“Want to sign up to be student president?” someone by the foyer table asked Sandra as she approached them.
“Well, yes,” Sandra said and was excited to try this new opportunity out in her 11th grade of secondary school. She was handed a signup sheet, filling up questions involving the following: What is the first thing you would do as student president, what improvements would you suggest for the school, also fill in availability times where she would have to give up her lunch breaks and after school hours to be able to attend these student council meetings, etc. She handed back the sign-up sheet and asked, “How will I know that I will be a potential candidate for the student presidential school election?”
“Its up to the school board, they will contact you shortly and let you know if you are eligible, based on your extra-curriculars, grades, etc,” one of the students answered. Sandra nodded and said bye to them as she head towards the cafeteria to reunite with her childhood friends Luis, Aiden, Veronica, Allison and potentially the Trinity Guys too. She sat down next to her friends in the cafeteria as they talked. As the rest of the school day continued, she hoped that she would be student president in the future. It was her dream to try something new for a change while diversifying the learning environment as much as possible.
♦♦♦
The next day of school started. Sandra entered the school’s main entrance and was on her way to class. She passed by the main office, witnessed a short boy who was very young looking. He curiously looked around the school, as if he were trying to find his way around. It was an extraordinary younger looking kid, even younger than a regular day-to-day high school freshman. The young kid had shaggy brown bangs and saw Sandra as she was staring at him, standing right by the hallway while the students were on their way to their designated classrooms.
“Excuse me,” the young boy approached Sandra as she stood there staring at him. “Do you know where I can find to the main office of this secondary institution of a school?”
“Oh,” Sandra stammered and decided to help him out. “I will show you where the main office is.”
She walked alongside the young boy as they were on their way to the main office. As they walked, they began to communicate with each other.
“What is your name?” Sandra asked curiously.
“Spencer. Spencer Madoc,” the young boy replied simply. “People simply refer to me as Maddox. And you are?”
“Sandy,” Sandra replied politely. “Sandra Richards. Its nice to meet you Mr. Madoc. Sorry if I am asking too many questions, what made you come to this secondary school, parents shifting for a new job?”
“That’s alright,” Maddox spoke in his strong British accent. “I reside here, just here to get into the IBM programme, to take University leveled examinations, since this school has the programme locally.”
“IBM Programme? Really? That would be an amazing opportunity if you do enter it. If you do not mind me asking, how old are you?” Sandra said in a shocking tone. IBM programme was a level higher than “University/Academic” level courses, which allowed students to write University level exams to be able to advance their high school diploma sooner and faster. If they succeeded in these examinations or it would help them enter into University more easily, jumping straight into it. This shocked Sandra a lot, she always thought she was the smartest despite her being the type of a person who is humble instead of bragging about intelligence.
“Yes,” Maddox smiled and stayed humble as much as possible. “I’m 12, going to turn 13 soon. Yes, it may be a shock to you, but I am a child prodigy. Thanks, Sandra, for directing me to the main office.”
“Wow!” Sandra was shocked by his age. “Congrats on your pathway to the IBM programme, hope you get into it. I hope we can talk sometime later.”
“Thanks,” Maddox spoke formally to Sandra as he heads inside the main office. “Yeah, talk later, Miss Richards.”
Sandra heads to her Advanced Functions and English classes, first two periods before lunch break. After two hefty classes of math that she always caught up in and read more of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. English class introduction to more modules was boring as usual, and since it was 2nd day of school, also reading club was coming up soon, this gave Sandra the advantage to quickly pick the book she was reading for her book report, summative assignment, etc.
Veronica saw Sandra approaching her as she set alongside Luis, Allison, and the Trinity Guys in the cafeteria, preparing to eat their packed-up lunches. She sat down next to Veronica and saw weary looks on their faces, wondering what was going on. It was as if something was bothering them and made her suddenly perturbed. They were noticeably quiet and had worried expressions as if something had happened, but it was not just that, Aiden was not sitting next to them as usual.
“What’s with the downed faces all of a sudden, guys?” Sandra asked as she unpacked her tuna salad alongside with carrots and apple-juice. Sandra was worried on what was going on, despite this morning being bright and her nice meeting with Spencer Madoc, a child prodigy. But what could have went suddenly wrong with her friends with the melancholy and disconsolate moods, Sandra thought.
“You didn’t hear?” Luis said. “You know the rumor.”
“Hear what?” Sandra asked. “What rumor? Jeez you sound like my mother, who lacks in explanation by not using her nouns but too many pronouns instead.”
“Aiden got called down to the office just now,” Sam revealed
