Pete Theodore's Academy. Grade 12 block, class 7. This class contained the brightest senior students who are all serious about their studies. The one who ranked last, usually with a score of 70%, is the wealthiest kid who is also a bit of a playboy and mischievous. Teachers loved to teach this class all day because it's the best, unlike class 1. The students from there are nothing to write home about. Most of them got in through connections, and they prefer partying and vacations to studying. They were just here to pass the time and get the damn certificate! Today, the students of class 7 were awaiting the new transfer student who would come today. How brilliant was he? Could his grades beat the top scorer in their class? These were some of the questions the students debated. Suddenly, the door opened, and a tall, plump, red-haired, middle-aged woman wearing specs, a brown and grey striped suit, a pair of black low-cut flats and holding a book in her hand walked in. The students rose and greeted the woman in unison. "Good day, Vice Principal Rose." She waved at them, smiling. "Good day, students. Have your seats." "Thank you, Vice Principal Rose." The students sat down in unison. "You guys are looking great. I'm here today to introduce you to your new fellow student." She then looked at the doorway and beckoned sweetly, "Come in, dear. Don't be shy." The students all looked toward the door, expecting the new student. A few seconds later, the person they'd been waiting for walked in. On seeing him, the students widened their eyes in shock. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. A tall girl at the back wearing specs took them off and cleaned them, then put them back on again, but she still saw the same thing! A few even rubbed their eyes to make sure they didn't have eye problems. But they still saw the same thing. The new student, a tall male with freckles on his face, was dressed in a rainbow-striped coat that stopped above his ankle. A black and white striped tie on his neck, and a brown transparent shirt underneath a pink crop top with a rat's logo. There were seven white beads on his waist above a transparent grey skirt, underneath which were magenta and white striped shorts. Underneath the shorts is a yellow knee-high sock on his left leg and a blue fishnet knee-length sock on the right. To top this outfit, he was donning a navy blue hat with a golden star logo at the front and different colours of sneakers. He held a worn-out ladies' bag tightly with his left hand and shyly waved at the students with the other hand, wearing a nervous smile. "H-Hello! I-I'm Lynx Prescott. I'm 20 years old because I didn't start schooling on time. But that doesn't matter. I get to meet you guys, and I'm happy. Please take care of me. I'm a good boy." The students looked at each other, still in disbelief. His voice unexpectedly wasn't even pleasant to listen to. And he was even wearing a cheap perfume that smelled really bad. They looked at the vice principal, who was now smiling awkwardly. "Lynx dear, please go to your seat at the back in the middle row. I hope you guys can take good care of him. Nice to see you, wonderful children, and have a nice day." She quickly walked out, not forgetting to close the door behind her. Outside the classroom, she sighed heavily. "What was he thinking? How could he accept that kid into this elite school? Not only that, this boy dares to dress like this to school. I was right when I said that he's mentally challenged. It's fine if he gets assigned to class 1, but why class 7? Just because the boy requested it? This is nuts," she complained as she adjusted her glasses. This new kid would surely become the problem of this school and a reason for others to mock them. This act of the principal was effing outrageous. But what could she do? Absolutely nothing! She sighed again and composed herself. Then she elegantly walked away. .... In the classroom, the students were still in shock that this sort of human being existed on planet Earth. Pete Theodore's academy is not a place that ordinary people could get into. Okay, against all odds, he somehow managed to get in, but why was he dressed like this and not in class 1? Why did the vice principal choose to bring him here of all places? Many were unhappy with this situation. They were the pride of the school. How could this stain be allowed to get close to them? This was a disgrace! Many of them gritted their teeth, and some clenched their hands into fists underneath their desks. "Hello, brother. I don't know your name. I see that you are showing your teeth. They don't look that white. You don't brush every day? Poor thing!" Lynx reached into the pocket of his oversized coat and brought out a small black bottle. He placed it on the unhappy student's desk and smiled. "Brother, although we just met, I care about you. Please try using this. I guarantee your teeth will sparkle like mine." "I don't want it," the student replied, wearing a frown. Lynx immediately looked anxious. "Brother, why don't you want it?" "I'm not your brother. Go to your seat!" he yelled, and Lynx quickly picked up the bottle and kept it back in his coat's pocket. