After a while, Missy had no choice but to place Albert in public school in the next district over. The classes were over crowed and it was in the lowest income neighborhood. Hardened kids glowered at him menacingly as they passed through metal detectetors were armed security guards patted them down. In between classes larger students shoved him and picked on him he was the youngest kid in the entire school by five years, and scrawny, pale and something of a loner, it made him feel like a piece of meat in a piranha tank. He begged his mother for karate lessons, but they couldn't afford them.
The teacher drowned on and on about he state exam based on a set state circcumlum given by the government. This meant the teachers had to adhere to this test and teach to it, forcing otherwise bright children to mindlessly parrot back information they never understood nor cared about. They read abridged history books that showed pictures of humans and dinosaurs, and that ended just before Vietnam. Being in a poor district meant there wasn't enough state allocated funds for things like proper computers or books, but that they were still forced to take the same tests that other children were better prepared for. It was all pointless information in Alberts opinion, none of this was important or in any way interesting to him.
Albert began to grow quiet day after day, and even more introverted than he already was. IN his head he invented flying machines that he could use to break out of school, and he scribbled complicated formulas to give to the other students so that that would be nice to him. His thoughts started slowly turning dark, and every day he grew more and more angry with everyone around him. A cold dark festering hatred began to simmer within him, when the tougher students gave him the evil eye, he gave it right back.
That day, Albert sat miserably at his desk, tapping his pencil and longingly looking out the window. He knew the teacher at the font of the class was jabbering on about something he didn't care about.
"Mr Cooper Are you paying attention?" His new teacher snapped.
Albert jumped back from a wonderful daydream about flying a rocketship in space abruptly.
"What year did Columbus discover America?" His teacher hissed at him
"He didn't discover America, Norse Explorer Leif Ericson crossed the Atlantic first and hit the shores of Newfoundland around AD 1000. Other historians theorize that Welsh and Irish sailors, or even the ancient Hebrews, preceded Ericson in North America by hundreds of years." He said matter-of-factly
His teacher swelled in anger. "How many times have I told you to stick to the text book Albert!?"
"Including this time? 37. But I disagree with you. Honestly – how can you possibly hope to actually teach us if youre information is incorrect?" He had an air of haughty elitism and arrogance, a side effect of knowing he was absolutely right.
"Answer the question correctly!"
"The text book is wrong. Its completely out of date!" Albert said angrily as well
"Albert Im warning you…."
"NO! This is ridiculus! Look around at this lifeless vacant expressions!" He flung his arm out. "No one is listening to a word youre saying because what yorue saying is idioctic and archatic! We have more information on our phones that you have in this entire school library if you can even call it that!" He barked.
"Young man! Ive had enough of your sass! Go to the Princibles office!"
Albert was on his feet. "NO! You cant tell me what to do! This is insane!"
His teacher pushed the response button. "Security!"
"Were not going to take this!" Albert tried to egg the rest of the class on but they simply looked at his like he was insane. He realized he was the only person stading up, no one else seemed to care, or want to do anything about it.
A surly security guard grabbed him roughly and yanked him to the princablaps office. "C'mon you."
"Let me go let me go!"
"I said move it" The security guard grabbed him agressivly by the collar and dragged him of the room, thrashing about to get away.
