Gifted

Ch. 7 He'll be Ready

        He'll Be Ready (ch. 7)

     Aiden was very proud of himself for making it through the day, he was in his sixth-hour class and he only had one more to go. Thirty Seconds to go... Aiden thought. "Okay everyone, I think this concludes our first class together," Mr. Speck said. He was black and in his mid-thirties. "Mr. LeFlour, a word with you, please? Everyone else, get to class." Nobody went to ring the bell in between every class. That was determined to be too much of a hassle.

                 "Mr. Speck?" Aiden asked.

                 "Yes, this came for you," Speck handed him a note, "your seventh-hour class has been changed, report to attendance."

                 "Dang it, art was supposed to be my easy class this year," Aiden complained.

                 "Hey, I didn't make the change. I'm just the messenger," Speck shrugged.

                 "Alright. Thanks Mr. Speck," Aiden mumbled.

                 "See ya tomorrow Aiden," Speck replied as Aiden exited the classroom, headed down the hall towards attendance.

                 "Mr. LeFlour, I believe this is our second encounter," Mrs. Street said unenthused.

                 "Yeah, so what's the deal Mrs. Street?" Aiden inquired.

                 "Well I certainly don't know. Do you know why Alfred Franklin would come to see you?"

                 "What?" Aiden responded in shock.

                 "Oh yes, head to room 510," Mrs. Street directed.

                 "That classroom is unused," Aiden replied.

                 "Not anymore," Street said simply.

**

                 Aiden opened the door to the classroom to see that nobody was in there except for an old man.

                 "Ah, Aiden LeFlour," please sit down, Franklin said, giving a wide gesture to all the open desks.

                 "Were you expecting somebody else?" Aiden asked in response to Franklin's tone.

                 "No, just you," the man with short, bright white hair and striking blue eyes said. He was wearing a business suit.

                 "Is there a reason the lights are out?" Aiden asked, slinking his backpack off his shoulder and onto the front desk.

                 "Yes, so I can do this," Franklin said as many candles lit all at once. "In my opinion, it never hurts to show off every once and a while."

                 Aiden's jaw was slack, he had never seen a pyro in action, let alone one that did something to that extent, lighting so many candles at once, and giving them tall, blue flames.

                 The candles turned back out and Alfred Franklin asked Aiden to turn the lights on. "So I imagine you're wondering why I pulled you from seventh hour this year. As far as anyone else is concerned, this class will be called World Studies. I will be teaching you about life outside of Maine, in the rest of the Republic."

                 "Just me?"

                 "Yes, I don't think I could handle the tutelage of multiple students," Franklin stated, lying blatantly.