David strode the halls of Atlantic Bay High School on Monday morning feeling refreshed and renewed, almost reborn. Confidence poured out of him as he walked to his first-period biology class. On his way there he encountered Chastity Bertrum, who was heading to the same class.

“I don’t like being snubbed,” Chastity said, putting her hand on the back of David’s shoulder as they entered the room.

“Me neither,” David said. Chastity Bertrum had once been the girl of his dreams. Her sister Cera was just as hot, but something about Chastity had always caught his eye. He had taken her to a dance once, but that was in eighth grade, and this was now. She was off the market, attached to Brice Cooper since sophomore year. Brice had made it perfectly clear to David, on more than one occasion, that anyone who so much as smiled at his girlfriend would receive the pounding of his life. But Brice didn’t seem so intimidating any more.

“So don’t do it again,” Chastity said. “Okay?”

“Sorry, I had somewhere to be.”

“Somewhere more important than me?”

David shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m starting to think that maybe you don’t think I’m that pretty.” Chastity batted her puppy dog eyes, her signature move.

“What gave you the idea that I ever thought you were pretty?” David asked, grinning.

Chastity pouted. “As if.”

“Whatev.”

“Hey, are you going to the game this Friday?” Chastity asked. Chastity, the school’s head cheerleader, was interested in all things football. “Rumor has it you might join the team.”

“Not interested in the team, but I may show up to the game,” David said. “That is, if you promise to cheer just for me.”

“You’ve got to earn a cheer from me,” Chastity said as they walked to the back of the room. “You up to earning it?” she whispered over his shoulder into his ear. The way she said it almost made him blush.

“Okay, class, today is the day to pick your lab partner,” Mr. Bonzo said. “Pair up and let’s get this show on the road.”

“You and me,” Chastity said, grabbing David’s arm as she took the seat next to him.

“What about your gorilla of a boyfriend?”

“He’s late, as usual. You snooze, you lose.”

Just then, Brice entered the room. “Sorry I’m late, Mr. Bonzo,” he said, reeking of cigarette smoke.

The teacher waved the stench away. “You been driving another nail in your coffin?”

“Huh?”

“I smell the smoke, son. I wasn’t born yesterday. Detention. Maybe I should ask Coach Butler what he thinks of your little habit.”

Brice turned red as the class laughed. He trudged to the back of the room and noticed Chastity and David sitting together. His eyes smoldered. “Out of my seat, Noble.”

“Sorry, Brice,” Chastity said. “David and I have been assigned as lab partners.”

“Well, I’m un-assigning him,” Brice said, glaring at David.

“You snooze, you lose,” David said. Chastity giggled.

“Sit down, Mr. Cooper,” Mr. Bonzo said.

“You’ll pay, Noble,” Brice said. “Count on it.” Brice headed toward the last remaining lab table at the opposite corner of the room.

Tara Downey walked in a moment later, looking just the slightest bit flustered. David grinned. Tara’s personality was a mixture of confidence born of her extreme intelligence and doubts about herself born of her geeky looks and glasses. Except her looks weren’t geeky anymore, David suddenly realized, and she had traded in her horn rims for contact lenses. Tara had transformed from a skinny geek to an elegant beauty, and she was far prettier than any other girl in school. David wondered why he hadn’t noticed this startling transformation earlier. Tara should be fighting off suitors, but David supposed that most of the boys were put off by her braininess.

“I apologize, Mr. Bonzo,” Tara said breathlessly. “The yearbook staff meeting ran over.”

“No problem, Tara,” Mr. Bonzo replied.

“Hey,” Brice shouted. “How come I get detention and she doesn’t?”

“Because she’s stuck with you as her lab partner,” Mr. Bonzo said. “That’s punishment enough.”

The class laughed.

Tara made her way to Brice’s table. On her way, she gave a quick glance in David’s direction, catching his eye and confirming his opinion that she was, indeed, the prettiest girl at Atlantic Bay High.

Lunch couldn’t come quickly enough. David barely managed to keep his new genius-level intelligence in check, especially in Don Butler’s class. Being a genius was going to be tougher than he thought. To help keep a lid on his secret, he begged Don Butler for a truce by owning up to the accusation that he had cheated. Mr. Butler dropped the detention in exchange for his confession. He also dropped the big fat A that David had earned.

David was hungry. He waited for the lunch lady to slap a cheeseburger on his plate and then quickly left the lunch line with a tray full of food. As he headed for a table, Brice caught him by the ankle and tripped him.

“Two for two,” Brice announced as David fell toward the floor face first.

Time seemed to slow, and the lunchroom noise became a dull buzz in the back of David’s mind. David watched himself extend his right hand toward the slowly oncoming floor as his left hand balanced the lunch tray. He bent at the knees, his left foot in front of his right, his right hand finding the floor, his left hand still holding the tray. He brought his feet together and stood up from the squatting position. Not a crumb or a drop had spilled. He heard a ripple of applause as he continued on his way, brushing past Brice as if nothing had happened. He left the lunchroom and sneaked down to the boiler room, a place where he used to hide and eat. He plopped down at an old square card table with gold-painted legs and a black plastic top. He’d played euchre many a lunch at the same table with the janitors. Today, the place was empty.

The old boiler was loud, but David could still hear Brice tiptoeing down the stairs. Not much could get past his newly acute senses.

“What do you want,” David said without turning.

“I’m here to give you the whupping I’ve been promising you since freshman year. I know you’re sweet on Chastity. That’s why you chose her for your lab partner. Now you’re gonna face the wrath of Brice.”

“Actually, she chose me,” David said as he stood to face the bully. “I think she has the hots for me.”

Brice unleashed a right hook. Time slowed again and David watched the fist coming as if Brice were swinging through a vat of molasses. David sidestepped the blow and took a bite of his apple. Then he slammed the apple against Brice’s temple, sending juice splattering. Before Brice could respond, David lifted him up by his armpits and slammed him against a wall. David saw the fear and confusion in Brice’s eyes.

“Don’t,” Brice whimpered.

“How does it feel, Brice, to have the shoe on the other foot?”

Brice didn’t respond.

“I’ll say this once. If you mess with me again, I will wipe the floor with you.”

David let go of him and stepped back. As he did, Brice cocked his fist to deliver another blow.

David thumped Brice’s chest with the heel of his palm before the goon could swing. Brice hit the floor, and David pinned him with his foot. “Final warning,” David said. “Next time you’ll be spitting teeth.”

David picked up his lunch tray and dumped the remaining contents on Brice before heading back to the lunchroom.