Sooner or Later - a selection fanfic

Prologue

"McConnell, what's the Pythagoras theorem?"

"A squared plus B squared equals C squared, miss." He rolled his eyes, his hips leaning against the edge of his table.

"I've known this since I was five, why bother asking me again? This is just as simple as asking me what's 1 plus 1." Eaden folded his arms across his chest and look at his teacher in the eye.

"I know, McConnell." His teacher replied tiredly, sitting down at her desk. "But firstly, you're ten. Not all ten year olds know what's squaring a number means, much less an algebraic formula." She shuffled her papers nervously, her eyes flickering up to the clock on the wall.

It was already 6 in the evening. She had kids, a husband, a life. And she was stuck with a kid prodigy for private tutoring.

"And secondly, it for your best. It's better to train your brain so that when you grow up, you'll still be as intelligent as you are right now. Won't that be helpful?" She tried to explain, ducking under the table to get her bag and to avoid rye contact with Eaden, hoping that he won't notice the lies.

"But miss, I'm going to be the smartest person in the world. If I lose my intelligence, how can I be that person then? My mommy told me so." Eaden exclaimed naively, packing up his bags too.

Her body stiffened as her student mentioned about his mother, before nodding slowly. "Things can happen along the way, McConnell. So it's best to be safe than sorry, hmm?" She smiled encouragingly at him, slinging her bag over her shoulder and giving Eaden a pat on the head.

"Go home early, McConnell. I'll see you tomorrow." His teacher said, before walking down the hallway to the teacher's room. Eaden went to follow her, but stopped himself.

Mommy is probably waiting for me outside school. I have to go.

Eaden thought to himself, before running towards the main entrance of the school building, going further away from the teacher's room.

As he burst out of the doors, the cold wind gave him a slap in the face and he stumbled back, his teeth chattering. Wrapping his coat tighter around himself, Eaden walked down the few steps leading onto the waiting area, where the students usually waited for their parents to drive or fetch them home.

The sky was already beginning to darken, and the temperature dropping like mad. His mother had made him promised to not walk home by himself, or take a ride from someone else.

You're a genius in a kid's body, Eaden. People would do anything for you and your brain. So you need to be careful around this area, don't be stupid. I know you aren't.

He could hear his mother's warning ringing in his head. He didn't dare break her rule, he knew what would happen if he did. So Eaden stood there, his shaky hands in his pockets and staring at every car that went by.

After minutes had past, a car drove out of the school's carpark and drove out of the school gates, before stopping suddenly in front of Eaden.

"McConnell?" The window from the driver's seat rolled down, and he would see his teacher's confused face staring back at him. "Why are you still here? Where's your mother?"

He swallowed, licking his cold and numb lips. "Not too sure." He answered casually, shrugging. "But I think she's on her way."

The teacher frowned, tapping the side of her steering wheel. "Are you sure? It's getting late, and cold. How about you get into my backseat and I'll drive you home, sounds good?"

Eaden shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot, pondering hard, before looking up with a smirk.

"I'll be fine, miss. My mommy is going to come soon anyways. I can handle a bit of dark and cold. I'll see you tomorrow." He answered back with a smile, though it felt like the wind was slicing through his cheeks.