People are always saying that children should be smart; that they should always live up to their exact potential. Apparently that's a myth or a lie. I did exactly that and now everyone was afraid of me. Not that I cared, but it was rather annoying being called rude things just because I did an experiment exactly correct without reading instructions or measuring out chemicals. It's not like I haven't done it before.

The only person who spoke to me on an equal level was Cassie. Without my consent, she offered to walk me to my next class, which was Math. She never stopped talking about random things, like family, food and other garbage I had no interest in. When we finally reached my destination, I was pleased that she wasn't joining me.

I wasn't pleased, however, to find that her friend was their instead: the goofy boy who was now sitting on the desk, with a crowd around him, acting like an idiot. When I walked in, it was as if a cold wind swept through. Everyone turned to look at me. The goofy boy said, "Oh, no, please tell me you're not in this class!"

"Marco, get off the table," scored the teacher. The boy sat in his chair, still groaning at me. The teacher looked at me. "Who are you?"

"My name is Sarah," I replied.

"Wow, Death has a girl name," mocked Marco. I glowered at him, and he instantly stopped talking.

"Well sit down somewhere." I took the chair farthest from Marco and sat in it. Everyone gave me a wide enough berth, so I was the only one in the row, practically. "We will now have a pop quiz."

"What? No way; you promised no more pop quizzes!" Marco said.

"I promised no more pop quizzes so long as you all passed in your homework on time. But you didn't, so now we're having a pop quiz." The whole class groaned. The teacher began handing out the quizzes and when he got to me, he neglected to pass one to me. "You're new, so you're excused this time."

"I would like a quiz, sir," I said.

"You would like a quiz?" Marco asked. "Are you insane?" I said nothing. The teacher gave me a quiz.

I looked at it briefly. It was a simple quiz; mere children's questions. I took my pencil and began writing the answers. I assumed the teacher wanted all solutions shown, so I did so. I finished my quiz in five minutes. I put my pencil down, folded my hands on the desk and awaited further instruction. Everyone else was writing for a long time before someone else finished.

The teacher took my test and looked over it. I think he was shocked that I was correct in all my answers, despite my finishing so quickly. He coughed and went to collect the other tests. Marco sneered at me. "Oh, we have a brown noser, I see."

"Because I finished first or because I'm smarter than you?" I asked. The class snickered a bit and Marco, cheeks red, turned away from me to face the teacher.

"I see most of you did poorly, as usual," said the teacher. He glanced at me quickly. Was I the only one who passed? "Today's lesson is in chapter twelve."

He didn't scorn me for not bringing a textbook. In fact, he didn't really look at me all class. It was a rather dull class, of which I knew all the answers to the questions he asked or wrote on the board. I was glad when the bell for lunch rang.

I was one of the last people to leave the class. Marco darted out as soon as the bell rang. No doubt to go to his friends. I made my way passed rushing children to where the cafeteria was. The old lady had given me some money for lunch, and I used it to buy soup. I took it to an empty table and sat down, facing the whole room, so that no one could sneak up on me. There wasn't much fear of that anyway, considering they all stayed away from me. Good. Better for me.

I ate my soup and saw Cassie walk in with her blonde friend. Cassie noticed me and smiled. I just ate my soup. I watched them go to the café lady and get some food, or what I assumed was food, and then they sat down at another table, somewhat in front of me.

Marco and his friend, the boy who looked in charge, came in shortly thereafter. Upon seeing me, Marco darted his eyes away and walked faster to the café lady. His friend looked at me and analyzed me again. I was getting annoyed with that look.

The two of them sat with Cassie and the other girl and instantly started talking. I watched them for a little bit, until they all hunched in together, glanced quickly at me, and spoke in hushed tones. I guessed they were talking about me.

Cassie and Marco were no doubt relaying information on how I acted when I was in their classes. The other two nodded several times. This went on for well over fifteen minutes, before they went back to sitting normally and talking loudly about video games, superheroes and other things.

I had finished my soup. I got up to leave, and as soon as I did, Cassie got up and said, "Come sit with us, Sarah."

She never knew my name. Marco did, though. That confirmed my belief that they were talking about me. I just looked at her and made my way out of the cafeteria. I think that made Marco happy because when I got out of what he believed was ear shot, he said, "I don't want her sitting with us!"

There was still a long time before next class. I was walking down the hall a bit when I heard someone following me. I turned around and saw Cassie. "Hi!" she said.

I glowered and moved on. She just jogged up next to me. "Stop following me."

"She speaks! I didn't think you'd say a word to me."

"I was trying not to."

"Well, I know what makes you talk then: just gotta bother the heck out of you."

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Hey, come on. I'm trying to be nice here."

"I never asked for your niceness. I just want to be left alone."

"Why?"

"Because I do!" I said that a little louder than I had meant. I think Cassie was hurt. Good. Now she'll leave me alone.

I was wrong, though. "Look; I don't normally go up to strangers and strike conversation. To tell you the truth, I don't trust people I've never met. But you, for some reason, I do trust. I can't explain it, but I would like to be your friend, if you'll let me."

"I won't. Now go away."

"Fine. If you want to do it the hard way, that's fine with me." She was quiet for a while. "What's your next class?" I ignored her. "Alright then, I'll follow you until you reach your class, then I'll know."

I scowled. "You're annoying."

"Good."

There was another silence. "History."

"Room 103?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Jake's in that class, too."

"That boy you were sitting with? Is he your boyfriend?"

Cassie's cheeks burned red and she turned away from me. "No, we're just friends."

I decided not to point out that her body language proved otherwise. Instead, we just walked down the hall. It wasn't until her cheeks went back to normal that she asked, "So where do you live?"

"I don't feel like talking. I've already exhausted myself."

"Just by talking?"

"By talking to people who I want nothing to do with." Again, Cassie looked hurt, but I didn't care.

"Don't you want friends?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why should I? What do friends do except get in the way."

"In the way of what?"

"Of everything."

She sighed. "I always found that friends help each other when they're down. That they are always there when you need a shoulder to cry on, or just to talk to when you have no one to talk to."

"I don't need any of those things."

"I think you need them more than you're letting on."

I said nothing. I was glad when we finally reached my classroom. I was still several minutes early. Cassie said goodbye to me and left me standing outside the locked classroom alone. I suddenly realized what it was like to be left alone after talking with someone. I haven't felt this feeling for a while…