Jim looked up at the thick wooden door. Despite the fact that he had been here hundreds of times, he still felt nervous. "Alright, here goes." The boy took a deep breath and rapped on the golden wood.

"Ah, young mister Hawkins!" A small smile graced the lupine features of his principal. "Please, sit."

Jim sat down in the familiar chair at the desk. How many times had he sat there? A lot, that's for sure. Only those time, Mr. Dorian hadn't been smiling...

"Why do you do this, Jim?" The man took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I know you've got some brains in that head of yours! Why won't you use them?"

Jim shuffled in his chair uncomfortably as he remembered the conversations. At the time, it went in at one ear, and out at the other, but now...now was different.

"You wanted to see me...Sir?"

"So I did. First of all, welcome back, Jim. "

Jim was slightly taken aback by this warm welcome from the man. "Thank you, Sir."

"You've been away for three months, I reckon." The claw-like hands ruffled through some papers on the desk. "Which brings us to why I called you here." Green eyes pierced from behind the square glasses. "You are considerably behind on your classmates at this point, Jim."

Jim swallowed. He had expected something like this. "I understand, Sir."

"Indeed. And with your...history of your grades it leaves me with only a few options. The first one is, of course, to expel you - "

A jolt went through Jim's stomach. What? Expel him?

"- But word has reached my ear that you are striving for a place at the Interstellar Academy...an Academy that requires, as far as I know, a high school diploma." Mr. Dorian gave him a crooked smile. "I take it you are serious about this?"

Jim nodded, relieve flooding through him. "Yes Sir, I really am."

Mr. Dorian stood up and walked over to the window. "In that case, this leads me to option number two." He continued, back turned towards his desk. "As I said, you are very behind on your class, and there's only four more months until summer. I suggest you repeat this year. You're nearly sixteen now, are you not? This option would mean you could start at the Academy when you are eighteen." He looked over his shoulder to Jim. "Quite a shame, to lose a year like that, but in the circumstances...I think it is no more than generous."

A year later. And the repeated year in his record. Jim didn't like the sound of that, but his principal was right. Generous.

"Do you not agree, Jim, that I have been generous with you before in the past?"

"Yes Sir, you have."

The lupine man glanced back again, his eyes narrowed. "Have you ever wondered why?"

Did Jim ever. Hundreds, thousands of times he had wondered why the man hadn't kicked him out. He had thought of theories, but only one seemed the most plausible to Jim at that time.

"I have thought about it, Sir."

"And..?"

"I always thought it was because you felt sorry for me, Sir."

Mr. Dorian nodded and looked out of the window again, a strange, almost disappointed expression on his face. "I see."

"But I believe I was wrong, Sir. "

A grey ear cocked slightly towards Jim, and Mr. Dorian's head tilted a little. "Do you, now?"

"Yes..." Jim took a deep breath. "I think I was wrong. You are a teacher and I know you appreciate and recognise intelligence when you encounter it, and I, well..." Jim locked eyes with his principal. "I may not have acted very smart...but, forgive me my immodesty... I am quite intelligent."

The tall man walked back to the desk. "Mr. Hawkins, that suggestion is not only immodest but also... completely correct." He sat down heavily opposite Jim. "Which brings me to my third option."

Intrigued, Jim leaned forward a little.

"There is a special program that would allow you to finish this year and move on to the next after summer." The deep voice spoke slowly. "It is designed especially for people that have to catch up after a long period of illness or any other kind of absence. However, it is hard. Very hard. You will have what is known as a square time-table. I take it you are familiar with the term?"

Jim nodded. A square time-table...it was usually a form of discipline. It required the student to be in school from eight until five.

"Which means that in your normally free hours, you will follow classes to catch up on the work...Jim?"

Looking up, Jim forced himself to look into the green eyes.

"I have talked with the teachers involved, and a surprising majority is willing to give you the chance. I know you have the intelligence to do it. The only thing I want to know is this: Do you have the stamina?"

Leaving this hated, friendless school... Starting at the Academy in barely two year's time...but also, giving up a lot of freedom. Hard work. Jim mused. Was it worth it? But then he remembered a voice once speaking to him.

"Take the helm and chart you own course. Stick to it! No matter the squalls!"

And he knew it was worth it.

"Yes." Jim smiled. "I have. I will do it."

The serious expression on Mr. Dorian's face faded, and it broke into a grin. "Very well then, Mr. Hawkins! I will see to it." He laughed softly. "Amazing. Barely three months ago you were sitting there, like a sullen, angry boy with zero self esteem. And now you sit here again, all confidence. What happened to you?"

Jim's grin widened. "Ah, just this man I met. He took me under his wing...became a mentor."

"...And he believed in you when no one else did, did he?" Mr. Dorian smiled wryly.

"No." Jim shook his head. " He made me believe in myself."

Mr. Dorian let out a deep chuckle. "Ah...few of us are that good."

A few minutes later Jim walked out of the school building. It was not going to be easy.

But he could see his future.

And it was worth it.