She stirred to the vibrant sound of an alarm clock. A leg emerged from one end of the comforter while an arm slipped out at the other as she stretched reluctantly. When her hand finally found the shrill source of noise, she turned it off, overcome by the murky sky that flooded her room with pale light. With natty blonde hair and sleepy eyes, she walked across the house, stammering into the kitchen.
Hannah's day began with two surprises. The first was a reminder she left behind that, come nightfall, she was to be at Ari's school for a parent-teacher conference. The second was the arrival of his report card. She dreaded reading them almost as much as showing her face at Ari's school.
Hannah loathed obligatory gatherings with other parents. It was a time when insincere pleasantries flourished. A place where superficial conversations highlighting the success of everyone's child was sure to follow. Their acrid smiles would plaster an egregious truth – That they were quietly wondering how their child measures up to the rest.
Soon, she would have to prepare a fake smile of her own, embellishing Ari's performance to make up for his lackluster efforts. Indeed, whatever she was about to witness in his quarterly report card would be all too familiar. But when Hannah opened the envelope, what she found was anything but familiar. In fact, when she eventually comprehended what she was looking at, she was so astonished she almost spit out her coffee by accident.
Ari's grades in school were excellent. Outstanding, in fact.
After fluttering her eyes many times to wipe away the illusory spell she was sure to have been under, she realized there was none. She reviewed his metrics and became convinced there must be an error. This surprise made her examine his academic progress thoroughly, revealing that Ari had nearly doubled his grade points in every class.
There is obviously a mistake, she thought to herself, folding up the letter and condemning it from her sight.
She paced back and forth across the room, struggling to process what she had just witnessed. Suddenly, she dashed through the house to find her glasses. Once seated comfortably in front of the nearest computer, she transformed from a concerned mother into a keen investigator, uncovering the same message she had read in print.
There was no mistake. Hannah's wish had miraculously come true.
How could this be? Her son wasn't known for his academic prowess and hadn't been enthusiastic about school since the accident. Despite her persistent efforts to encourage him to stay on top of his homework and prepare for exams, she eventually had to let it go. Now, to her amazement, his academic performance had remarkably improved to the highest score she'd ever seen.
Perplexed by the strange anomaly, she couldn't help but wonder the reason behind the sudden change. Undoubtedly, she would eventually find out what caused him to actually put in the effort she demanded so many times before. In the meantime, she decided to dismiss the confounding mystery that had her scratching away at her head.
She tried telling herself not to be too jovial about her son's high scores, but she could barely contain herself. A flurry of blissful confidence overcame her, and she tried to imagine how happy she would be when Ari's teachers delivered the good news in person.
Her excitement propelled her through the house and into the closet, where she began assembling her attire for the evening. A lavish gown would be quite fitting for the obscure occasion. After all, how often could she say her son was on his way into the school's elite? The mother of a son with exceptional grades would be considered just as noteworthy, and she determined she would look the part, too. As she reviewed herself in front of the bedroom mirror, she envisioned the look on the other parents' faces when they discovered what Ari was capable of. Whisked away by a vivacious enthusiasm she couldn't tamper, she found herself looking forward to the same event she had detested for so long.
When she arrived, she was radiating with satisfaction, finally experiencing the same emotions she often imagined the parents of accomplished children felt. This exhilaration had her gliding through the front doors and along the school hallways, passing by classrooms brimming with teachers and fellow parents. She glanced back to confirm she was heading to the right room for her group. However, as she stepped through the door, her polished exterior shattered. The room was unexpectedly empty, and an unsettling feeling washed over her as she surveyed the space.
"Thank you for joining us. We're so glad you could make it," said one of the teachers, formally dressed and cordially gesturing to one of the many empty chairs in a room far too large and empty for comfort. "Please have a seat."
Hannah carefully selected her position at a table where several teachers sat on one side and only her on the other. She could feel her heart rate rise as she settled into a small chair designed for kids her son's age instead of a woman twice as tall in a form-fitted skirt. She couldn't shake the feeling she had just walked into an ambush, utterly unprepared for whatever was about to unfold.
"Where is everyone?" inquired Hannah, adjusting her blouse the moment the room felt as though it was sweltering with heat. "I hope I'm not too late."
"No, Mrs. Emerson, you're right on time," replied another teacher with a forced expression while the rest exchanged concerned glances in silence.
"We scheduled today's meeting with you to discuss your son's performance at our school," a different voice announced.
"First, we'd like to congratulate you on Ari's grades. His overall GPA has increased by more than 2 points, he secured a 97% on his latest exam, and he's managed to ace his last few assignments with glowing remarks. It's impressive, actually."
"But?" she muttered back, and the next thing she knew a man began shuffling through neatly stacked pages she realized everyone else had except her.
