Another week drifted by. With the students' academic enthusiasm actually staying high for once, finals week finally arrived. After two grueling days of tests, smiles slowly began to return to everyone's faces.
Even if you bombed your exams, it usually took the school a few days to grade everything and mail the report cards home. This meant that, regardless of their actual performance, the kids could enjoy the first few days of break in blissful ignorance.
"Mike, you're a lifesaver," Georgie said, looking relaxed as they walked home after the final bell. "Those study guides you made for me? You basically predicted the whole test."
Knowing his grades were in the gutter, Georgie had begged Mike—the star student—for help before finals. Having survived a fair share of "test prep hell" in his time, Mike knew exactly how to play the game. He used his experience to highlight the key concepts most likely to appear.
His intuition was spot on. With Mike's high IQ, the topics he'd flagged had an 80% overlap with the actual exam. For Georgie, it was practically like having the answer key. If he hadn't slacked off during his week of review, he was guaranteed to pass.
"You seem pretty confident," Mike said with a smile. "So, can you promise me you passed everything?"
He genuinely enjoyed being able to help out.
"Uh..." Georgie's face suddenly went stiff.
Clearly, for some students, even if you put the answers right in front of them, they'd still find a way to mess it up. Georgie was currently in that boat. Mike's study guide ensured he recognized the questions, but whether he actually picked the right multiple-choice bubble was a different story. From the looks of it, if Georgie managed to scrape a passing grade in even one or two subjects, he should probably go light a candle at church in thanks.
Mike and little Sheldon, who was trailing behind them, saw Georgie's reaction and knew the results were likely a disaster.
"I told you. Without a solid foundation, even having the answers is useless," Sheldon said matter-of-factly.
Before the finals, Georgie had asked Sheldon for help, too. Sheldon's "solution" was to first master all the fundamental principles from the ground up and then identify the gaps in his knowledge. For someone who actually wanted to learn, it was great advice; for someone like Georgie who hated studying, it sounded like a slow and painful death. Georgie had ignored him immediately.
Now, seeing the person who gave him "useless" advice mocking him, Georgie snapped, "Shut up, Sheldon! This is none of your business."
Sheldon huffed but stayed quiet. In truth, Georgie was feeling a bit of regret. If he'd known Mike's predictions would be that accurate, he actually would have studied harder. But hey, hindsight is 20/20.
Hoping to change the subject from his embarrassing grades, Georgie pivoted. "Anyway, Mike, have you picked a date for the Winter Formal tomorrow?"
Every year before the winter break, the school threw a big formal dance. It was a way for students to blow off steam, and it was also when the "King" and "Queen" of the school were crowned. These two would essentially become the faces of the school for the following year. While the titles didn't come with any actual power, being voted the most popular student was a huge deal. Those with a shot at winning usually spent the whole night campaigning for votes.
In Georgie's eyes, Mike had had so many "main character" moments this year that he was a shoo-in for Prom King.
"I'm actually going to the Regional Math Olympiad tomorrow with Ms. Sheran," Mike said. "I won't have time for the dance."
"Are you serious?" Georgie asked, stunned.
In his world, some math competition was nothing compared to the glory of being King. Seeing that Mike was dead serious, Georgie sighed. "Man, what a waste. If you showed up and did the first dance with Regina, you'd win by a landslide."
As the resident "Queen Bee," Regina was always the center of attention. She'd won Prom Queen last year based on looks alone, and this year looked to be no different. Mike was the biggest star on campus right now; if they showed up together, the "Royal Couple" titles were a done deal.
Georgie couldn't even dream of that kind of popularity. He felt physically pained that Mike was just handing the crown to someone else for the sake of a math test.
But while Georgie was mourning the loss of a "cool" moment, Sheldon's eyes lit up. "Mike, can I come with you to the Math Olympiad tomorrow?"
Attendance at the formal wasn't mandatory, and social outcasts like Sheldon and his friend Tam had zero interest in a dance. To Sheldon, a high-level math competition was infinitely more exciting than a "boring" party.
"Sure, you can come along," Mike answered.
Regional math competitions didn't have many restrictions on spectators. In fact, because they were considered quite dull, almost nobody showed up except the teams themselves. Besides, Ms. Sheran was already planning to recruit Sheldon for the team next year. Seeing him show this much interest would make her day.
"Don't forget to call me when it's time to go," Sheldon reminded him, just to be safe.
"Got it," Mike replied.
Beside them, Georgie—who got a headache just looking at long division—shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't wrap his head around why anyone would choose a math competition over a party.
---
The next morning, Mike hitched a ride with George to school. The campus was already crawling with students dressed to the nines. Despite the cold, everyone was buzzing with energy for the big event.
"Hey, Mike!"
Near the entrance, Regina spotted him. She was wearing a stunning gown and a delicate floral crown. Beside her were Karen and Gretchen, both equally dressed up and wearing meticulously applied makeup. A few feet away, Regina's mother, Marcy, was holding a camcorder, ready to film a "documentary" of her daughter's big day.
The girls knew Mike was heading to his competition, so they had waited by the gate specifically to catch him. They wanted to make sure they got some commemorative photos with him on such a special day.
"Perfect... a little closer... keep smiling... hold it right there..."
Marcy directed Mike and the girls into various poses. After a round of group shots, Mike took a few individual photos with each of them before sending the girls—who clearly valued fashion over warmth—back inside.
"Mike, are you really skipping the dance?" Georgie asked, walking over after the girls left. He still wasn't ready to give up on the idea of Mike being King.
"Give it a rest, Georgie. Get inside before you freeze," Mike said bluntly.
In the name of style, Georgie was wearing the black suit he'd bought for Christmas. With the winter snow still on the ground, he looked sharp—but he also looked like he was about to turn into an icicle.
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