Chapter 12

"Nervous," Thompson admitted. "But ready."Miss Carter squeezed his shoulder gently. "Just do your best. That's all anyone can ask."Inside the conference room, Principal Williams and Veronica Maxwell were already seated. A sealed envelope lay in the center of the table."Good morning, Thompson," Principal Williams said formally. "Before we begin, I want to explain how this will work. Inside this envelope are mathematical problems ranging from eighth-grade algebra through advanced placement calculus. Ms. Maxwell has prepared them, and I have reviewed them to ensure they're appropriate. You'll have two hours to complete as many as you can."Veronica sat with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "The problems increase in difficulty," she added. "I don't expect you to solve them all. In fact, I'd be surprised if you get past the first page."Miss Carter frowned at the comment, but said nothing."I'll be monitoring to ensure there's no cheating," Principal Williams continued. "Ms. Maxwell and Miss Carter will wait outside. Are there any questions before we begin?"Thompson shook his head, taking a seat at the table."Then let's proceed." Principal Williams broke the seal on the envelope and placed the test papers in front of Thompson along with several sharpened pencils and a calculator. "You may begin."As the two teachers left the room, Thompson took a deep breath and looked at the first problem. It was a simple algebraic equation, insultingly easy. He solved it in seconds and moved to the next.The first page contained standard eighth-grade problems that Thompson completed in less than five minutes. The second page featured more complex algebra and basic trigonometry—still well within his comfort zone. By the third page, the problems had advanced to pre-calculus. Thompson worked steadily, occasionally pausing to check his work. When he reached the calculus problems on page four, he felt a flutter of recognition: these were similar to exercises he'd worked on with Dr. Roberts.Outside the conference room, Ms. Maxwell paced impatiently while Miss Carter sat quietly reading a science journal."This is a complete waste of time," Veronica muttered. "He's probably staring blankly at the paper right now.""Why does his success threaten you so much?" Miss Carter asked without looking up from her journal.Veronica stopped pacing. "Excuse me?"

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