Slow and Speedy Win the Fight

52. Settle

Sheldon

"I got a C?"

I stared at the paper in my hands and read over the contents. Poor projection? Needed more eye contact? Eye contact with who? What if I was staring at a demon on the ceiling and no one else could see it incidentally?

Whatever high I was on from watching Mulan yesterday had come crashing to the ground as I tried to process the information before me.

My presentation was flawless. I did all the research for this country I have no positive emotional connection to and all I got was a C?!

"The presentation's information was only a small part of your grade. The majority was on your presentation skills," Ms. Lemming explained. "I felt you needed to practice more and speak more clearly."

"So, I could've told you facts about Germany with Vietnam's backdrop and you wouldn't bat an eyelash?"

The teacher didn't seem impressed. "Well, I would have to deduct marls on the section about the information you presented but theoretically, yes. I can't imagine why someone would want to do that."

For fun? To avoid the past?

This school system doesn't make any sense to me. Why did I have to receive a degree from somewhere so incompetent?

The education system was flawed. The world sucked. I wish I was home.

I caught the thought and felt my stomach churn. What the hell was home to me?

"How'd you do, Sheldon?"

Rudra leaned on my desk and was closer to me than I was used to. I felt everything in my brain shut down and I could only stare at him with a warm face. It seemed Ms. Lemming had gone to another student to talk about their assignment, leaving me with the smug boy.

"Fine, I suppose," I mumbled. "You?"

"I got an A." He said it so smugly that I swore I saw his head grow bigger for a second.

"Good for you." I attempted to sound happy for him but I couldn't contain my envy.

"What's wrong?" Rudra's mouth flipped into a frown and crossed his arms.

I stared at him before shrugging it off. "Nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just thought I was smarter than I thought but I suppose I wasn't."

Rudra's expression only twisted more. "You made a goddamn giant turtle robot made out of other robots and you're saying you're not smart?"

I felt my face flush. "You know what I mean."

"No, I literally do not," he said. "You have powers and brains. Anyone would be jealous of that."

My mind flashed back to Blanc and I quickly swatted the thought away. He only went over heroes before, not villains.

Haresa seemed to have the same thought as me as they were studying my expression from a distance. I didn't know how long they'd been staring for but their eyes looked away the moment we made eye contact.

"Haresa, there's someone that wishes to have a word with you," Ms. Lemming said.

Attention went to our teenage hero and their face paled instantly.

Some woman was standing at the door. Her blonde hair was pinned back and she was wearing a pinstriped suit with a matching skirt. A briefcase hung limply from her hand and for the first time in a long while Haresa looked actually angry.

"She's not my guardian. She shouldn't be interrupting class," Haresa said.

"I am technically your new boss so I have every right to demand some of your time as you haven't been answering to any correspondence for weeks now," the woman said.

"Boss?" Haresa echoed. "I thought you were the chief financial officer."

I should've brought popcorn if I knew there was going to be drama.

The woman's eyes flicked over the classroom and back to Haresa, clearly unhappy with the circumstances. "It will only take a moment. Could you please step outside with me?"

Haresa groaned and began to gather their stuff. "Sorry, Ms. Lemming. Duty calls it seems."

"No worries, dear. Just remember to review chapters ten to twelve for tonight."

Haresa quickly made their way out of the room with the woman quickly following behind her. As soon as the two left, the class began to erupt in gossip. Rudra raised an eyebrow towards me and I shrugged in response.

"Settle down now. We still have a good half hour left of class," the teacher said.

Well, this wasn't fun anymore. I wish I knew what the hell was happening.