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The Life of Another - Chapter 31

© Jake Atkinson

P.O.V. - Roger - Next Morning - 7:29 am (Thursday) - Entering the admin office

Crap, can't believe I almost overslept! I hate feeling rushed... stupid pain medication!

I opened the door to the admin office and bumped into Mrs. Patterson. Startled, she stepped back.

"Roger, there you are. You're almost late! Everyone's waiting in the conference room. Please head right in."

Already in a bad mood, I felt little desire to be chastised. "Another phrase for 'almost late' is 'on time.' And what do you mean everyone is waiting? I thought I was just going to discuss my test results with Ms. Thurlington?"

Mrs. Patterson darted deftly behind me and placed her hands on my shoulders, shoving as she talked. "Don't get uppity. The entire senior staff needs to talk with you and classes start in half an hour."

Dread washed over me and my aura flared. T_he whole senior staff?! What's up with that?! And_ I can't go in front everyone __lookin_ g like a Las Vegas casino sign!_ Headache or not, guess I better turn off the light show.

As I resisted Mrs. Patterson's considerable prodding, I focused on my anxiety and compressed it tightly before rushing it up from the base of my spine towards my head. However, the energy shunted off into my third chakra and nausea seized my stomach. It was all I could do to make it to the nearby faculty bathroom before throwing up.

What the f#ck was that?! I thought as a I cleaned my muzzle with a wad of toilet paper. I haven't blown a technique that badly in years! Ugh, I'm still queasy too. I rinsed my mouth at the sink in the compact unisex bathroom and tried to compose myself as Mrs. Patterson approached from the door left open in my haste.

Concerned, the Black Panther placed a hand on my back. "Roger, what's wrong?"

I glanced briefly into the mirror and found comfort in the fact that at least my aura had cleared. "I uh, drank some expired vegetable juice yesterday. But I'll be fine." The way her tail thrashed I suspected she wasn't buying my story so I went for a deflection. "Uh, if it wouldn't require a note from the doctor, would you happen to have a mint?"

My smile must have won her over because she patted my back and stepped quickly towards her desk to fetch a mint from her purse. "Of course."

She produced a foil-wrapped cylinder and peeled away the label to free a green speckled, white disc which she passed to me while tugging at my other hand. "Now come along, everything is going to be fine."

Although still nauseous, my anxiety was gone and I entered the room with wary confidence, taking a seat at the expansive oval table that filled the conference room.

Mr. Burwell wasted little time, speaking just as Mrs. Patterson took a seat next to me. "Good morning Roger. We couldn't help but overhear what happened just now. Are you not well?"

I scratched idly at a cheek ruff. "The result of expired vegetable juice, a couple gallons of stream water and several hastily eaten burritos, heh. I'll be fine."

Dr. Tamner, who was seated across the table, cleared her throat for attention. The poor Lioness looked rather tired and her voice was hoarse. "Roger, you should come with me after the meeting. If you swallowed some of that water there's precautions that should be taken... don't want you ending up with giardia."

I smiled and nodded at her concern and Mr. Burwell took control of the room again. "Now that we have that taken care of, let's get down to business."

The Lion leaned forward and clasped his hands together, resting them on the oaken surface of the table in front of him. "Roger, it is highly unusual for a student to request to retake the admission exams and even more unusual for the results to be so strikingly different upon doing so. In order to put any concerns to rest, I've arranged for this meeting in the hopes that you wouldn't mind answering a few questions."

While my anxiety would normally be ramping up, my auric trick must have paid off. I found myself surprisingly confident and simply responded to Mr. Burwell with a shrug, sucking nonchalantly on my mint.

Mrs. Patterson turned to address me in a rather stiff manner, as if she didn't really want to be doing so. "Roger, ich war durchaus erfreut zu erfahren, dass du Deutsch sprichst! Wo hast du es gelernt?"

Although I was curious about why she seemed reticent, my tail wagged as I anticipated their reaction. "Ich weiß nicht, ich habe hier und da ein paar Worte aufgeschnappt. Übrigens, ich wollte Ihnen sagen, dass ich Ihren Sinn für Mode sehr bewundere. Ihr unscheinbares aber dennoch elegantes Erscheinungsbild setzt den Standard an dieser Schule."

