Poseidon's Daughter

Chapter 25

Rhea POV

I'm finally back at school, along with my mother who had a meeting with my teachers.

They are talking about my education plan and how to adapt it to my mental capabilities. I have to do a series of tests to see where I'm at and where I should be placed.

It took me the whole morning, right into lunch, to finish the tests.

"Miss Jackson, Mrs Jackson," my principal greets my mother and I, "Please come in," he gestures to come inside his office.

"Miss Jackson, your test scores are remarkable. I'm amazed that you're still in school and not at university. Your test scores are better than our seniors," he says.

"What?!" my mother widens her eyes.

"Mrs Jackson, she has a lot of opportunities that are open for her. She can have any scholarship from any University. She's only nine and can quote Shakespeare, solved advanced math equations at university level, and from memory wrote down all medical terms for the human skeletal system, along with major muscle groups, more than what was asked for," he says.

My mom stares at me, eyes still wide.

"What?" I ask her, raising my shoulders.

"You're too young to go to college," she says panicked.

I've never seen my mom panic as much as she is doing right now.

And so he asked me if there is anything that I want to pursue as a career, so he could help me with an application for whichever University I want to go to.

"We're moving too fast. Can't she stay here and continue her normal schooling?" she asks him.

"I'm sorry Mrs Jackson, but we'll only be holding her back. She has been advancing too quickly. We'll disadvantage her. If any of the Universities nearby accepts her, then we could let her stay over weekends at the school to commune with her friends here, Jane and Malcolm, correct?" he turns to me at the end.

"Yes sir."

"I understand, but she's only nine, she needs people her own age," my mother argues and I cross my arms, frowning at the floor. Well, she knows how to bring a girl down right now, I think sarcastically. My own mother wants to hold me back.

"I understand and I emphasise with you, however, she is bored in class, and not only that, there have been reports that the children in different grades over the school have been bullying her. Her friends are supportive and we've tried our best to handle the bullies, but it hasn't helped much. She needs a place where she can grow, flourish intellectually, and it won't be here. As I've said Mrs Jackson, we'll let her stay here over weekends for 'playdates' so to speak," he argues.

He doesn't look too happy with my mother right now.

She rests her head in her hands for a second and says, "I knew this was coming. She's always been clever, it's...difficult to think that she's leaving school. I'm scared that she'll get hurt."

They spoke for another half hour, mostly my principle trying to convince my mother that I'll be fine.

My mother excused herself to go to the bathroom, and I was left alone with the principle for the next five minutes.

"Ms Jackson, everything will work out, you'll see," he encourages, seeing the disappointment running in my whole demeanour.

"Mom doesn't like the idea very much," I say.

"She'll get used to it," he says, "Is there any particular subject you want to pursue? A career you want to pursue?"

"I want to go to med school," I reply. I want to be a chiropractor, to finish what I started before I died.