The Real Big Brainy
by Gary D. Snyder
Part 4:
As Cindy and Libby headed to the cafeteria with Jacques in tow, Jacques asked, "Miss Fowl, she has a problem?"
"No, no problem," answered Cindy quickly. "She just needs a little alone time right now."
"Yeah," added Libby. "I think the bank called to say that her last reality check bounced."
"Ah," said Jacques, who totally missed the meaning of Libby's comment. "I have heard that the teachers do not make so much money. It is very sad."
With lunchtime over an hour away most of the students simply sat at the tables to talk and wait for lunch to be served. Jimmy found a table as far away as possible from most of the other kids and sat alone, brooding over the events of the morning. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that Carl and Sheen had joined him until Sheen had calling him. After the third time he finally looked up.
"Oh. Hi, Sheen. Hey, Carl. What's up? I thought you'd be sitting with Jacques."
"Well, you know, he's not really all that interesting," said Carl. "He doesn't seem to know much about llamas."
"Yeah, or about Ultra Lord," Sheen said. "Besides, it's pretty crowded over there." As soon as he said this, Carl punched him. "Ouch! What?" Sheen demanded.
"It's okay, Carl," said Jimmy. "It's not Sheen's fault that Jacques is so popular, even if there's no reason for him to be." Especially after only half a school day, he thought angrily. It had taken nearly two months before anyone had spoken to Jimmy when he had started at Lindbergh Elementary.
"Well, there are those cool moldavites he gave out," Sheen pointed out.
The mention of the moldavites irritated Jimmy. "They're glass, Sheen," he said bitterly. "It's not like they're asterubies, or even novamethysts. They're just glass."
"They aren't just glass, Jimmy," explained Sheen condescendingly. "They're children of the Universe, born when a piece of Heaven itself -"
Jimmy's bellow of utter disgust interrupted Sheen's discourse. "I can't believe this!" he cried out in frustration. "I spend three weeks trying to explain the Pythagorean Theorem to you, and you can memorize verbatim something that Jacques says only once?"
"Well, Jacques is pretty smart, Jimmy," said Carl. "But you're still pretty smart, too," he added hastily in response to Jimmy's glare.
"Yeah, Jimmy," said Sheen. "Being the second smartest kid in school isn't so bad. Maybe you could, like, get a naked mole rat and be Jacques' sidekick, or something. And you'll still get good grades in class."
"That's not the point, Sheen. It's not about being smart."
"Well, what is it about, Jimmy?" Carl asked.
Jimmy hesitated. "Well," he answered slowly, "You've probably noticed that I'm probably the least popular kid in class."
"Don't worry about that, Jimmy," Carl told him. "You're selling yourself way short."
"I am?" Jimmy asked, perking up a little.
"Oh sure," Carl went on. "You're probably the least popular kid in school."
"Or maybe even Retroville," Sheen commented.
"Or even -"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Jimmy said, interrupting Carl. "But that's the point. I'm not tall, or athletic, or cool, or anything that means anything to anyone. The only thing that made me special was being the smartest. If I'm just smart, I really won't be anybody that matters anymore. I'll be…nobody," he finished sadly.
At that moment Cindy and Libby came up, both laughing about something. If they had heard Jimmy's speech they made no sign of it. "Well, well, if it isn't the Wizard of Lose," Cindy commented.
Jimmy was in no mood to argue. "What is it, Vortex?" he shot back tersely.
"Wow, who rattled your cage?" asked Libby in mock surprise. "Oh, right. Jacques."
"Just ignore it, Libby," said Cindy. "Nerd-tron just can't handle that there are some people who have both intelligence and charisma."
This set Jimmy off. "Like who?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Jacques," replied Cindy and Libby in unison.
"And Cindy," observed Carl, playing with his moldavite.
"Ooh! Ooh!" Sheen called out in excitement. "And that astronomy guy that used to be on TV. I can't remember his name, but I know I've heard it billions and billions of times."
"Face it, Neutron," Cindy concluded, "Jacques is everything you could never hope to be."
Jimmy had had enough. "Okay, Vortex," he said, getting up and advancing on Cindy. "You just keep believing that. Because Friday at the Science Fair my project is going to make your precious Jacques' project look as backward as the Lamarckian theory of evolution." It was a fairly lame threat as far as it went, but to Jimmy's surprise Cindy simply smiled knowingly at him.
"That's what you think, Neutron," she said smugly as she and Libby turned to walk away. "After Friday, no one in Retroville will even remember that you were ever here." And with that the girls again burst into laughter, walking back toward Jacques' table and leaving Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen in stupefied silence.
End of Part 4.
Author's Notes:
Although he's usually just a supporting character I really like writing Sheen. Except where Ultra Lord is concerned nothing ever seems to really dampen his spirits which lightens the mood of things. In addition, his comments often lend a touch of surreality to things that make things more fun.
Readers familiar with Toon Disney will immediately catch the reference to the naked mole rat. For the others the simplest explanation is to refer them to Kim Possible.