While there were some murmurings around the table, Mrs. Patterson seemed more impressed than surprised. "Why thank you. Oh where are my manners? Roger, for the non German speaking among us, would you please tell everyone what we just said?"

I glanced around the table, my tail still alight at seeing their faces. "She said she was happily surprised to find out that I speak German and asked where I learned it. And I responded that I've just picked up a word here and there and commented on her professional attire."

"Roger, you're being too modest." said the Panther. "You don't have even the slightest hint of an accent. No one learns to speak a foreign language so well just by watching a few episodes of Hogan's Heroes."

Again I shrugged, feeling almost cocky despite the queasiness that still lingered in my stomach.

Next up was Mr. Yorke, Nick's English teacher and our proctor for the G.L.A. club. "Mr. Evans both of your essays were quite remarkable, albeit for different reasons, and your penmanship puts mine to shame! I must say, I found your interpretation of 'A Separate Peace' to be exemplary. In fact, with your permission, I'll be using it as an example in future classes. As to your other writing..."

Quick to mitigate the damage I suspected was to come, I cut in. "I can explain that. Er, rather Ms. Thurlington can." I said with a sidelong glance in her direction.

The counselor's ears flattened to match her brief scowl and it was then that I realized her hands were in her lap, my view of them completely obstructed by the tabletop. F#ck, no wonder I've been so carefree! And she promised she wouldn't use her talent without my permission. At least now I know what her word is worth!

Before Ms. Thurlington could speak, Mr. Yorke intervened. "No need to be defensive Roger. You raised some truly intriguing possibilities and, considering your total lack of access to reference material for the test, you annotated your quotes and references with surprising accuracy. Tell me, how long have you been interested in the likes of Noam Zinn and Howard Chomsky?"

I grinned at his simple deception. "I think you mean Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky?"

He nodded, his over-sized ears perking forward. "Yes, yes... I've always had trouble with names. I can't imagine they were part of the curriculum at your last school?"

I sat back and kept an eye on Ms. Thurlington for further signs of treachery as I responded. "I'm starting to see a theme here. Perhaps I can answer your question in a way that will address it. I'm sure you've all seen my file and I doubt there'd be little debate if I were to label my upbringing as... less than ideal?"

Heads nodded, some more reluctantly than others, and I continued. "Under the circumstances some people might think that I'd follow in my mother's tracks and end up a meth addict. However seeing what drugs did to her, and everyone around her, was more effective than any anti-drug campaign could've ever been. To put it another way, I chose to escape my world by burying myself in other ones; be they inhabited by Germans, Orcs, mechanics, carpenters, electricians, martial artists, sociologists or aliens. Actually I rather fell out of my brief sci-fi phase but I did enjoy Asimov's many writings about our own world. Have you read his paper The radioactivity of the Body? Prior to that I never really gave much thought to how the decay of potassium 40 impacted something as fundamental as the evolution of life itself."

I looked around the room with a touch of smugness and then eyed the counselor again. "Oh and Ms. Thurlington, I thought we had come to an agreement about your busy hands..."

The Fox almost jumped at my subtle accusation and placed her hands on the table. "Roger," she said testily. "I can't always remember to keep my hands visible when you're around. And I doubt I'm the only one who finds your current tone to be unacceptable. I realize you may feel threatened at finding yourself in this unexpected situation but this is something you brought on. By intentionally throwing the first exam and forcing us to rewrite your entire schedule you've cost us all a lot of time and energy. The least you could do is show a little respect."

I closed my eyes and took a breath. Whether she's making me so arrogant or it's a result of that botched maneuver that made me puke, I'm not sure. B __ut alienating everyone_ isn't going to help my cause. Fine,_ one teenager'esque mood swing coming up.

