I handed Mrs. Finigan the note from the principal. She cast a skeptical glance at Ryo before granting him entry into her class.
As she distributed the exam papers, Mrs. Finigan halted in front of Ryo with a peculiar smile. "You have the option to skip the test if you don't want to take it," she said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. The class collectively groaned.
Charles, always eager for attention, interjected, "Can I skip the test too, Mrs. Finigan?" Mrs. Finigan swiftly dismissed his request, instructing no further interruptions. "Phones in the bags!" she added firmly.
"You're under no obligation to take the test," Mrs. Finigan reassured Ryo with a smile.
"I'll give it a shot," Ryo responded eagerly, snapping the paper firmly with his long fingers. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. If I were sent to another planet, I wouldn't want to endure exams in this school, whatever the school system.
Once Mrs. Finigan distributed the last exam paper, a heavy silence reigned over the room. Each student was now fully engrossed in solving the math problems as quickly as possible. I was going to begin, but my attention shifted to Ryo, who simply scanned the paper. He had no pencil, I realized. Mrs. Finigan's noticed it as well. Before I could give him one of mine, she hurriedly provided him with one of her own and even explained the first problem. She took the pen she had just given him, writing the solution on the paper.
I was incredulous. Mrs. Finigan was practically spoon-feeding Ryo the answers, disrupting not only my focus but also that of the entire class. Finally, she seemed to realize the disruption she was causing.
"Again don't worry, I won't be grading your test. Just do your best," she said sweetly before finally retreating to her chair. Ryo still stared at the paper, motionless. Had he even processed a word she had said?
Focus, Amanda! I tried to force myself back to the task at hand. I began tackling the first problem, satisfied when I arrived at the same answer Mrs. Finigan had whispered out loud to Ryo. However, the clock continued ticking loudly in the classroom, a stark reminder of how quickly time was slipping away. I was half through the answers. When I looked up at the clock. "You have five more minutes," Mrs. Finigan announced sharply. Ryo picked up the pen and swiftly penned what appeared to be the final answer to all the problems. He then flashed me a broad smile, which only fueled my annoyance. Why did I find him so infuriating?
"Puhh, that was really tough,I couldn't even finish.." a girl nearby exclaimed more to herself than anyone else. A sense of defeat washed over the classroom as everyone started rising, submitting their papers.
Ryo was the last to stand, peering over my shoulder to inspect my answers. "Your second answer is incorrect," he whispered into my ear. I tensed immediately, anger surging within me.
"At least I didn't cheat," I hissed, but he simply chuckled as he handed his paper to the teacher. She glanced at it curiously before meeting his gaze with big blue eyes.
I knew precisely what that meant. His answers were correct. How insufferable he would be now.
This school day had been dreadful. Everyone had incessantly stared at Ryo, whispering behind our backs. Ryo had forced me to navigate every corner of the school and expound upon the roles of each person and each room in great detail. He was fascinated by the library. Mumbling while looking at every book there was. He asked so many questions, my head throbbed, and everywhere we went, people just stopped in their tracks and looked at Ryo. I really couldn't wait to leave school.
"Do you want to walk back home?" he asked. Somehow, the prospect of being away from others was precisely what I needed at that moment. I could only nod.
We ambled aimlessly before Ryo guided me into the nearby park. The sky had cleared, and the sun bathed us in warmer rays.
He graciously carried my bag as we traversed the park. It amused me to watch him scrutinize every detail, examining each plant intently and occasionally pausing to touch them.
"Your planet is much nicer than ours," he remarked. "So peaceful and calm. And somewhat slow... Like you," he added, turning to me with an impish grin.
"How charming your civilization is. I feel incredibly fortunate to have encountered such a fine specimen as yourself," I retorted sarcastically.
We continued our leisurely stroll through the verdant landscape, listening to the melodic singing of the birds.
"What is your planet like?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
He prodded a tree, testing its strength. "Well, compared to our planet, Earth is minuscule. Our planet is ten times its size, and our society is vastly more technologically advanced. We are a highly militarized civilization" he paused "Ruthless, actually. Nothing like here," he remarked, admiring the tulips nearby.
"So it's not particularly pleasant there?" I pressed on.
"There is scant nature remaining. However, technologically, we are two hundred Earth years ahead of you. Our technology stands as the most advanced in the universe!" He glanced at me. "You'd be impressed, human girl," he said as we arrived at a crossroads.
"Which path do you wish to take?" I inquired.
"Why don't you decide?" he suggested, studying me curiously.
"Oh well, I don't know. This one?" I gestured toward the left path. "Or perhaps this one, as it seems closer to the exit," I deliberated.
"See, that right there is the problem with your civilization. Your inability to make swift decisions. No wonder you have made such modest progress, as you seem to just aimlessly walk through life not knowing what you want" he remarked casually.
"You don't know us. You don't understand anything about humans. Who are you to judge others in such a manner?" I felt anger surge within me, my fists clenched.
"Actually, I have studied Earth for quite some time. I find it utterly fascinating. I have studied you as well, Amanda. You were not my sole prospect, but…" he trailed off, coming way to close to my body, twirling a lock of my hair between his fingers. "There was simply something about you. Something I can't really explain. You're the lucky one," he concluded, gazing at me with bright, happy eyes.
"I don't feel lucky with you Ryo." I stepped away from him, his purple eyes smirking at my suspicion.