"The nucleus of the atom then separates, creating a chain reaction where it then collides into a~"

"So like, how old are you?"

I turn around from the whiteboard and face all 221 students in the room.
I knew that because the desks were arranged in a rectangular 13 by 17 formation and multiplied the two numbers to get the exact amount of students attending, assuming all 221 chairs were filled.

I've only been seventeen minutes and 23,24,25... seconds in and a douchebag is already asking me about my age.

I glare into the man's eyes, "Is that really relevant at the matter at hand, sir?"

He stares immensely back, "Well I was just wondering, considering the fact that I'm at this university to learn from high priced, prestige classes taught by older, wiser professionals... not kids, Miss."

I grind my teeth in anger, I've been getting this similar statement by students across the country.

Yes, I look like a fetus, but my brain capacity is greater than about 99.9998% of all adults in America. This statistic just signifies everyone over the age of 21.

My intelligence level can blow apart the stuck up man that is asking me irrelevant questions at this moment.

"I am fifteen years old, is that a problem?" I state, coldly.

Someone almost immediately chokes on their drink after I said that.

I'm a little offended whoever that was.

"F-fifteen?" The man scoffs, "You're a freshman in high school, not college, and even so, you shouldn't be given the right to teach an AP class at UCLA!"

Everyone snickers, whispering and laughing.

My blood boils, deeply hurt but annoyed by the guy's words. "I have you know that there's a reason why I'm teaching your class right now and not you. You really want to test your intelligence against a fifteen year old genius teaching your class, why else do you think I'm here teaching AP courses? I'm in charge of this lesson for a reason."

The guy stays silent, curling himself farther into the seat.

I nod and continue with my lesson.

I'm teaching advanced courses at elite universities so the students who attend my classes are always stuck up and think they know everything because they're so smart for taking the class. So when they see a young girl teaching their class, there's always one who wants to open their big fat mouth and ask if I really do have the qualifications to teach.

The first time I taught a college course, someone questioned my age and how I got to teach university students. Of course I was taken aback, I didn't really think it was appropriate to be asked but in the end they all just laughed at me. Since then, I've been working on maintaining my level of respect, but as you know, that level isn't really high.

I can make people shut up, but at the end of the day, I know they're all talking about me behind my back.

It's the cruel reality. Statistically though, people who talk behind other people's backs is because they're jealous but won't admit to it by talking down on them.

I'm fifteen with an IQ of 223, a colleague of mine, Terrance Tao is the only individual I am close friends with that owns an intelligence greater than I.

He's 42.

So you can imagine the people I hang out with.

I teach universities in my free time, just an fyi. I travel across the world often, mainly to just work with other scientists, doctors, or mathematicians. I have to leave to Italy soon to assist the findings of DNA samples from ancient Athens.

Why am I teaching at UCLA? Terrence usually runs this class and asked me to fill in for him since he's going to be in Croatia trading mathematical presumptions with Mislav Predavec, a man with an IQ of 190.

The class ended and the man who asked my age came up to me.

"Hey, kid," He hollers at me.

I turn around, not amused. Nothing I've seen before.

"You really thought you can outwit me? You're fifteen, aren't you supposed to be attending your freshmen classes in high school? Shouldn't you be out at the mall shopping with your other little besties?"

I scoff, "Look big guy, my IQ surpasses you by millions, I dont-"

He steps furiously closer to me, causing me to smack my back into the wall.

For a split second I was petrified, but then I realized the possibilities that he would actually attempt an attack on me.

I stood with my my arms crossed, "Oh pfft, what are you going to do? Seriously try to punch a sweet ol' little girl?" I fake pout, provoking him.

"You little brat..." he raises his arm as if he were going to hit me, but I know he's not going to. He's just trying to psych me out, he has to have a brain larger than a walnut to be accepted to this school.

"Hey, dude!" Someone calls, shoving the guy off from my perimeter. I had the whole situation under control, now I have to be 'saved' by another cocky imbecile?

A brown haired boy with black skinny ripped jeans and jean jacket shooed him out of the room, telling him to not disrespect girls.

I'm flattered, it was kind of this boy to do so.

The kind boy stalked towards me awkwardly, "Hi, are you okay, Miss?"

I nod, "Thank you, but I had it handled."
I peered into the boy's kind eyes and noticed the deep blue irises that stood out automatically. They were captivating to say the least; it was like immersing into a blue abyss, an ocean.

He furrows his eyebrows, "Miss, he was going to punch you? Did you just want to get hit?"

I shake my head out of the thoughts. I frown, "Of course not, but I knew he was all talk and no walk. Simply just a huge bluffer." I turn my back to gather my things. As I'm bending over to pick up my papers and putting them in my bag, the blue eyed boy however enters my peripheral vision unexpectedly.

"But he looked serious! There's no way he wasn't going to hit you!" He exasperates, throwing his hands in from of him irrationally.

I raise an eyebrow, now interested in his behavior. "You're certainly stubborn. Do you get called that a lot?"

"What?" He asks, perplexed, "What does being stubborn have to do with this?"

I face him, struggling to grasp all the papers in my arms, "You're not allowing this conversation to stop and admitting my assumptions are correct?"

He glares blankly at me, "Alright, whatever. I was just trying to help."

We stand in silence, awkwardness creeping up.

"So... you need help with those papers?" He asks, reaching out to me.

I turn sharply away, "Uh no. There are answer keys in my arms, I cannot afford a student to cheat in Dr. Tao's class! I'm only a substitute. He would have my head and feed it to the Gorgons once he recreates those!"

The boy cocks his head to the side, "Gorgons?"

"Gorgons," I huff. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be off on my way."

