The Most Interesting Person in Class Today
by Clementine Darcy

I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE NOTICED, MS HILLER, BUT THERE’S A NEW BOY IN OUR CLASS TODAY!

Did you set this writing exercise with me in mind?

The most interesting person in class today is . . . Fred. The boy! His actual name is Frederick Paul. And of course you’ve noticed he’s in our class – I know his full name because that’s how you introduced him. He’s transferred from 9A to 9B because he wants to take history and philosophy, and he can only do that if he’s in 9B. So now he’s here!

And why is he interesting?

Well, he is wearing a cape . . .

Also, he hasn’t stopped writing since you explained the project to him. And I can see – not that I’m snooping, it’s only that he’s sitting right in front of me – that he’s drawing little diagrams up the margins of the pages. They look like engineering diagrams. Like pictures of machines. He’s drawn a person, too – a person wearing a top hat and goggl—

Frederick Paul just turned and smiled at me!

‘Hello, Clementine,’ he whispered.

‘Hi Fred,’ I whispered back, and I felt my face going the same colour as the capsicum on Gemma Gleave’s ‘Vivacious Vegan’ T-shirt.

He turned back to the front, and now I can’t stop staring at him. I wonder if he can feel me watching. Probably not. He just keeps drawing – making more and more machines. And other things, too. Rockets and strange metal fish and parasols and muskets and odd musical instruments.

Ms Hiller . . . who is this boy?