Author's Note: This is meant to be read as a "lost" episode of Arthur, with slightly more mature themes.
"Mr. Ratburn, you're wrong," The Brain stated simply, with raised eyebrows and a look of triumph.
"Yes, yes, Alan," his teacher said heavily with a tone of annoyance. "The limit wouldn't actually reach that point but as I went over with you many times before, this is third grade and we're only learning the basics of graphing."
Brain put his hand down smugly and looked around the room. His classmates were not impressed.
Everyone knew that the Brain was the class genius. But usually he was the kind of guy who would help you out with a project if you had fallen behind because of a Bionic Bunny marathon that had gone on the week prior. Or the kind of guy who would play a quick game of H-O-R-S-E with you before the first bell rang. But this day had been the fifth day in a row that Brain had corrected Mr. Ratburn during a lesson. It seemed to the other kids that Brain was flaunting his smarts to be a know-it-all and he did not like that one bit.
While the kids went off to lunch, Nigel Ratburn sat at his desk feeling peeved. Alan usually was the quiet one in the back, giving a very accurate and detailed answer when called on, but not showing off like he had taken up doing in the past week. Alan obviously belonged in an upper level class but the school wouldn't hear of it. They claimed he wasn't "emotionally ready". Nigel had a feeling they secretly coveted him in events such as third-grade math and spelling tournaments against rival school Might Mountain. But then again, Nigel could never see the Brain doing very well if he got taken away from Arthur, Buster, and the rest of his third grade friends. If the boy had something troubling him that was sparking such a change in character, it would be up to his teacher to get to the bottom of it.