I try to hurry myself out but the papers ended up slipping from my petite fingertips.

I groan out loud and shuffle to the ground to collect the scattered mess.

The ocean man to my dismay got down to his knees and helped me.

I bark, "What do you think you're doing! I have answer keys here, get lost emo kid!" Shooing him away with my arms.

He picks his head up and gives a hurt expression, "Firstly, rude!"
Then he hands me the rest of the papers, "And secondly, I'm not a student. I just attended your class today because I had nothing to do and my friend takes your class so I came to annoy him."

"I really should be reporting you," I mutter, snatching the sheets from his grasp.

He smiles, "You wouldn't tattletale like a lil kid, would you?"

I frown, "Okay, get out."

"What, why?" Hestammers in utter confusion.

I roll my eyes, "You want to make age jokes? Go somewhere else."

He exasperates again, throwing his arms in defense, "UH NO. It wasn't a joke, because you're not in elementary school, which of course I know! You're not going to tell on me...right?"

I turn away and whisper to myself, "Are all the men in this state idiots?"

However he heard me and screamed, "I HEARD THAT. Not all of us. A lot are very smart, actually. I could so get into this university, I graduated as Valedictorian at my high school. "

"Okay then why don't you go to this university then?" I counter.

He proudly stands up straight and shoves his hands into his pockets, "I've been making a living since senior year of high school. I don't need no college."

I step closer, intrigued. "How so?"

"I'm a social media star, I have thousands of followers online and make money from making Youtube videos and posting stuff on instagram," He boasts.

I sigh, "Sounds useless."

He widens his eyes in shock, "IT IS NOT. I have fangirls and money to support myself and my friend Sam and I started this thing called the Life Project where we create videos to help teenagers get through school and life."

I ponder his 'Life Project', it indeed intrigued me, it's nice some people are trying to do some good in this world. I'm surprised it's this kid, but he was nice enough for kinda saving me from that man who MIGHT HAVE punched me. I still don't think he would've but thanks to this boy, he left me alone.

But like, now I'm stuck with the boy, himself.

"That's certainly amiable of you, blue-eyed bug," I simply reply.

He folds his arms, "I have a name ya know."

I strut away and leave, "Yeah, and I don't need to know it."

He runs after me, "Well, it's Colby. Colby Brock. You can follow me on instagram @ at Colby-"

I face him again, he almost runs straight into me but thankfully he stepped back fast enough to not crash himself into me.

"Look, Colby whatever you're doing, stop," I angrily demand.

He tilts his head, "What am I doing?"

"Following me."

"We're having a conversation that has not been finished!"

I smile sweetly, "Then let's end it."

Colby rolls his eyes, "Let me help you to wherever you're going."

"No, I got it. I'm walking to the cafe on third to meet up with a friend," I shortly respond.

He reaches out to assist me anyway, "Third? But that's like, 880 yards away! You really want to walk half a mile with all that stuff you're carrying? Are you stupid?"

I scoff in his face, laughing hysterically.

"No I'm not stupid. Dude, I have an IQ that is higher than Albert Einstein and yo mom combined."

"WAIT- what is your age?"

"I'm fifteen. Turning sixteen in June," I curtly reply.

Colby's blue eyes widen greater, "F-fifteen?"

I nod, "Problem?"

He shakes his head no, "Course not! How does it feel being a chil- teen prodigy?"

I laugh, "Fine, I'm lucky in a sense but in others, it's a curse."

"But how come? You're so smart that you didn't even have to go to high school and I bet you've already finished College! That's incredible!"

I shrug, "Well, it's not as great as you might think."

"Why?"

"Would you enjoy being the youngest in your classes, and even youngest in the class you teach, in your spare time?"

"I-I mean, I think you should really make light of it. You're super intelligent, you can probably do calculus in your head, it's like you have a super human ability. I'd kill to be as smart as you, a lot of people would. I bet that guy tried to hurt you because you have it all. He was jealous."

I cock my head in question, "And how exactly would I have it all?"

He smiles, "Well, you're smart, pretty, and fun to talk to. Do you have any other friends like yourself?"

I blush but shake my head no. "Sadly, no."

He shows his pearly white teeth again and exclaims, "Well consider this your lucky day."

I roll my eyes. "So you going to help me or what?" I ask, holding out my papers.

He nods, "Y-yeah, let's take my car. I'll drop you off." Taking my papers from me, he escorts us to his red corolla.

Solid.

He drives us silently but he dropped me off smoothly. I couldn't stop thinking about what he said previously.

I have it all? I'm smart, pretty and fun to talk to?

He'd be my friend?

Since when do people say ridiculous compliments to me, like that?

I exit his vehicle and wave.

"Well, bye. Thanks, Colby."

"Bye- wait. I don't even know your name, sorry," He mutters, shyly.

I smile genuinely for the first time in awhile, "Genevieve Colton."

"Genevieve,... I'll see you tomorrow!" Colby cheerfully replies.

"What? But you don't attend UCLA...?" I question.

He chuckles to himself, "Well, I guess I'll just get bored and attend another class of yours to bother my friend again."

I giggle, "Alright, Colby. I'll see you tomorrow."

[ <3 ]

The next day rolled along and he showed up again.

He introduced me to his friend, Sam. His partner in crime and fellow social media star 'bestie' I quote.

He dropped me off at the cafe on third and said bye to me.

That following day he came again with Sam, and sat in the room and participated even though he didn't even attend this university.

After class was over, we went to his car and went to the cafe on third together instead.

We did this routine again, the next day.

And the next day.

And the next day.

And I know when it'll end, but I don't want it to.

Because for the first time,

someone isn't judging me on my age.