Disclaimer: I don't own the W.I.T.C.H. series. Nor do I own the copyrighted materials mentioned by Silverio.
Private Conversations
Chapter 5.1 – School Daze
Silver walked away from the lunch line, tray in hand, looking for Irma and Hay Lin. Spotting them sitting at a table together it was only a matter of time before the other girls joined them. He then made his way toward a table next to the wall. Placing his tray down he moved one chair again the wall and took a seat positioned to see the two girls waiting for their friends. Silver put out a laptop and mp3 player from his backpack setting them on his lap and table respectively. Starting his player he started a compilation program and opened several projects each with a number of windows displaying components and routines.
He reviewed the progress on each project and reorganized his thoughts on the programs he was creating. Once he was prepared he began typing away at the keyboard working on one of the programs. His speed increased as he found a rhythm to his typing stopping only to switch to a different window and work on a different part of a program or another program altogether. He was almost entranced by his work with his mind absorbed by thoughts of completed versions of each program. Versions that kept changing as Silver's mind conceived more efficient alternatives to how to write them resulting in him returning to previous windows to write in, delete, replace or alter lines of code.
Despite his eagerness to complete his work he managed to draw his mind away from it long enough to take moment or two to check on the girls every so often. He witnessed Taranee join them at the table, later followed by Cornelia. Finally Will showed up and began looking for a place to sit. As she searched her eyes turned to Silver who froze for a brief moment before Silver looked down to his computer screen.
Silver was confused for a moment, trying to remember where he had left off. Looking at the screen he saw one window with new lines of code appearing as the computer was still trying to keep up with Silver's fingers as it emptied its memory buffer. Reading through the code until the new lines finally stopped he found several errors that had to be corrected before continuing. Once fixed he was back on track and progressing just like before.
Looking up from his screen to check the girls, Will had already joined them and they began talking. Silver's hands slowed as his focus shifted to following the girls' lips. Taranee drew the girls' attention toward himself and Cornelia suggested having the cops deal with him. It was an amusing idea as it only put them at risk and it would only force Silver from public view and revert back to observing the girls in complete anonymity. It seemed that Irma was currently talking but with her back toward him he couldn't even guess what she was saying. Hay Lin then suggested inviting Silver into their discussion, which was an unexpected idea.
"Hey Silver." Silver turned and noticed a girl talking to him and paused his player. She seemed familiar, possibly from one of the classes he had already attended.
"Just thought I'd introduce myself, I'm Lucy we had history and gym class together." Lucy had a bright smile on her face but Silver found it to be insincere. The girls had impressively styled hair, a perfect tan, a remarkable figure, and flawless skinned. All these signs pointed to the likelihood that most guys would find her very attractive. Attractiveness was such a subjective concept, he could recognize that she meet the usual requirements but, personally didn't find the girl attractive himself. Something about her seemed off, such as her smile that seemed more like a malicious smirk and her eyes with a scheming quality that put him off.
"You know, I was really impressed with how you handled yourself in class." The statement seemed honest enough, but her voice was unnaturally kind. She was pushing herself as fan to gain he favor. "I've never seen someone deal with teachers the way you do. Everyone's already talking about you, your attitude and your singing. You're already popular, not as popular as me but really popular for your first day."
'What the hell is she talking about?' Silver thought about what she was saying. 'Popular, for what? I haven't done anything to warrant any popularity. Unless mouthing off to your teacher is considered cool now a days. Did she say singing?'
"You're lucky, I can make you even more popular. You want to come over to my table and hang with my friends?"
"No, go away." Silver answered straight out returning to his screen checking his progress.
"Excuse me? I just invited you to hang out with some of the coolest people in school."
"Don't care, go away." Silver reached for his player to start it up again.
"I don't think you understand, I'm offering a chance to join the in-crowd. This can make or break your rep. at this school. Do you realize what you're passing up? I'm talking about the best parties, admiration from everyone, and your pick of cute girls. I know that I'm…"
'Why the hell is she still here?' Silver started to tune out his visitor. 'I don't care about your clique! I'm busy here go away.'
