Adam and Taylor

Part 2 - The Boy Genius

TAYLOR

​This weird guy is so pissed of me. I just know it.

​Whatever did I do to him?!

​Taylor sat next to her new laboratory partner. It was the teacher who brought them together. But the moment she sat to the stool next to him, she just knew there was so much negativity– directly toward her.

​She decided to keep still. After all, she was new. She didn't know she should take it personally or he was like this to everyone else.

​She decided to just wait for the subject to end. They would have to sit together for an hour, twice a week only.

​Ten minutes before the subject ended, she heard an instruction from the teacher that dreaded them both: they needed to work together to come up an interesting chemistry project, in which was a big part of their final grade. Normally, creative projects like this would thrill her. Today, however, she felt that this was going to be a drag.

​Her partner did not hide his disappointment either, as he breathed heavily in anguish.

ADAM

​"I think this is a pretty good list." He studied the list of the potential Chemistry project ideas he and Taylor came up with. He didn't want to admit it at first, but he realized that she is an essential part of this tandem. Unlike some of his previous experiences in group projects where he either does all the work or he did not do well working with his team mates. On top of that, since she came from a different school, even country, she shared the projects and ideas which was used from where she came from.

​The two met for the first time, outside of school hours, at the library. They had a couple of Chemistry books in front of them, plus his laptop set up in front of them. They did not want to get ideas merely from the internet, as most students would be doing that. So they have decided to hit the good old books.

​They are done for the day. He looked at his watch. Only an hour had gone by. She returned the books while he closed and put his laptop with its cables in its bag. They left the library in silence. He decided to take the rest of the afternoon shooting a few hoops at the school basketball court. Most of the students would have decided to go home, but since he lives only a few steps away from school, he considers the school gym as his extended playground.

​They were still walking together when a couple of students greeted Taylor. What caught his attention about this simple gesture was that these students belong to the higher section... and cheer dancers, too.

​She is that popular already?

​And how could a "geek" become popular? It doesn't make sense?

​Taylor looked at him questionably. It was only at that instant that he realized that he said his last thought a little out loud.

​"Excuse me?"

​Since the cat is already out of the bag, he started to share his thoughts.

​"How can you be so good at everything?" He blunted. "You just came out of nowhere, and all of a sudden you become the queen of all great things? Do you think you're just this great goddess in this place and.... And... take over the school or something?"

​For three seconds the pair stood in silence. He realized that for a supposedly genius in this school, he sounded so dumb.

​"First of all," Taylor explained calmly, or at least trying to be calm "I may have had perfect scores in Trigo, but I suck big time in Filipino and Araling Panlipunan (Philippine History), because I didn't study here. So I have less than a month to study for our quarterly exam next month. So, yeah, I am in panic mode for that. "