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I come from a poor family. We use this to brush our teeth, and it's very good. Better than the toothpaste out there. I would have loved it if you tried it. I guarantee you. It works 100%. My family produces it. It's usually 5 dollars, but as my classmate, I'll give it to you for 3 dollars. Or you can just take it for free if you don't want to pay." "You shameless thing. Go and sit down," a female student at the front of the first row barked in ire. Just looking at him hurt her eyes. She loved fashion as much as studying, and this Lynx here was an insult to fashion. Forget that he's poor; a simple T-shirt and ankle-length trousers would make him look better than this. "Sister..." "I'm not familiar with you. Go and sit down at your assigned seat, Lynx." She pointed behind her. "Ah, you recall my name. That's great." he excitedly walked to her and took out the bottle the male student had rejected. "Sister, this is very good for females. It works 200% if a gorgeous lady uses it. I'll give it to you for free. Although it's a loss on my part, if I can gain a friend from it, then why not?" "Friend? Who wants to be friends with you, this shameless thing?" the female student said unhappily. "I'm not a thing, sister." "Stop calling me that. I don't know you," she snapped. "But since I'll be with you guys from now on, won't we become..." "Shut it. If you let me repeat my words..." Lynx interrupted her. "We all have freedom of speech. That's what my mum and the teacher told me. You have no right to make me not talk. It's unjust." "What's unjust here is that you, this eyesore, got into this class," she barks. "I'm not an eyesore. As I said before, I'm poor. My mum wanted me not to bring the face of my classmates down. So she told me to dress fashionably. My brother helped me with fashion tips, and I appreciate what he did for me. I attracted your attention as soon as I got in and made you all amazed at my style. I know you are jealous of the attention I'm getting. But why are you so desperate? You're not even pretty, to begin with, and your skin is bad. I'll just do you another favour." he took out a pink bottle from his coat's pocket and placed it on her desk. "Please use it. I give you this for free too. Sister, envy isn't good, you know." "How dare you talk to me that way, Lynx?" "You say I'm an eyesore. They say birds of the same feather flock together. You passionately talk to me like this. Does that mean you're like me- an eyesore?" Lynx asks with a raised eyebrow. "Lynx!" A male student at the back rose from his seat and walked to him, hands in his pants pockets. "Don't cause any trouble, Morelia. And Lynx, go to your assigned seat and comport yourself. The teacher will arrive soon." The student then pulled Lynx to the back seat that was empty in the middle row. "Sit," the student said, and Lynx did so. "What's your name, brother?" Lynx asked. "I'm Calistro Edmunds." "Oh. You're the son of that guy who owns 15 supermarkets in the country. Wow, wow! This is really great. And you already know my name. I feel honoured. Nice to meet you. Here. Please try these two." he hands the two bottles (black and pink) to Calistro. "Please try them. I assure you that they are top quality. Please, try them. You'll be satisfied. I'm giving them to you for free. Please don't reject me." Lynx said with puppy eyes. Calistro sighed and reluctantly accepted the two bottles. He put them in his pants pocket and headed to his seat after insincerely thanking Lynx. "Be sure to use them. I will know if you didn't when I come tomorrow. Please try them today. They are very good." Lynx said in a loud voice. "Hey, new kid, shut it for once, alright!" another female student who was slightly plump and the shortest in class stood from her seat, wearing a frown. "I have a name, and I clearly made it known when I introduced myself earlier." Lynx retorted. "Lynx, if you don't keep quiet, I will..." Lynx interrupted her. "You'll what?" he folded his arms after placing his bag on the desk. "What are you gonna do? If I guess right, you're not from a well-off family either. We are in the same boat. How dare you run your mouth before me?" "Are you blind, Lynx? Me, the heiress of a conglomerate family, in the same boat as you are? Can you listen to yourself?" Lynx scoffs. "So this is the lie you told them. I saw you during the holidays helping your mum to hawk bread around the streets. You got here because of a scholarship, and now you are insulting me because I'm a threat to you? Well, I've revealed your truth. Everyone