"…so are you interested?" Lucy finished
"Not even a little bit, now piss off." Silver answered not really caring what the question was. 'Please, let this be done and go away.'
"I was trying to be nice." Lucy dropped all pretense of hospitality. "You might popular today but that can change…"
'Ah crap she not leaving. I can't believe I'd forgotten that the worst part about high school isn't the boredom of being smarter than the teachers. It's it all the inane company you're forced to keep.
"Trust me you do not want to get on my bad side…"
'How do I get her to leave? How do I get her to leave?' Silver mind raced trying to think of a way to end the conversation. 'Can't use violence that'll only draw attention and I guess she doesn't deserve that. Knockout gas? Damn I don't think I have any and still too conspicuous. Neuralizer, no too extreme and other people might catch the flash. Hypnosis, no I don't have a pocket watch and it not exactly subtle. Genjutsu, not my strong suit but with a Sharingan, no wait even if it works she might remember my eyes. Wait maybe a Jedi mind trick. It's been awhile but I'm desperate enough.'
"So, you want to reconsider my offer?" Lucy offer steeled her gaze on Silver.
"You want to leave me alone." Silver replied with a subtle wave of his hand toward Lucy.
"Excuse me! Was that threat? Do you think you can order me around?"
"You will go away and leave me alone" Silver insisted with a more focused tone.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing this."
'Oh you've got to be kidding me. This idiot's got a stronger mind than a fuckin' stormtrooper.' Silver was stunned that she resisted the suggestions.
"You're really going to pass this up?"
"Yes, now will you go away?"
"You know what? FUCK YOU!" Lucy shouted, "You had your chance and you blew it."
"Thank God I thought she might never leave." Silver whispered to himself as Lucy walked away. He started up his player again and looked back at the girls who were laughing and getting along.
Silver turned his attention to his lunch, salisbury steak, a cup of corn, a carton of chocolate milk, a container of orange juice and a couple wedges of orange. He was far from thrilled about the steak and had hoped the cafeteria offered an alternate entre but that wasn't the case. When asked, Silver could swear the lunch lady purposely put extra gravy just to spite him.
"Yeah there's no way I'm eating that." Silver picked up an orange wedge and popped it into his mouth and bit it like a mouth guard with rind showing instead of his teeth. He looked over at Will briefly and averted his eye back to the screen. He continued with his programing using only his left hand while his right worked on opening his milk. While switching out his orange wedge for a sip of milk he realized that another student was engaging him in conversation.
With a sigh he stopped his player again and took in the sight of his visitor. The boy was fairly tall, and wore a letter man jacket suggesting he was jock. The anger on his face made it clear that this guy had a bone to pick with him but could not recall ever crossing the guy.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" the guy shouted.
"And who, may I ask, are you?" Silver asked unaffected by the guy's anger.
"I'm Billy, you Silver?"
"That'd be me, what of it?"
"You're the guy that got Uriah kick out of school and arrested."
'Uriah? What concern is Uriah to this guy?' Silver took another look trying to find signs of drug use but nothing obvious was visible. 'Doesn't look like a user, eyes are fine, no shaking, stressed but clearly restraining himself. He's not a customer of Uriah.'
"One could argue that Uriah got himself kick out dealing on school grounds."
"He's not a dealer!" Billy yelled in anger and grabbed Silver by the collar and pulled him out of his seat pushed him against the wall, his laptop falling to the floor and his player dangling by his ankles. "I know you're lying. He'd never deal drugs, he's too good for that."
"Seriously, you know better than what I witnessed with my own eyes? Exactly how can you be so sure?"
"Because I know him you little bastard." Billy's voice became softer and more serious, "I've known him since we were kids he was my best friend."
'"Was?" past tense?' a thought crossed Silver's mind and took another look at Billy, the jacket, the build, and something in his eyes. It was more than just anger, it was something more personal.
"So you guys were close?"
"He was my best friend, I know he'd never get caught up in drugs."