When my eyes reopened I assumed a more demur stature, slumping in my chair and dropping my gaze to the center of the table. "If time is so pressing then can we skip the interrogation? If I cheated it will show in my grades soon enough and you can pack me off to Phelan. I'm sorry but try seeing it from my point of view. I was expecting to walk into a quick meeting with Ms. Thurlington and then toddle off to my first new class. Instead I get rushed the moment I walk in the door, puke, and then get tossed into an inquiry like some sort of criminal! All because no one can believe dumb ol' trash-mutt Roger can rub his sticks together fast enough to make fire!"

Fury roared through my veins and it was clear from the everyone's reactions that my aura was up to something spectacular. Woah, where'd all this anger come from?! Good job on the demur act! Stupid emotions! God damn I'm sick of losing control! I've got to knock this off before I make the lights go out. Hope I don't puke this time!

With massive effort, I squeezed my rage into a tight ball of jagged energy and forced it up and out the top of my head to my seventh chakra. Or at least, that was the plan. Instead it seemed to snag momentarily in my sixth chakra and my mind exploded with all the raw, rage inducing scenes that filled my past. Terrified at facing them again, I frantically shoved at the energy until I got the full force of it out of my body. Panting, I leaned forward and rested my now throbbing head in my hands.

Awkward seconds passed until Dr. Tamner finally raised her voice. "Roger, I can sense certain things that most people can't and even without that, I doubt there's a person in this room who doesn't realize something just happened. We're all here to help you. Please, take a breath and tell us what occurred just now."

Following her advice I took a slow, deep breath but found little comfort. "My aura tends to make my feelings appear more dramatic, sorry for the display. Anyway so... how 'bout those Burwell Lightning Bolts? I hear they're doing well this season!"

My attempt at humor fell flat and Ms. Thurlington spoke up. "Roger, I understand your constant dance with the full truth is a defense mechanism but we don't have the time. We can't help you if we don't know what's going on and no matter what just happened, you won't be punished."

I paused to consider my words and decided on a different tact. "I don't want to be evasive. It's just that talking about this sort of thing usually leads to snickering and stupid jokes. But fine... just now I was really angry and I know that makes my aura flare up so I condensed the emotional energy and ran it up all the way to my seventh chakra. It gives me a ripping headache for reasons I don't really understand but at least it gets rid of the stupid emotion and my aura calms down. Usually I can do it without a hitch but this time it got momentarily stuck in my sixth charka... you know, the mind's eye? Not sure what went wrong but I eventually got it all the way out."

The moment I mentioned chakras Mr. Burwell's ears perked and he was the first to speak. "You're talking as if you have a spiritually connected talent. Are you sure you have your terms straight?"

My anger now gone, I took his question at face value rather than a threat. "The way I see it, chakras are energy centers and the main ones run from the base of the tail, the root chakra, all the way to above the head, the seventh chakra. Well, that's a matter of debate. Some people consider the seventh chakra to be outside the body in an astral realm while others insist it's right above the head or that there's really eight main chakras. Anyway, Roy G Biv and all that."

Jack entered the conversation for the first time. "Roy G who?"

I tipped my head. "Sorry, I'm not used to talking about this subject. It's an acronym of sorts that I use to remember the order of colors for the different chakras. Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet... ROY G BIV. Knowing the colors also helps in remembering the emotions and physical aspects that they're involved with. This is usually the part where people start snickering or looking at me like I'm crazy."

For the first time that morning, Mr. Burwell smiled. "I can assure you, there won't be any of that here. I admit, I am most curious as to how you came about such information and, more importantly, how you've learned to use it. I've never met an emotionally connected individual so inclined to handling their energy in such a spiritually oriented manner. However, I think we can all agree that you need to stop doing so immediately and save your efforts for the safer confines of the training room." His eyes narrowed and the gentle pulsing of orange and black in his mane intensified. "Is that clear?"

The force of his words struck me with an almost tangible force and left me wondering if perhaps his talent was at play. Nonetheless, I nodded. "This might be a good time for me to bring up something. It seems I uh, kinda go off in my sleep. That is, I had a dream where I got mad and was just about to zap this guy when someone woke me up. Apparently my aura was going crazy and the lights were dimming. It got me to thinking that maybe I could zap my roommate. Not that I would mean to but..."

