The Prodigy Series

"If you guys are having any problem with the website, tell us so we can sort it out before time," Miss Jones said as we watched her edit Ji-Hun's information on the world education game's platform. They'd spelled Ji-Hun's last name wrong on his official profile, and we'd come to her after class to fix it.

"There," she said, before getting up from her seat. It was already a few minutes into the lunch period, and Ben was waiting outside for us.

"Ji-Hun, you'll have to follow me to the main office," Miss Jones said as she adjusted her glasses on her nose.

"What's taking so long?" I heard Ben w.h.i.n.e. Turning, I found him peeking into the chemistry lab.

"It's nothing major. We're almost done, but I have to go to the main office for a bit," Ji-Hun said, stepping down from the podium Miss Jones desk was on.

"That's going to take forever," Ben complained, earning a sorry look from both Miss Jones and Ji-Hun.

Miss Jones pushed free strands of her curly hair behind her ear before speaking to Ji-Hun. "I can ask the head chef to reserve food for you guys in case it's in danger of running out. Wyatt, can you look over my desk until I come back?" She asked, turning to me. I nodded, watching her thank me before she headed out the door with Ji-Hun.

I headed to sit on Miss Jones' chair when the door to the lab clicked shut. Ben had followed them to the office, leaving just me behind in the lab.

Looking around the place I wondered when they'd get back. I pulled out my phone from my pocket, deciding to text Aiyana to tell her why she was alone.

Aiyana:

You guys always leave me out of things. Okay then, I'll just eat on my own.

12:34 PM

I rolled my eyes at her reply, putting my phone aside. There was practically no difference seeing as she'd be going through her phone as usual.

A few minutes into being alone I covered my eyes as thought about the upcoming test. I bit my bottom lip as I tried to put away the feeling of paranoia and uneasiness. I haven't been doing much studying, and it had only dawned on me that exams were so close when Caleb mentioned something about it during dinner yesterday.

I was in the middle of my panic when I noticed the white A4 sheets of paper in between Miss Jones green Register. My eyes wandered to it in curiosity. What would she need so many sheets for?

Reaching out, I pulled the register to myself before opening it to check. My eyes flew open when I saw the questions papers. I should have put it away without another thought but I didn't.

I took a sheet out of the several pieces, pulling it up to my face to examine it closely. It wasn't a past question sheet like I'd thought, but a draft of what our coming exams would look like.

My mind fogged over as I battled between putting it back and leaving it where I saw it and taking a closer look. I folded the paper, tucking it into my backpack instead before shutting the register and putting it back in its place.

I wasn't sure why I did that, but I wanted to pass... No, I just wanted to make sure Ji-Hun didn't get a higher score. He's been doing so well and I've been slacking.

"Wyatt, you can go down for lunch now!"

I felt my body cells jump at the sound of Miss. Jones' voice as the door to the chemistry lab creaked open. I tried to calm myself down. I got up from her seat as gently as I could, trying not to look suspicious.

"Okay then, I'll leave," I mumbled, walking past her smiling figure in a green work suit before I headed out the door. Ji-Hun and Ben were resting against the railings of the hallway balcony as they looked out into the field.

"Oh, you're out," Ben mumbled when he turned and found me closing the door behind myself.

"Yeah," I muttered with a shrug. I could hear my own voice shake, and I wondered if they could pick up my uneasy tone. Thankfully Ben just stood up straight before announcing that he was starving, he then headed towards the stairs without another word. Ji-Hun laughed, asking me to come along before wandering of himself.

Throughout lunch, I wondered if Miss. Jones was looking for the missing sheet. There were a lot stacked in-between the register and I wasn't sure she would notice, but another thing on my mind told me she would, and that she might even call me into her office anytime from now to explain myself.

I spent the rest of the day panicking as I had my remaining classes and looking towards the door. Nearing the end of the school day I began to feel calmer. Maybe she didn't notice, or maybe she noticed and she couldn't imagine me doing that.

When school was over we all walked home together. Ben and Aiyana were behind together while Ji-Hun and I walked up front.

"Are you okay?" he asked me as we walked. I nodded, hoping that he wouldn't try and pry me for more information. I mean, he was more or less the main reason I was panicking.

"Is it the coming test?" Ji-Hun asked, making me turn to him with wide eyes.

"Is it? If you're afraid of the coming test you'll be fine. Aiyana told me you get tensed close to exams so I thought I'd ask," he said, looking at me with a small smile before returning his gaze to the pavement. "If you don't want to talk about it it's fine, but just know that I'm here if you ever need to."

I nodded, watching as he looked at me again with his simple smile. The smile that usually made me feel better was now making me feel sick to my stomach because of what I did. I could feel my face drain of blood as I looked away from him in guilt.

"Hey," he mumbled, stretching out his hand for mine. I stared at it for a while, before running a hand through my hair in nervousness.

"I'm not pressuring you to take my hand. You don't have to take it if you don't want to," he muttered reassuringly. I looked at his free pale hand, remembering how many times I'd held on to it when I was uncomfortable in a crowd or I just wanted to talk.

Pushing my guilt aside I took his hand. It was warm, and I could feel the cold metal of his silver watch he was wearing brush against my hand, creating a counter effect.

He tightened our hold, swinging our hands together slightly as he grinned at me. He looked away as we continued to walk, carrying on with short disjointed conversations, probably in an attempt to keep my mind focused on something else.

When Ben, Aiyana and finally Ji-Hun dropped off at their respective stops I walked the rest of the distance home. When I go home I headed straight for my room, before dumping my bag on the bed that was dressed in a plaid blue bed sheet. I then changed into more comfortable clothing, before climbing into my bed.

Pulling my bag on my l.a.p, I unzipped it and searched through it for the folded question paper. I found it, unfolding it before looking through the draft questions.

Am I really doing this? I asked myself in my mind as I looked through the theory questions. Was I really going to cheat? Was I really going to be that person?

I'll just read for the questions then I'll throw the question paper away. No one would know. I thought to myself, folding the paper again before slipping it between one of my textbooks.

I was really going to do this, I was really going to cheat.