"Uh huh," Silver clearly disregarding his assertions "when's the last time you guys actually hung out?"
"Listen you sonavobitch," Billy slammed Silver against the wall again, "you don't know anything about Uriah. I know you set him up, you and that new girl."
'Avoiding the question, it's been awhile.'
"Well you're right about one thing I really don't know Uriah very well. All I know is he drinks, he carries drugs, and he attempts rape..."
"Stop lying!" again he slammed in again the wall asserting his strength. "You're lying I know he wouldn't do that, any of that."
"Sure, off topic though how long you been in…" Silver touched Billy's jacket "… football?"
"Is this a joke to you?" Again with the wall.
"No I'm just naturally curious," Still Silver wasn't the slightest bit intimated, "and could you ease up on pushing me again the wall? The first time took me by surprise but it's getting a little tired now."
"You think I'm playing? Do I have to bust your head to make you take me serious?"
"Hey I didn't start this conversation, you did. I'm just trying to take something away from this. So tough guy, you train hard or are you a natural athlete."
"Does this answer your question." Billy immediately punched Silver in the stomach without much of a reaction.
"Like that? Bet you regret messing with me now huh?" Billy satisfied with showing his strength and punched him several more time. "Been training since junior high, constantly, star player!"
'No shortage of confidence.' Silver started getting annoyed with taking hits to the stomach. 'Wait "constantly", little room for friends outside of the team.'
"Did Uriah and his friend join for your training sessions?"
Billy hesitated with his next punch stunned by the question.
"And there it is so you two haven't hung out since you join the football team."
"So what, what's that got to do with anything?" Billy become more agitated and unnerved, "Uriah still wouldn't do that shit you've been lying about. I know he wouldn't so, so you're gonna tell the truth. You're going to confess that you set him up that you're lying about what happened yesterday."
Silver just stared silently looking at the guilt in his eyes, he then leaned in close to him despite Billy trying to push him back against the wall.
"It wasn't your fault." Silver whispered into his ear, "Friends drift apart sometimes. You're not responsible for the choices Uriah made even if you two stayed close."
"Shut up." Billy finally managed to push Silver back again the wall.
"You can't blame yourself Uriah made his own choice to be a dealer. You couldn't have stopped him, he would have only dragged you down with him."
"Shut up!"
"Kurt and Clubber were lucky, they made the right choice selling him out…"
"I said SHUT UP!" Billy drew back his fist.
'Okay that was too far. Crap this is actually gonna hurt.' Billy punched Silver across the face throwing him off balance knocking Silver's head against the wall. Silver got up and check the cut on his forehead where he'd hit his head and noticed the blood stain on the wall.
"Heh, that what actually pretty good." Silver looked at Billy who was staring as Silver's wound. Billy seemed to regret that last punch, and the thought that Silver knew his guilt like didn't help his mood.
"What is going on here?" The two turned to find Mrs. Knickerbocker walking up. "Mr. Mizuno I hope you haven't gotten yourself into another fight already."
"No ma'am just had a little accident." Silver answered touching his wound. "I was just trying to lean against the wall and I just fell over and banged my head."
Billy was surprised that Silver was trying to cover for him. It was such a flimsy story but why bother helping him.
"I was told that a couple of student were about to fight."
"No fight here Billy and I were just having a little talk. It turned into an interest conversation about one taking personal responsibly for one's choices. Billy here suggested that people who may have not provided positive influence might bear some responsibility for some another choices. I say that positive or negative influence may affect one's choices but we still need to accept that our choice will always be our own choice. Outside influence only comes into play if one is willing to accept it as help or hindrance."
Billy really didn't follow what Silver was explaining but realized that right now he was trying to help him.
Mrs. Knickerbocker looked at the two boys clear not believing Silver's story but Billy was untouched and Silver was trying to down play the wound on his head. The blood stain on the wall was too big to just be from a simple fall. He hit the wall much harder than that.
"So I'm too believed that I been misinformed about the situation here?" She questioned.
"Yep."
"Uh, yeah no fight her ma'am. We were just talking." Billy couldn't believe that she was actually falling for it.