Come on, take the bait...

Sure enough, the whole room snapped to attention and they started talking amongst themselves.

"I never considered that!" exclaimed Ms. Thurlington.

"It's clear none of us did." offered Mrs. Patterson.

Mr. Burwell raised his hands and order returned. "Thank you for being so forward with us Roger. Under the circumstances I believe the only course of action is to move you to different quarters. And I think we may have just the place."

Yes! Jim's going to be so relieved!

I stopped rubbing my temples and looked up. "I thought that might be the case and I'm already packed. Thing is, where can I go? I can affect people right through walls. And before you say it, I am NOT sleeping in that torture chamber you call a training room!"

"No, that won't be necessary." said Mr. Burwell. "Are you familiar with the William Lachlan building?"

The building named after my nephew?! Ugh, this wasn't part of my plan at all. How can I walk past his memorial every day?"Uh, a little. Tami and I went by it and I saw the plaque. We didn't go inside though."

The Lion nodded. "You look concerned but I assure you, it's quite a nice place to live. The units are specifically designed for people with exceptional talents. Later today I'll arrange for you to report there and we'll test one of the apartments. It's set up as something of a live in Faraday cage, although the shielding it provides is much more thorough than the standard grounded mesh design commonly associated with the name. I know the building has something of a dubious reputation amongst the student body but we're working to change that and I think you could be of great help in such matters."

Thisisn't what I had in mind but I guess it will have to do. At least my idea worked as far as Jim is concerned. And it sounds like I'll be living alone which, I admit, will be a huge relief assuming I can still have company over. Nick and I could finally have some private time!

"Ok." I said. "But we'll have to sort out the schedule before I leave. You won't be able to contact me by email. It uh, seems I'll be needing a Faraday cage for my tablet too."

I grinned sheepishly and while several staff members groaned disapprovingly, Mrs. Patterson's voice carried a tone of sympathy. "Are you saying that your talent somehow damaged your tablet?"

I nodded slowly. "And my clock-radio... and Jim's phone. I know what you're thinking but it's not like my deviance came with an owner's manual! I've been around electronics my whole life and nothing like this ever happened before!"

Mr. Burwell drummed his fingers, measuring his patience. "Young man, I realize you may not have intended for such things to happen but the school's finances ARE limited."

My anger flared anew. "Oh come on! Your silk tie cost more than all that stuff combined! If you were really concerned about what's best for this school you'd stop skimming so much off the top for your unconscionable salary! You probably even give yourself a nice fat Christmas bonus at the end of the year!"

Damn, where the f#ck did that come from?! I all but grabbed my muzzle to stop myself from ranting and offered up an immediate apology. "I'm sorry. All these emotions keep coming out of nowhere and I don't know how to cope with them. Anyway, I already offered to pay for Jim's phone by selling the gifts I got from PennyMart and I can do the same for the tablet. There's not enough items to generate the amount of money needed but I'll cover the rest over time as my allowance comes in. And I asked Mrs. Patterson about getting a job here at the school but she said I'm too young. What else can I do? Besides, it's not like you guys were born knowing how to handle your deviances! I'll bet you had your share of accidents too."

I looked down at my hands and absentmindedly picked at my claws, my mood suddenly shifting from rage to tears. As silence filled the room, the thought crossed my mind to check on Ms. Thurlington. Her hands were still on the table but her gaze was distant and one ear was cocked idly as if she were concentrating on something unseen.

Jack was the first to break the spell. "Kid, take it easy. Everyone falls down when they're learning to walk. Do you know how you did it?"

With my tail still curled, I nodded. "Yeah. I was working at containing my aura and uh, things happened. I know I'm not supposed to do that stuff but you don't understand what it's like having every little emotion on display. I've tried suppressing my feelings but that alone just isn't enough."

Ms. Thurlington responded while I wiped at the corners of my eyes. "Roger these are all important topics to talk about, and we will later, but right now we need to get back on track. Suffice to say, we'll make arrangements for the broken items and in the interim I think you're right. I personally see no need for any more questions regarding your test results. Is there anyone who feels otherwise?"

