Oliver sluggishly glanced at his wristwatch. The lesson was on for only about 48 minutes, but it felt like it had lasted for long hours. Oliver exhaled in disappointment. He wished the bell for the break would soon ring, he needed the perfect place to calm his nerves and think straight.
Oliver was not the type of person that would give up easily. Right now, he had a little conviction that maybe, one of his late grandparents may have acquired an ability book during their lifetime, and preserved it somewhere safe for him to use when he was ready.
Oliver almost believed in his made-up assumptions, until he then began to really analyze reality with facts, rather than doctored fallacies. He recalled the stories his mother frequently told, of how she was brought up in a very poor family.
According to his mother, his late grandparents were both cotton farmers, who could not even afford enough for a single child. Apart from the emotional and psychological aspects, it was obvious that they were never afforded the ability books.
Oliver thought about his father's parents. Just as he was now, his father was an orphan too. Samuel's parents both died when he was yet at a very tender age. The military dragged them to the front line of the war, as a means to get them to pay off the debts they owed the government, as they couldn't pay monetarily. After the war was over, Samuel's parents never came back. A couple of weeks passed, and then the news came from a field Marshal, regarding the unfortunate demise of both his parents. According to the exact words from the Marshal, his parents were among the many others who were lost in action. Samuel was so devastated and heartbroken. He could not bear or get over the deaths of his parents. He had no one else, but himself. There was no one left to console him, as he was all alone. Because he had no other relatives to provide for him, the government offered to take care of his primary needs till he came of age, in return for his service to them for the rest of his life.
This sad story was enough to prove to Oliver that they never had ability books.
According to the world-class system, the commons weren't even those at the very beneath. Below them, was the lowest and final category. These ones were identified by the name, peasants. They comprised the less privileged, and the extremely impoverished of the world's population. These include the homeless, the disabled, the freaks and outcasts, and mostly the orphans, most of whom are products of the war. This was technically the category Oliver was in presently, and whether or not he liked it, nothing could make it change the other way around. It was a harsh reality he was forced to accept and possibly live with.
There were tons of disappointments in being a peasant. First, the government would totally deprive such individuals of so many rightful benefits, and there would be clearly zero chances of them affording even the Lv1 ability books. The government would unapologetically regard them as insignificant, worthless, unimportant, and dispensable human beings, who had nothing positive to offer to humanity and therefore deserved nothing more from the world, other than to be ensured to remain under the soles of every other person.
The government always made efforts to ensure that the world system remained stable, thereby unintentionally victimizing those beneath.
Oliver's empty gaze has been on the whiteboard for a long time now. There was nothing going on physically around him that he was aware of, simply because he was in seriously deep thought. He had a weak stare in his eyes that made it look like he was looking through and beyond the whiteboard. It was as if he was on a very long journey, venturing deep into a fantasized world, crafted from his young vast imagination, lost in his very own thoughts.
Oliver was so deep that he could not detect the simplest details in his surroundings. He didn't notice the presence of the teacher standing right beside him, staring down at him with narrow eyes of concern.
The teacher gently touched Oliver on the shoulder and immediately, he jolted back to consciousness like she caused a flow of current through his insides. Oliver didn't even attempt to look around him, he presumed everyone was staring at him by now. He managed to look at the teacher. The amicable and calm expression on her face gave him a sense of relief. Her mood convinced him that she had not been there for so long.
"You," she said to him, with a sudden sense of sobriety in her tone.
Oliver gasped coldly. Her big brown eyes behind her large pair of glasses were both making Oliver nervous.
"You must be the new student. Oliver Logan, I presume?" she said.
Oliver sat up straight, quickly shifting his gaze from the teacher.
"Oh, yeah... Oliver Logan is the name," replied Oliver with a slight stutter.
"So, Mr Logan, do you mind being our volunteer for today's lesson summary?"
Oliver's heart leaped, as he came to comprehend the offer from the teacher. He never thought she would bring up such an idea, and it all seemed so strange to him. Why should the teacher ask a new student she just met to summarize the lesson, he wondered. He had no idea what response to give to the teacher, so he remained quiet.
The teacher came a little close to him.
"Look, I hear you're a clever kind. Should a simple summary be such a big deal?" she said to him in a whisper.
With the statement she made, Oliver immediately realized the reason why she specifically singled him out for the summary. The math teacher obviously must have told her of his performance in the trig test, and on the quest to satisfy her doubt, she decided to confirm it herself by putting him on a test of her own. No wonder she already knew his name, he thought.
Oliver understood that if he refused to volunteer for the summary, then might conclude that he was afraid, and other kids might use that as an option to tease him. There was only one way he could avoid any embarrassment, at this point.
"Okay," he muttered with slight reluctance in his voice, after a moment of indecision, "I'll take the summery," he added.
"Oh, what a courageous decision you've just made, Mr Logan. I call that, the first step to a bright future here in Melrose," the teacher said to him while beaming widely with a smile that was obviously faked.
The teacher returned to the front of the class. She signaled Oliver to come forward. Oliver carefully got up from his seat, mindful not to attract attention to himself, but as he stood, so did their heads turn towards him. He took in a deep breath, then he walked straight to the front of the class.
"Alright class, as you can see, somebody else apart from Miss Olivia, here, has finally volunteered to help summarise today's lesson," announced the teacher.
"Today, actually, isn't his first day here, which means that most of you, if not all, should have known his name already. What I'm actually trying to say in essence, is that there is no need for further introductions. I'd expect everyone to pay attention."
"Including you Mr Parker," she added.
"Me?" said Drake, with an unnatural humorous accent. The comment was accompanied by a loud storm of laughter.
"That's enough now!" called the teacher. The students became quiet shortly after she gave the order.
"Okay Oliver, the stage is yours," she told Oliver.