"Well if there are no other problems you Mr. Mizuno should head on to the nurse's office."
"No need Mrs. Knickerbocker this isn't a big deal." Indicating his injury.
"I'm going to have to insist that wound must be looked at."
"Yeah sure," Silver reached into his backpack and pulled out a first aid kit. "I'll get right on that, no need to get a nurse involved."
"Mr. Mizuno…"
"Mrs. Knickerbocker, I've had plenty of experience of dealing with my own injuries. Trust me this isn't the worst wound of my own that I've had to deal with on my own. This isn't even the worst wound I've had today." Silver smiled as he sat down and began cleaning the wound and apply a bandage while the principal watched. He then gathered up his laptop and player, setting on the table.
"So is there anything else?"
"I suppose not, if you're sure that you feel alright."
"Yeah I'm good, sorry for the misunderstanding ma'am, see you later Billy."
"Uh, yeah later Silver." Billy and Mrs. Knickerbocker then left.
'Well that was mildly interesting. More trouble than it was worth, but interesting.' Silver downed his chocolate milk pop in the another orange wedge and got back to work on his computer.
The screen read "Purge Hard Drive? Yes/No". Clicking "No" the screen displayed "Key ID: A48" in red text.
'Huh red A48, red A48, for this laptop.' Considered the ID for a moment then typed in a sixteen character password restoring the screen to where he had left off before he was interrupted.
"Um, Silver?"
Silver looked up to see Will standing in front of him. She was staring at the bandage on his head.
"Are you alright?"
"What this?" Silver said, after removing the orange and pointed to his wound, "It's nothing you know I've had worse."
"So what are you working on?" Will asked not sure why she was bothering with small talk when she just knew what she came to ask him.
"Just stuff." Silver continued typing switching to just his left hand as he reach for his cup of corn and consumed its contents.
"Ugh, that was a bad choice." Silver groaned, "Bleagh, how did they screw up canned corn? Egh, or maybe it just the um… the uh… juice? I guess it's called, that gives it such a bad taste."
"Really, you have a head injury and you're complaining about the corn?" Will said trying not to smile at the faces he was making over the corn. "So do you want to join us over at our table?"
"…" He just stared at her for a moment, "I see if you can't stop me from watching you, you'll just keep a closer eye on me. That's probably the best strategy for you girls. But what's the best choice for me, keep my distance or just close the gap. Eh, guess it might make it easier."
"Just come on you don't have to make a sound like a life changing decision." Will started back to the girls table.
"Eh, you never know." Silver saved and closed his programs put his laptop back into his pack and gathered his things. Getting up Silver noticed several students walking up to him.
'Orale, not again.'
"Excuse Silver?" one of them started "We were think that…"
"You should go back to your table to complete and review your homework." Silver suggested making a subtle wave of his hand under his lunch tray.
"… we should go back to our table." One student said in a trancelike voice.
"And review our homework." Said the next.
"I need to start mine." The last one followed
'There we go.' Silver watched the student walk off without bothering him anymore. 'Now to see if this was a smart decision.'
Silver then went to join the girls at their table.
Once again Silver entered the class and once again found that the only available desk was right next to Will who was already avoiding eye contact with him as he made his way to his seat. Silver deciding not to annoy her just yet and began memorizing his math textbook. He was nearly done when Missus Rudolph finished calling row and drew everyone's attention to Silver.
"Mr. Mizuno, Mr. Mizuno," Rudolph call gain Silver's attention, "we are glad to have you joining are class. Would you like to introduce yourself to your fellow classmates?"
"Nope." Silver answered and returned to the textbook.
"Well do you have any questions before we begin class?"
"No I don't think s-" Silver pause looking around the room and noticing a chalkboard filled with a long mathematical problem.
"Do you have a question Mr. Mizuno?" Rudolph asked as she watched him getting out of his seat. "Is there a problem? Mr. Mizuno would you kindly return to your seat."