No one spoke up and, after a moment, Mrs. Patterson re-entered the conversation. "Roger, before you go I admit to a certain curiosity. If you could make your own schedule, what would it look like?"

I sniffed and tried to think clearly around my swimming emotions. "I uh, know it sounds unorthodox, or maybe even arrogant, but I think it might be a better use of resources to spend most of my day tutoring. And I could use some time to play the cello too. It's the only thing that keeps me sane some days."

Jack dropped one ear to the side. "_You_play the cello?"

At first I was offended but quickly realized the absurdity of it all. "I know it probably seems strange, but it's true. Sometimes my mind kind of scatters and playing the cello is one of the few things that helps me see the picture in the puzzle instead of a bunch of random pieces."

I looked dejectedly back to the tabletop and Mr. Burwell shifted in his chair. "I'm not sure if our music department can accommodate you but I'll look into it. As for the tutoring, I think you have a splendid idea but I believe you could still find a few classes beneficial. For instance, we couldn't help but notice you only did one advanced math problem."

Damn, I knew they'd bring that up. Guess I've gone this far, might as well dig the hole deeper. "I uh, went through a code cracking phase awhile back and ended up with some serious dissociative issues. Basic math is ok but anything that gets close to algorithms, fractals and certain other areas freak me out. I don't mean they're hard to do, it's that they distort my way of thinking. It was only with Ms. Thurlington's_adjustments_ that I was able to handle the single problem that I did finish. Even then, just the one had me all screwed up. I had to stop and meditate mid-test."

Mr. Burwell's voice took on a paternal tone. "Roger, many students struggle with math. I'm sure with proper application and..."

I gripped the chair's armrests tightly. "I'm not talking about a lack of comprehension. If anything my problem is too much comprehension! What part of 'It makes me schizo!' do you not understand?!" It was only then that I realized I was up on my paws, aura strobing ominously, and hastily took to my chair again. "I'm sorry but if I could just get a nice, quiet day to myself I'd be a whole different person. Just one day of solitude with Luigi Boccherini, Johann Sebastian Bach and a warm, resonant cello. After all I've been through is it really so much to ask?"

Mr. Burwell's hands clenched and relaxed but Mrs. Patterson was the first to reply. "I have a cello and I'd be happy to share it."

Dr. Tamner's tail thumped against the floor. "Kathryn, you aren't serious?! You can't put an instrument like that in _his_hands!"

The Panther crossed her arms, a gleam in her eye. "It's my 1740 Johann Udalrichus Eberle and that's exactly where I intend to put it. Now that we have that settled, Mr. Burwell I believe you were about to say that Roger can discuss his math issues with Ms. Thurlington at a later time?"

Mr. Burwell's mane smoldered brightly and then dimmed. "Yes, I was just about to mention the time. Roger would you please step outside and wait on the bench in the hallway? We need to discuss some unrelated matters after which Dr. Tamner can tend to your health concerns before you leave for the hospital with Ms. Thurlington. That reminds me, we'll need to discuss your rather succinct report about last night's events. We are all quite grateful for what you did to help Steven but there are more than a few questions about the situation. Until then, Steven and his family are anxious to speak with you before he goes in for surgery later today."

I started to rise from my seat but Mr. Ward stalled my retreat. "Hey kid, in case I don't see you later today..." he said as he reached under his seat. "Better take this now."

He barely repressed a self-satisfied smile and produced a brand new skateboard. At least it looked new short of a sticker for a grindcore band plastered across its deck.

The Wolverine's proud stance made it clear this was no ordinary skateboard and my mind raced with possibilities. Luckily, he took my hesitation as shock and offered up further detail. "We recovered your original board from the taxi trunk but the water damage was too extensive to repair. I know it's not the same but not only did I find the exact model, I even found the same decal for your favorite band! It wasn't easy finding that particular sticker but I finally came across it in an online auction and it just arrived in the mail."