now knows." Another student wearing a yellow headband stands and speaks in defence of the plump girl. "You liar. A limousine drops her off every day. You are blind, Lynx." "Birds of the same feather," he mocked, clapping his hands twice. "I'm gonna give you a black eye," the girl says in vexation. "Well, if I accidentally get you pregnant as you do so, don't complain." Lynx arranges his hat and coat. "What geniuses? They are just losers branded with expensive material. Practically useless in real life," he scoffed again. "What did you say?" The plump girl rushes at him and holds him by his tie. Lynx exclaims in surprise. "Wow. BDSM huh? And you said you were a cultured lady. Lies." "What's BDSM?" the girl asked in bewilderment. "Don't pretend cluelessness. I caught you in Robert's house, doing a weird dance and wearing revealing clothing. You were even..." "How dare you slander my friend?" A girl with short black hair and a skinny body rushes to deliver a sound slap to Lynx's right cheek. "You deserved that," she says angrily. "What is a Kwashiorkor and Marasmus patient doing here?" Lynx took off his hat, and all the students gasped at seeing his hairstyle. The hairstylist must be sued. Even in their list of worst hairstyles, this was the worst they'd seen. Some parts were shaved bald; some weren't. Some parts of the hair were standing, and the other part was a low cut. Seeing this hairstyle together with the rest of his outfit made many laugh. "What are you laughing at, huh? Is your hair better than mine?" "Even a church rat has a better hairstyle," a male student said out loud. "How dare you compare me to a church rat?" Lynx walked to the student and raised his hand to slap him, but the student grabbed his hand and pushed him away, causing him to fall to the floor. He rose and intended to rush at the student again when a voice was suddenly heard. "STOP!" Another tall girl with her black hair styled in a single ponytail rose from her seat in the last row and walked to Lynx. "I am the class monitor. Please, all of you, be quiet. We are supposed to be studying, not making jest of each other. That is so ill-mannered." Lynx replied. "I want to be quiet. It's this blobfish with a trumpet for a mouth who doesn't wanna be quiet. I'm a peaceful person. Go to my village; you can ask them about me. And you'll know that I'm not lying." "Who are you calling a blobfish and a trumpet?" the plump girl asks in vexation. "Is that your name?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "You..." The upset student named Jane sat back in her seat and took out headphones from her school bag. It was better to listen to music than to argue with this mentally challenged person. Why was he even let into this school at all? She comprehended that there were individuals who got in simply by their family's arrangements, but at least none of them were like this Lynx. Was the principal blind? Or was he enchanted by a spell? If not, how can he let this eyesore become one of them and especially have the vice principal deliver him to this class? In less than 10 minutes, he's succeeded in destroying the peace of this class and made her, a usually calm person, erupt like this. "Alright. She and the others are back in their seats. Aunty, please, also go back to your seat." Lynx said with a smug face. "Who are you calling an aunty?" the class monitor said in ire, but suddenly turned away after recalling something. "Behave yourself, Lynx. And don't dress like this to school tomorrow." She then walked back to her seat and immersed herself in the novel she was reading before. Lynx scoffed. "People are trying to study? Is reading a novel part of studying? Hypocrite." The classroom door suddenly opened, and a man wearing a green suit walked in, holding a textbook. The students rose from their seats and politely greeted him, except Lynx. "You all sit down, please. And the student wearing a hat, please come out," the teacher said. Lynx stood and walked to the stunned teacher. "What's this? What are you wearing?" he asked in disbelief. He had heard that there was a new kid in this class, and he expected that he would be a cultured, refined young man just as the students of class 7 were. But what was he seeing? A mad person! "Why the frowning face?" Lynx asked. "I'm wearing clothes just like you and everyone in this class. I'm not naked. So, why then are you acting this way, teacher?" "Kid, what's your name?" the tutor asks. "My name? I'm Lynx Prescott." "Okay. Lynx, did you look in the mirror before coming here? Whose idea was it to come to school looking like this?" the teacher asked. "How is that your problem? Are you jealous that I put on more clothes than you? Are you afraid that I'll steal your show with this outfit? Or are you jealous of my looks? You don't even have hair. Ahh, I can see it now. You are jealous of everything I am." Lynx