You're My Brother

Day 175- Education My Ass

    First day of first grade. Or whatever you'd call it in a place like this. A place where even the simplest of tasks are so different from normal life outside the walls.
    Shiro was long gone by now. He made it into the Galaxy Garrison about three months ago and left a month later.
    Again, Keith was alone.
    He was officially used to it by now.
    "Keith?" A voice pulled the child back to reality.
    "W-what...?" He asked, his body stiffening, worried he was in trouble.
    "Would you like to introduce yourself?" His teacher asked. She was, like most of the staff, elderly, but she terrified Keith. "It is your first day after all."
    Fidgeting slightly, the little boy stood up and walked to the front of the class. "I'm Keith..." he said quietly, looking down at his shoes.
    "How about something you like...?"
    "Um..." Keith bit his lip, not knowing what to say. He looked up to his classmates and shrugged. "I like dogs and hippos..."
    The teacher seemed somewhat delighted in his answer, or more so in the fact that he spoke more than a word in a sentence. She gave his back a slight pat, letting him know he could sit down again.
When he returned to his desk, he folded his arms and rested his chin on the desk.
Shortly after, his teacher came around the room with packets labeled 'The Wonders of Addition' and 'The Magic of Subtraction."
'Is this really necessary...?' Keith though to himself, 'I already know all of this...' He pouted, picking up his pencil and began to fill out the two assignments.
As he was taught the year before, you should always write your name on the space provided.
He did so, writing 'Keith Kogane' in his neatest writing, which was still quite illegible.
Starting with the addition, he wrote the answers he knew were correct, which were all of them. He knew everything there was in both packets.
"Keith!" His teacher's voice was harsh and stern.
Startled by her sudden change in demeanor, he gasped and dropped his pencil.
She placed her hands on her hips, frowning at the child. "Are you paying attention?"
"Y-yes, Ma'am..."
"Really?" Her eyes narrowed, "because eye contact is what makes a good listener."
Keith's eyes dropped to his paper "I'm sorry..." he mumbled. Despite his outward attitude, he hated being in trouble. Especially with the teaching staff at The Home. Each one is scary and threatening.
"Look up here!" She demanded, tapping the chalkboard forcefully with her wooden pointer. "You can't learn unless you look with your eyes."
"But I—"
"No buts! You either pay attention or I'll move you up to the front."
  'Have it your way.' Keith gathered his things and took a seat in the front.
His teacher was utterly confused. Why was he suddenly giving in...?
"Now you can't tell me to pay attention." The little boy grinned and stuck his tongue out at her. "Besides. I already know it!"
   "Keith Kogane!" She shouted, outraged by his disrespect.
   "It's Ko-gah-neigh! Not Ko-gain!" He yelled right back. "I did what you asked now leave me alone."
   Without hesitation, she grabbed his papers and flipped through them. "Who gave you these answers?!" She interrogated him.
   "My dad! He taught me how to do this! Now leave me alone!"
   At this point, the idea of getting in trouble was his last worry. Something changed his mind about the whole 'be a good student' thing.
   She pointed to the door, "Go! Speak with the headmaster and tell him what you did."
   Keith slammed his small hands on his desk. "You can't be mad at me for being smarter than everyone else!" Before she could respond, he got up and snatched his work back from her, marching out of the room towards the front office.
   He took a seat in one of the chairs outside of the headmaster's office and waited impatiently for someone to notice him.
   "Excuse me, Keith."
   "Hi Miss Marry." He said, looking up at her. "Miss Rose told me to come here  because I was bad."
   Miss Marry knelt down in front of the child. "What does that mean?" She asked him, taking a look at the pages in his hands. "Looks to me as though you did most of your work."
   "I wasn't supposed to..." he replied, "I'm too smart for her and she can't handle it."
   "Oh really?" Her tone was that of someone who wasn't truly convinced. "Did Shiro teach you all of this?"
   "What?!" Keith asked, sounding offended. "No! My dad did! He taught me some multiplication and division too! I told you yesterday! I'm too smart for the class. But you didn't believe me."
   "Alright," Miss Marry gave a small sigh and stood up. "Maybe you are, but there isn't much we can do."
   "I'm a year behind, Miss Marry. I have to move up!"
   She nodded, aware of his 'problem'. "You never finish first grade, Keith. You have to finish before you can move on."
Keith pouted and looked down to the floor. "It was only a month..." he muttered. The only reason he was here now was because his father had died and he had to drop out due to lack of parental guidance. "It's not fair..."
"Rules are rules Keith. Now get back to class. Tell Miss Rose that I said you were fine without a meeting with the headmaster."
The child gave a slight nod and left.
Except, he didn't go back to class. He slipped out the back door into the yard.
Without looking back, Keith darted to the far end of the field and sat beneath a tree. The silence around him was comforting.
He glanced down at the packet and grinned. "I don't need this." Before he could second guess his actions, he got up and ran to the fence, leaping up as high as he could and chucked the packets over the wire walls.
The sheer amount of trouble he could be in never did dawn on him. All he thought of was that Miss Marry likes him. And because of that, he can get away with anything.