He was practically beaming and I felt obligated to match his enthusiasm despite the fact that I had never skateboarded in my entire life. "Wow, it's even better than my old one! How did you ever find the sticker?"

Mr. Ward rolled it across the floor and it bumped against my shoe. As I bent to pick up, he said "It wasn't easy! Hey, I'm a mentor in the Big Brother program and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me out this weekend. Seems Pepi, that's the cub I'm mentoring, really wants to learn a few tricks. He's twelve and already pretty good but his skill doesn't come close to some of the stuff you showed me when I came out for that initial interview."

Holy crap! He met Roger before I came along?! And I don't know any tricks! F#ck, I've never set paw on one of these!

"Uh, sure." I heard myself say. "But I'm still kinda out of shape from the accident and last night and all. I might not be up to my old form for awhile."

I turned the board over and over in my hands and pretended to be awed by it, rolling the wheels and running my fingers across the grip tape that covered the deck under the hideous decal. It was only then that I realized the image above the band name, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, was that of a Wolf skull with blood streaming out of the nasal cavity. Struggling against my instinctual reaction, I forced a cringe into a smile and tightly wagged my tail in feigned excitement.

"Alright young man." Mr. Burwell broke in. "If you'll please excuse us. And remember, only ride it in the school's skatepark and only while wearing the safety gear that Mr. Ward will also be providing."

He shot a glance towards the Wolverine and received a quick response. "Oh uh, right. I'll get that to you later Roger."

I looked up from the foreign object in my hands, my ears folded in admiration. "I don't know what to say except thank you Mr. Ward. It really means a lot to me that you'd go to so much trouble."

His gesture touched me deeply and it wasn't a strain on my acting abilities to look profoundly moved as I quietly made my way out of the room.

P.O.V. - Mrs. Patterson

The door clicked softly shut behind Roger before I spoke up. "Sarah, just what were you doing?! And don't be coy, I know perfectly well you can wield your talent without using your hands, however haphazardly."

The Marble Fox's ears shot forward and then pinned back. "It was clear I had to do something! He was so nervous he was vomiting! If I hadn't stepped in we might have all ended up in the hospital, or the morgue!"

I fought to calm my tossing tail. "He was doing fine. What student wouldn't be nervous in front of the senior staff? It's clear your abilities are compromised with him Sarah; his emotions were all over the board! With so much interference from his talent, you're doing more harm than good. I don't mean to tell you how to do your job but someone has to be Roger's advocate here. I think he brought up a very salient point. We haven't even given the poor cub a chance to properly grieve. His mother's in prison, his father is dead and an Aunt he barely knows is fighting for custody. And that's not even mentioning what he went through last night!"

Sarah was almost growling and it was then that I realized what was going on. "Be careful Sarah. I think you're making us all angry."

An even stronger wave of rage washed over me but Sarah hurriedly made a gesture with her hands and it quickly faded. By the time she spoke, the whole room seemed calmer. "I apologize." she said with lowered ears. "Even though Roger left, I still felt obligated to not move my hands and without my focusing techniques it can prove quite challenging to keep everything under control." She sighed with exasperation. "Honestly, I'm not sure what the best course of action is for Roger. When he's relaxed I can handle him with some effort but when he's worked up... well, you saw what happened. The frustration of dealing with that boiled over and I'm sorry if it affected anyone."

Jack adjusted his tight-fitting shirt and waved off her apology. "No harm done. Look, I think we should get the kid settled into his new place and give him a couple days to decompress. In fact, with a little planning, I don't see why we can't get his baseline testing done at the same time we check the room's effectiveness at containing him. If he feels like we're assessing the room instead of him maybe he'll be less self-conscious and it'll be easier for everyone."

Oliver nodded his agreement. "That's an excellent suggestion. Considering the building is mostly empty, it shouldn't prove difficult to vacate the other tenants for the time it takes to run the tests."

Nigel picked up the conversation. "Fine, Mrs. Patterson would you please make the appropriate arrangements?"

"Of course." I said, jotting a reminder down in my notebook as he continued.