started laughing. The teacher turned to the students. "Is he normal?" "No!" the class replied in unison. "Then what is he doing here?" The teacher looked shocked. "Excuse me. I'm right here. If you are curious about anything, just ask me. Why did you call me here, by the way?" Lynx said with annoyance. The teacher looked back at him. "Lynx, why didn't you stand up with the rest of your classmates?" Jane stood and pointed at Lynx unhappily. "Mr Rey, I can't accept this eyesore as my classmate." "Right!" "I wonder what the principal was thinking when he accepted him." "Why was he even accepted in the first place?" "He's gonna make others mock us. We've lost face as it is." "I can't stomach being classmates with him." "Why isn't he in class 1 instead but brought here? Is the principal missing a nut from his brain?" "Don't say such a thing, Lorenzo." "It's really unjust. He doesn't belong here. Lynx Prescott, just take your dirty stuff and leave." "Quiet, everyone!" the teacher said in a loud tone. "We're sorry, sir," they apologised in a small voice, looking at their desks. Lynx laughs. "What refined students? They're just hypocrites. Look at them," he said with a disgusted face. "Lynx, go outside and stand. Wait till I come out." Mr Rey pointed at the door. He can't teach with this mad person in the class. "I don't even want to be in your class. I know you clearly can't teach well. Bald vulture." Lynx muttered as he started to leave. "Hey, young man. Come back." "Oh, you're regretting sending me out?" "I want you to be in my class, but I'll teach you a lesson. Take off that ugly coat. It's an eyesore." "I'm not an eyesore." "I didn't say you were one." "This coat is worn by me to cover my nudity. And you ask me to take it off because you don't find it nice to look at? This is a violation of human rights here, you know that?" "Lynx, do as the teacher said," Calistro said. "Fine. I'll do it because I see you as a brother and future customer. They also say the customer is always right, hehe." Lynx took off the coat and placed it on the teacher's table. "Now I want you to turn around and ride a bike." "Ride a bike? But sir, I can't ride a bike. I've never had that privilege. Well, it's because I'm a poor boy. We struggle to eat daily bread. Things are not easy for me and my family members at all. My being able to get here is a bigger miracle than a pie falling from the sky." Lynx said emotionally, and Mr Rey facepalmed. Why was this demon in this class- his favourite class? Why? Just why? What wrong has he done to be the first teacher to face this lunatic? Why was his luck so bad? "Mike," the teacher called, and a plump male student with shoulder-length hair walked to the front of the class. "Please show him how to ride a bike." "Gladly, sir." Mike demonstrated it to Lynx, who nodded his head in understanding. Then Mike returned to his seat. "You got it now, right, Lynx?" Mr Rey asked. "Yes, yes. I think it's actually fun to do." Lynx took off the crop top and placed it atop the oversized coat. "Teacher, can I start?" "Right away." Lynx turned around and does the 'ride a bike' pose. "Good. Now you are to remain in that position till the end of the class. Am I clear?" 'No problem. This is a small thing for me, Mr Rey." Hearing this affirmation, Mr Rey internally sighed and faced the class with a smile. "So that just happened. But we won't let it interfere with our precious discussion time. I gave you an assignment on Friday. Who hasn't done it?" A girl put up her hand, and he ordered her to stand up. "Alice, so why haven't you done the assignment?" "Um... Actually, my cat died, and I buried it. I mourned it for three days according to our family custom." "Family custom or your custom?" "Does it really matter, teacher?" "No, it doesn't. So how does this relate to you not doing the assignment?" the teacher asked with arms folded. "Well... How about this? I'll deliver the assignment tomorrow." "Great. But you gotta serve your punishment now. Fortunately, you have two choices." "What are they, Mr Rey?" "Either you clean the pool, or you bring me a basket filled to the brim with water." "That... In reality, there's just one option. I'll go clean the pool." Alice walked out sulkily. She is the second most mischievous person in this class, but her grades are the second best, surprisingly. Still, Mr Rey has no time to play favourites. "Who else didn't do their assignment?" he asked, but no one replied. "Alright, please place your answer sheet on your desks." The students did as he said, and he nodded. "Class monitor, please collate all the answer sheets and bring them to my table. While that is going on, let's visit our topic for today." he takes out a black marker from his pocket and starts to write on the whiteboard. Then he places it on the desk beside him. "So, can anyone tell me what he or she knows about this topic?" he asks.