room where I can work on my projects?" Jimmy's eyes sparkled slightly. He wasn't expecting much, but still insisted, "If one day I create a revolutionary invention, I could mention you and this institution as the place that gave me the freedom to imagine."
"Are you going to do anything dangerous?" Tom asked, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. The last thing he wanted was a school fire.
Jimmy shook his head and explained in detail, "I just want privacy. Also, I'd prefer to attend classes only during exams, since my regular attendance wouldn't contribute much. Of course, I'll remain on campus at all times, and if you ever need me, you'll find me in the room assigned for private study."
"Are you planning to sneak girls into that room?" Tom asked, lowering his voice and leaning closer, caught in a rush of teenage memories. "I wouldn't mind, of course… just don't say you did it on school grounds."
"My sexual desires are still dormant. Even if the possibility of arousal exists, I can't do anything about it…" Jimmy replied without flinching, then added, "I wouldn't bring anyone in without them signing a memorandum, and that's not going to happen… Everyone here is a kid."
"Then I'll see what I can arrange for you," Tom said, standing up. He prepared to give Jimmy a high five as a welcome gesture, but then hesitated, thinking it might make him uncomfortable.
However, Jimmy responded naturally, high-fiving the principal, which pleasantly surprised Tom.
"I thought you were weirder…" Tom whispered, but realizing he had said what he was thinking, quickly added, "Don't get me wrong—geniuses like you tend to have their… quirks."
"Hmm, I get it. I once burned down the entire library at my old school, but no one noticed. They blamed a student who used to smoke there, but they never found the real culprit." Jimmy commented indifferently while packing his belongings into a briefcase full of strange objects and some as ordinary as a marker.
Tom was speechless. This kid burned down a library? No way! And the fire alarms in this school still hadn't been fixed…
Jimmy calmly watched him, noticing his expression.
"If you hurry, you can still make it to the bathroom," Jimmy suggested, seeing the discomfort on Tom's face and thinking he needed to poop.
"Huh? Oh, yes… ha, ha, ha…" Tom's nervous laughter went unnoticed by Jimmy, who was already tired of dealing with adults.
"The admission process is complete. I'll find someone to take you to the classroom so you can start getting familiar with the school today," said the principal, trying to regain composure.
More than a month had passed since classes began, and receiving transfer students like Jimmy was extremely rare.
This place wasn't bad at all. It was quiet—ideal for making the necessary adjustments to his invention. If he managed to have a prototype in a week, he could figure out a way to automate production.
But he was rushing things. Right now, he had a class to attend.
"Professor Victoria, please come to my office as soon as possible. Yes, we have a new student who just completed the paperwork. Yes, he will be transferred to your class, just as we had planned."
While they waited, Jimmy was imagining the design of his console so it would look appealing.
"Professor Victoria is currently teaching in what will be your classroom for the next two years. By the way, little Sheldon is in her class. You 'geniuses' must have something in common, so I'm sure you'll become friends."
As Principal Tom spoke, he thought that people probably believed that just because someone is superior to others in some aspects, they would require special attention—but that wasn't the case. Jimmy had regular friends, enjoyed playing with his inventions, and thought about how they could improve everyone's lives together.
Everything was perfect—until things went wrong.
Maybe his parents had gotten tired of it all and decided to move. Jimmy hadn't thought about that until now.
Tom kept smiling; he had talked about the football team and many of the school's activities.
People like Sheldon and Jimmy, who can achieve perfect scores in every subject, are a rare breed here.
Often, the school will take special care of these students and give them preferential treatment.
…
After a while, a tall, slender middle-aged woman opened the principal's office door.
"Is this a new student?" Victoria wore a suit and looked at Jimmy, who remained silent with a somewhat odd expression.
After seeing Jimmy's demeanor, she slightly furrowed her brow, looking a bit impatient. She had sworn to resign if this one turned out to be as difficult—or worse—than Sheldon.
Principal Tom knew Victoria had an eccentric personality, so he tried to smooth things over and said, "This is Jimmy. He has excellent academic performance and will be your student from now on."
"Well, is he still with us?" Victoria thought, looking at Jimmy, who seemed to be in a trance.
Tom started sweating even more and said, "Jimmy, this is Professor Victoria. She will take you to your classroom."
Victoria looked at the principal, then said to Jimmy, "Come with me. You still have time to catch some of my class."
After saying that, she walked toward the door, wanting to get things moving.
Jimmy said goodbye to the principal, looked at his mother who was smiling, and she said, "Good luck on your first day."
"Yes, you can leave once you're done here." Jimmy acted like an independent person, just like he always did.
Victoria was slightly surprised by Jimmy's maturity, and without saying another word, the two of them walked toward the classroom.