Different World

Part 8 : Immature Adolescence

When Glory's friends started chatting about crushes, favorite K-pop groups, makeup, and places to hang out, Glory mostly just listened. She tried to absorb all the information, not because she was particularly interested, but because new information always intrigued her.

Glory had a designated group of friends for school projects, and they were always kind to her. They'd politely ask for her input on whatever they were working on, and they'd collaborate together, even if Glory's contributions were less visible than those of her more talkative and active friends.

Her friends saw Glory as someone different from the rest. They knew she was the same age as them, and they respected her intelligence. They'd even joke about how Glory never seemed to study for exams yet still managed to get good grades. But they also recognized that Glory was a bit younger at heart. While her intelligence might be that of a twenty-year-old, her spirit still had the innocence of an eleven-year-old.

A school Glory does have friends for working but outside of school Glory's friends eventually is her mother and father and younger brother Gerald, who is now six years old and is starting to play with her.

Sometimes mother's friends are curious and ask Glory for fun, "Glory, do you have a boyfriend yet?"

"Don't have one" firmly and clearly answered aunt's question.

"Is there anything you like at school or not? Maybe a handsome one?" aunt jokes again.

"No one... uh... there's someone handsome... but not a boyfriend," she answered honestly.

"But Glory likes that handsome friend?"

"I don't like him" with a straight face and fear of being asked again.

So, it turns out Glory does recognize which boys are handsome, but she's not interested in having a boyfriend. What really occupies her mind is calculating the probability of winning a football match after learning the players' names, or analyzing the moves in a chess game while watching a match.

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