Silver ignored her and walked over to the chalkboard his right hand hanging by his side with his fingertips quickly tapping the tip of his thumb in in rapid succession. Picking up a piece of chalk wrote 4.654354_ and then outlined it with a rectangle.
"There we go." Silver said put the chalk down, "That would have been bugging me all day."
"Well Mr. Mizuno I'm glad you've taken an interest in the class's bonus problem, but attempting to answer the problem requires…"
"Attempt? It's answered so don't worry about it." Silver made his way back to his seat.
"Not quite Mr. Mizuno, again I appreciate your interest in this difficult problem but that's not the correct answer." Missus Rudolph explain, "Not that it should discourage you from trying again but allow me to explain. If you can successfully answer the problem you need to turn in a paper showing your work along with the correct answer. If you succeed you will receive automatic A's for all quizzes and homework assignments the entire school year."
"Then I guess I got some free A's because that is the correct answer."
"No Mr. Mizuno your answer is incorrect if you had turned in your work for the problem I'd be willing to point out some your mistakes, after class, hopefully pointing you in the right direction for your next attempt."
"Excuse me Missus Rudolph but that is the correct answer for that problem on the board. If you got a different answer then you're the one who got it wrong." Sounds of giggles and gasps spread throughout the class at Silver's statement. "So what do you think the answer is?"
"If I told you that then no one else would be able to attempt answer the problem and earn the reward."
"I ready earned it besides," Silver turn to his fellow classmates, "How many of you have or ever intend to try answering this problem."
Various students admitted to not having any interest in the problem while looking around to see if anyone actually did want to answer it.
"See your attempt to encourage math interest was more or less in vain so seriously what did you come up with?"
"Well I can't say I'm not disappointed, but if no one really has any intent on solving the problem…" Missus Rudolph paused hoping someone would change their mind, "then I suppose the bonus problem is cancelled for this year. The answer was simply 9.
"No it not." Silver responded looking back at the problem.
"Mr. Mizuno I am positive that is the answer I learn of this difficult math problem from a highly reputable physics professor from the university."
"Yeah it's a complicated problem but…" Silver continued looking at the problem with his fingers, again, quickly tapping his thumb as though he was counting, "wait, I think you wrote the problem down wrong Missus Rudolph."
"Excuse me?"
"On the second line you have 3(4x-7w)n over, well it doesn't matter what it's over that minus is supposed to be a plus sign."
"A plus sign, you believe I left out a plus sign?" Missus Rudolph took a closer look at the supposed error on the second line.
"That would be the simplest fix that would make the answer 9. There are other possible mistakes that could also make the answer 9 but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming you only made one mistake when writing it. So since I doubt you wrote this problem from memory do you have the original written down somewhere to compare to this."
Missus Rudolph considered Silver's explanation and went to her desk, unlocking a drawer and searched through it until she found a folder and within found a copy of the of the math problem she'd written on the board. Looking at the portion that Silver had pointed out finding that indeed had a plus sign instead of a minus sign.
"Well, class it seems that I was mistaken. I did in fact write it down incorrectly, very impressive Mr. Mizuno for noticing."
"I know math, just don't forget my free A's." Silver said returning to his textbook and continued to memorize the last of it.
"Yes well I suppose you've earned them, even if you failed to show your work."
"Eh, it just takes so long to write it down." Silver responded closing his text and laying his head down for a nap, "Wake me when class is over."
"Excuse me Mr. Mizuno but as talented as you in math I still expect you listen to today's lesson." Missus Rudolph stated only to receive a light snore in response.
"I think he's already asleep Missus Rudolph." Will announced checking on him.
"Will someone please wake him up?"
"I don't think that's a good idea." Will spoke up, "The last time someone try to wake him he nearly broke their arm, while still asleep. It might be safer to just leave him alone for now."
"That's nonsense he's not going to hurt anyone just for waking him."
"Don't believe it." A boy in the back gripping his shoulder called out, "My arms still sore and my mom said she made a doctor's appointment for after school."
With that the class continued without Silver's participation.
A/N:
Here's more in depth info Silver, his capabilities and how he deals with the people around him.
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