"I think we should revisit the main reason we're here. Just what is going on with Roger? Sarah, I know that you've said Roger intentionally failed his initial tests because he didn't want to come to this school but that isn't sitting right with me. Even assuming that's the case, there's something more going on here than a cub who chose to escape into books. Kathryn, was his German really that good?"

"As you know, my parents emigrated here from Germany when I was young." I said while smoothing out my skirt. "And, although I've been in this country long enough to lose my accent, I can still recognize a native speaker when I hear one. If I didn't know better I'd swear he just got off a plane from Berlin. No matter how voracious a reader he may be, I just don't see how he could learn it so well from books alone. Not to mention the fact that he also tested perfectly for Spanish, French and Latin! I can't help but wonder, if other languages had been in the test material what else might we have discovered? For all we know he can speak any number of languages."

I turned my attention towards Sarah and Oliver. "Mathematics and psychology aren't my strong points. What do you two make of his troubles with math?"

The Tasmanian Devil and Fox exchanged glances and Oliver made a deferential gesture, giving Sarah the chance to speak first. She cleared her throat. "(Ahem) While he didn't say very much, from what I gathered it does leave me concerned that he may be presenting some signs of schizophrenia. Especially the way he described seeing reality as a bunch of pieces instead of a whole picture. If doing certain types of math does fragment his thinking then we're not talking about the typical challenges a student might face. Oliver, what can you tell us about the single problem he solved?"

He tapped his pen tip against his notepad thoughtfully. "Only that he picked the hardest problem in the whole test and that he didn't show ANY work, but he did get it correct. Considering the type of problem it was, there's no way even an advanced student could arrive at the answer without going through at least a few steps on paper. Despite that there was nothing, not in the space provided nor on the scratch paper we collected. He's either a genius or a cheat and I'm leaning towards the former."

Feeling a need to come to Roger's defense, I broke in. "There's no way he could have cheated. I even remember when he did that problem, knowing now what I do. His aura had been quiet most of the time but at one point it started flickering in painfully random bursts, pulsing erratically and lighting up in irregular shards like exploding glass. I was so worried something was wrong that I gently called his name but his only response was to bat nervously at his ear as if he were being bothered by an insect. I was about to get you Sarah but, right at that moment, he jotted something down and then let his pencil fall to the floor. After that he just stared off into space. I wasn't quite sure what to do but I noticed his aura beginning to calm so I decided it was best not to interfere. A few minutes later he took a deep breath, his eyes regained their clarity and he seemed fine. It might be worth reviewing the video again, but I'm sure that's when he was doing the math problem."

Nigel absentmindedly twisted at a cufflink. "Yes, I recall that now that you mention it. I didn't make the connection at the time I was watching but it does fit the circumstances. Very well, for now we'll keep him out of math but I admit to being curious what his true potential might be if we could help him learn to cope with it." He glanced at the clock on the wall and spoke again. "Alright there's more I'd like to cover, from his sudden desire for a cello to the accident with Steven, but classes are about to start and I know everyone needs to get going. Laura, if you can tend to Roger's health concerns now then we can get him on his way to the hospital. And Sarah, while you're in the car with Roger, see if you can get him to open up. It's imperative we find out what's really going on here."

P.O.V. - Nick - Same time as Roger's appointment - Cafeteria

Bea scrunched up her little black nose even further. "Nick, what's so important about this video? We've seen worse on NetFlicks. Well ok maybe you haven't, but I have. It's sad and all but this kind of stuff happens every day."

My ears flattened even further and I whimpered softly. "Bea I PROMISED I wouldn't talk about it but... it could be really important, like police important! I don't know what to do."

While Chris seemed as if he could care less, munching on his breakfast of fried fish and studying for a history test, Bea seemed about ready to burst. "Nickie, we've never held back from each other... and I can't stand seeing you like this, so TALK!"

I squished at a lump in my oatmeal. "All the articles about it keep saying how they haven't identified the victim and to contact the police with any information."

The spork in her hand almost shook with anticipation. "AAANNNDDDD?"

A rush of guilt washed over me, my tail curling under the chair. "And... I uh, kind of know someone who knows something."