Black Flame

Chapter 16: The Store

As Alex went through math class, he couldn't help but feel like it was lacking the intellectual stimulation he had expected. He was quite content during it, watching as Mr. Tarqik explained algebraic equations to the class with the assistance of the projectors and their many color-filled images. However, Alex felt as if the questions being asked were too basic. It was all so dull.

Eventually, the projector was turned off and the lights were turned on. Mr. Tarqik handed out worksheets containing numerous equations based on the lesson that he had just taught. Upon receiving the paper, Alex once again felt as if he was being taught something he was already extremely familiar with, and he began to work on it. Within two minutes he had completed both sides of the worksheet, raising his hand to turn it in. Mr. Tarqik looked confused as he walked over.

"Do you need some help?" The Moose asked, looking down at the teen before him. Alex shook his head before raising the piece of paper to him.

"I'm finished."

"A-already? Are you sure?" He asked, taking the worksheet from him to take a closer look at what he had written, his eyes widening as he read the paper. "Well, I'll be darned... You did finish it."

Alex's seat neighbors turned and looked at him, surprised by this development. The teen shrugged before leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Do you have any more problems I could solve?" The young man asked. This seemed to snap the teacher out of his shock.

"No actually... Um... Where's your other paper?"

"Huh? My other paper?"

"You know, the piece of paper you wrote all your work onto to find the answers," The teacher explained. "Where is it?"

"I didn't use another piece of paper. I did it all in my head."

"But how did you do that?" He pressed, not buying it. Alex shrugged again before saying simply, "I sort of just did it. Do I need to show my work?"

"Y-yeah. You kind of do. I'm happy you can do it in your mind, but you need to be able to show how you're coming to your answer, otherwise, it may seem like you're cheating."

"Well in that case can I get another worksheet?" Alex asked.

Mr. Tarqik agreed before returning to the podium and retrieving a blank sheet of paper. Walking back over to Alex, he placed the paper in front of him before asking him if he had a notebook to write his work on. Alex nodded before opening his backpack up pulling out the notebook and tearing out a blank page from it. Upon seeing this, Mr. Tarqik smiled and reminded Alex to write his name and the date on the worksheet and piece of paper he was going to be using.

Alex began work on the blank worksheet the moment Mr. Tarqik stepped away. While doing so, he felt an odd sense of pride in how easy the schoolwork assigned to him was, which he saw as evidence of a human's natural intellect.

This time it took longer to complete, mostly due to Alex being made to solve the equation through what he scribbled onto the paper he had torn from his notebook. Questions that he could've answered within five seconds dragged on upwards to half a minute, as he had to go through every step multiple times in his head so that he could accurately write it down on paper. But he managed to finish the worksheet all the same, and despite having to restart from scratch, he did not allow his fellow students any time to catch up. Before long he was finished, and after signing both pieces of paper along with the date, called the Moose over to collect it. He felt the gaze of envious students all around him but ignored them, too busy basking in his accomplishment.

Alex remained seated, quietly waiting for the other students to finish. However, by the time they did, math class was ending. Mr. Tarqik collected everyone's papers before slipping them inside his briefcase. He then handed out similar-looking worksheets while informing the class that they were expected to turn them in tomorrow morning along with a paper showing their work.