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This chapter was intended to gave Nigel a chance to fit in the new school. The latin part might seem a bit stupid but I will let it in, maybe I can build on to it…
…have fun reading.
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"So, Crestem was it? As said yesterday we will put you in the final class and…offer you a private tutor if you like!"
"Why is that? You think I´m stupid or something?" It was an insult for him. His learning abilities far exceed the ones from normal students as he had learned from his old school (and special education in the service)….except for mathematics, that crap.
He never had understand the logic behind the higher mathematic even with his, proven, IQ of 155.
"We checked your report from the last year… it was just above average and we fear you will have problems to follow the teachers in the foreign language!" Come ON, didn´t he noticed that he fluently spoke english ! But he had a point. To maintain his camouflage, and to protect his friends, he played the role of an average student. Crap.
But why not relax? He had a secured job by Shadow Net as a field agent, who cared for the ratings he would score here?
"You right Mr.Barkin Sir ! I thank you for your offer!"
"Say, Crestem?"
"Yes?"
" Your name… it does not sound German at all to me! Why is this?"
"My mother origins from England, Nigel is a common name over where I think. The ´Crestem´ I don´t really now… it sounds good, I guess."
"I see" Mr.Barkin looked over to the watch at the wall. Nigel thought that he would belong better to the army as a drill sergeant rather than being a school teacher. He definitely was that type.
"It is time we finish our talk."
He was damn right, they had talked for the whole morning. Nigel was just glad the chair had armrests. He would have fallen right over if he had not been able to hold tight… he just needs a good nights sleep!
Barkin looked through his papers. "…You have latin now I think"
"I don´t have my timetable yet sir" "It will be handed out to you at the end of the day! Now move it!"--- At the end of the day? Wasn´t this the end already?… o how lame was that…!
Nigel jumped up, walked to the door and opend it. Just before he was leaving he turned around again. He nearly forgot one important thing he wanted to ask:
"Sir, ehm…. How can I enrol to the basketball team?" He really liked basketball, to bad he never had the chance to play in a sports club. But now he has the time, why not use it to have some fun.
"You have to talk to the captain of the basketball team and the sport teacher, if they can use you they let you in." "I see… thank you, sir". Then he closed the door behind him.
Barkin was satisfied, the exchange program was a success. And this time he didn´t even have to send one of his students and blame his school like two years before. Stoppable didn´t knew, but Yamanuchi DID send a bill to him, asking not to tell Stoppable. And Nigel certainly did not seem like a show-off as the Japanese guy was… charging in with that motor-cycle…damn boy!
Yes, he was satisfied.
DingDong.
"Aw, Nuts….not again! Why has this school to be so damn huge! " He ran around wildly, searching for his latinclass. Why can´t they have signs which say ´Latin here´ or something like that. At this rate he won´t make it in time…. or even make it before the hour was up!
But he was lucky. As he walked by, he catched the word "magister" from the room he just passed.
"Whew, that must be it!" He was on time…well, sort of. He took a deep breath, knocked and entered.
A little, corpulent man stands in front of the board.
"O you must be Nigel." he concluded
"Yes, that's me. I´m sorry for being late sir" "o this is no problem, just have seat, we are going to take a test today, so you can relax a bit" God thank him for this offer.
He looked around in the tiny room. Suddenly he noticed a familiar face in the last row: Ron, the guy with the naked mole rat he met earlier. Where was a seat between him and a girl with red hair. Maybe that was Zita? If so he was assured that Ron had a good taste than it comes to woman. "I guess I will sit down there in the back row if it´s ok ?" "Yes, feel free".
Monique was right after all, Kim thought. He does look handsome she decided as he walked towards the back row, aiming at the place….. Besides her! She gave Ron a quick look—he greets the guy. Did he know him? What the…? "Ms. Possible…eyes on your own paper please! You too, Stoppable!"
Stupid test. Heck, she would have learned if it weren´t for this politician who managed to get caught by Drakken. His last scheme was surprisingly well thought of. She glanced over to Ron. He couldn´t have learned either, but he seems quite confident. Could his…arrangement have gone well?
Again she tried to focus on her test. It consists of a translation and questions on roman history. The questions she could handle but the translation? That will be quite the drama.
(O man…this is boring). Nigel put his hand on the desk, resting his head in them. He took a look around the room. Was not too shabby. There was a blond girl sitting on the left front row, a brown haired girl besides her. The girl to his left couldn't be Zita. Ron called her Flores or something. This girl goes by the name of Possible according to the teacher…strange sounds familiar somehow… but he couldn't tell where he had heard the name.
She seemed to have trouble with the test.
C'mon you must be kidding! Kim steered in her text. Stupid translation! "Now what is ´dulcis´ supposed to mean?" she mumbles to herself, hard to hear for anyone.
"It means ´sweet´ or ´pleasant´, though I would go with sweet…" Kim turned her head to the side, she couldn't believe that. The new guy was helping her! Could she trust him on this? … o well what other chances she have… "Thanks" she whispered back.
Latin was always Nigels favourite language (out of the 5 he was able to understand). Though it doesn't sound as pleasant as french or english, its structure was so simple. Ron seems to do fine, but the girl looked troubled. So he just decided to help her, can't be the wrong decision. And the sweet part was great. He definitely had her attention now! But he wasn't really in the mood to hit on girls right now, not before he would get his well earned sleep….
She was his type (from the look ), seems a bit tired though. Probably a party-chick, partying the whole night … nah… he could live without those.
The blonde girl in the front-left corner seemed nice. He looked around the room further, more girls than boys took latin, ha… wasn't different in good old Germany.
The boys don't seem like athletics, more the skinny type like Ron. He wouldn't go so far to call them losers but they were the outsiders for sure. He liked the type though, better than the arrogant sports. They there far nicer. Like Ron and his mole rat. The idea of carrying a naked mole rat in the pocket seems funny to him. "O man, the time here will be great!"
"whew, the questions where tough! Don't you agree KP" The test was over and they left the room. Ron was quite confident in his work.
" Na, the translation gave me more trouble" Kim answered. It still was odd for her to talk so normal with him after they broke up
"If it weren't for the tip the new boy gave me I would never figured the meaning of the middle part…."
"You mean…what was his name again…Nigel?"
"Yea he seems quite nice to me"
" He is. But he seems also a bit strange then I met him in the morning"
"You met him? Did you two talk?"
" Sort of. He catched Rufus while he was running on the floor! Then I showed him the way to Barkin´s office. We had a rather amusing talk back then"
"About what? Naked mole rats?" She can´t help but laugh, the thought was just too funny.
"Na ,it was about gi…."
"Hey Ron!" Nigel cut him off. Kim and Ron turned around. She was watching him. He went relaxed, just a bit like Ron, but with more self-confidence. Just the impression Monique gave her.
"How you were doing?" The test went well?"
"Sure thing! The questions where a bit tough". Kim couldn´t resist, she had to break in to the talk.
" Hey you…Nigel was it. Thanks for your help back then…I guess. By the way, I´m Kim. Kim Possible"
"No problem at all Kim. See, I just happened to catch your mumbling."
Suddenly a strange rumouring could be heard. It came out of Ron's pocket. "Rufus. You hungry?". The mole rat came out of the pocket, fletching his teeth. Then he saw Nigel.
"eek". Nigel smiled "Remember me buddy? Sorry if I was a bit harsh before.
"It is dinner time after all" Kim said. " Let´s go you two…I mean three". And then she walked of. The two boys and the mole rat followed her to the cafeteria.
"What is this? Is it even eatable?" Nigel sat in front of his plate and used his fork to, well, examine the ´food´. (Even the rations he had with him once seemed healthier than this.)
"You just don't understand American food!" Nigel gave Ron a disgusted look
"You actually like this Ron?"
"No, just teasing you"
"O great….hey Rufus, you hungry?" He placed a meatball (?) on the table. The little guy runs over to him. He seems to enjoy the new company by now.
Kim sat on the over side of the table, Monique besides her. Both observed Nigel (and how he seems to get along with Ron, which seemed strange enough to them). The whole situation seemed familiar to Kim. Wasn't it the same like with Eric – or Synthodrone Nr 901- the last months ago? The only difference was that Nigel doesn't want to come closer to her than the length of this table. Finally she broke the silence.
"So Nigel, tell us something about you"
"What do you want to know?" He would like to tell them, but after telling Barking half of his life-story already (the normal life he lived, not the 'other' life) he felt a bit awkward to tell everything again, plus he really needed sleep.
"Like, everything?", Monique blurred out.
"Where isn´t much to tell actually…after all I´m a regular student like you, hehe, just from another country."
"which is?"
"Germany"
"O this must have been a long flight!"
"12 hours to be exact"
"and miss your old buddies already?" This time Ron asked.
"A bit. It's not like I will never see them again… so this is not a big problem."
Now it was Kims turn again.
"Say, where do you live in Middleton?"
(My, this was quick change of topic, Nigel thought) " It is a bit in the outskirts. A friend of mine, he studies science, lives there with his family. They offered to take me in then I came up with this exchange." "You know what", Monique said " your english is almost perfect… how come?" Nigel laughed. "Mr. Barkin asked the same question (in a way). My mother comes from England so I learned both languages. And…." He was cut by the schoolbell.
" o come on…"
"What´s next Ron? Since I have no timetable yet I might as well come with you"
"Cheer practice!"
"Wha….? You serious?"