"Look, Hannah, while we're elated about your son's recent accomplishments, we're also concerned. Upon reviewing his history at this school, we noticed that his last month with us wasn't exactly tenable. His teachers have submitted numerous reports of ambivalence in class, several bouts of tardiness, and, frankly, quite abysmal grades over the last two years. That lengthy pattern somehow ended a month ago, and now he ranks among the highest-scoring students in the school."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"We're not trying to tell you anything. We were hoping you could tell us what's going on?"
Hannah meticulously placed her phone at the corner of the table, and its surface came to life with a wealth of personal information, emails, and files belonging only to her. She nervously scoured through all of it to catch up to what was being thrown in her direction at light speed, attempting to leverage an even setting for a meeting that became a battlefield she didn't expect to find herself in.
"Which of you is James Ellington, Ari's history teacher?"
Instantaneously, the room went still, and Hannah could feel her stomach shifting and contorting. She could see a flicker of recognition in their faces, but there was something else, too—something disconcerting.
"Mrs. Emerson, Ari's teachers are in the conference room next door with the other parents. We are the faculty heads that run the school."
Hannah couldn't believe it. She was being singled out from the other parents and thrust into a situation she didn't fully comprehend. She couldn't decide whether to shield her son's image or appear as surprised as she felt. Worst of all, she was sitting before the school's most prominent staff, so she knew whatever was going on had to be gravely serious. She forced an apologetic smile, which soured under the school's harsh lighting. She blasted her decision to come alone without the support of her husband, wondering if it was too late to summon him for reinforcement.
"Mrs. Emerson, we take cheating very seriously at this school."
Hannah's heart raced as the principal's stern voice echoed through the room. The accusation struck her like a bolt, and she couldn't refrain herself any longer.
Her charged thoughts tumbled out her mouth faster than she could keep up.
"Cheating? My son isn't a cheater!"
She felt her cheeks flush as an insurmountable sense of judgment filled the room. Every pair of eyes seemed to glare brightly at her, intensifying her discomfort.
"Then perhaps you can explain how your son's essays are suddenly on par with an IQ level far above his age. Or how he was able to solve math problems using college-level formulas?" Probed a stern voice from her left, joining the others in what felt like a well-mannered assault.
"We've taken a closer look at some of his latest work, and quite frankly, we've never seen anything like it before. The notion that someone hasn't been helping him with these assignments is... how do I put it?"
"It's impossible," another voice added, joining a chorus of worried faces that remained focused on Hannah as if she were the one in trouble.
Suddenly, her anger ignited, and she sat up straight, preparing for a confrontation she knew she would have to face alone.
"In other words, you're telling me my son isn't intellectually capable of scoring as high as he did. Are you trying to tell me my son is lazy or just stupid?"
"Neither. We're simply telling you that there's more to the story."
Frustrated, Hannah could no longer contain her emotions. She stood up abruptly, bumping into the table before her, and quickly made her way to the exit.
"Before I leave, let me make one thing clear. If my son achieved such high scores, it's because he worked for it. He is not a cheater, and the idea that any of you would even consider such a thing is ridiculous."
Hannah burst through the door, slamming it behind her before storming through the school's hallways as the sound of her heels reverberated off the walls. While some parents may take kindly to a surprise ambush, she certainly was not one of them.
As she took each step, her frustration mounted, drowned out only by the insistent thoughts in her head, wondering if her son was indeed cheating. The whole situation was beyond embarrassing, and she almost didn't want to uncover the truth. Then, just for a moment, she considered the possibility that he wasn't cheating. If that were true, how on earth did he achieve such incredible scores?
Hannah returned home fuming. She didn't understand what was going on under her nose, but she would certainly find out. She barged through the front door, quietly stomping her way into the kitchen, passing Ari and Jordan while they were engaged in a detailed conversation to which she paid little attention. She threw her keys onto the counter, gripped the sides of her head in private, and thought intently about what to do. Her son was either cheating in school or was suddenly a genius, neither of which made any sense. She tried to cast away her preoccupation with the dilemma, but as a mother who knew every facet of her family's existence, she couldn't bear to dismiss another inconclusive mystery. Far too many unusual things were going on under her roof for her liking, and she refused to harbor any more.
"What's a Tracer Drone?" Asked Ari, his legs bent underneath him on the couch beside his father.
He and Jordan had been enthralled with the TV for hours, watching a broadcast on the evolution of law enforcement practices that had Ari inches away from the screen in amazement. Living in a small town certainly had advantages, but exposure to modern technology wasn't one of them. Ari had grown up separate from the troubling woes of big city life, shielded from the horrors they saw on the news in the safety of his own home.
"Tracer Drones track criminals down and follow them after they commit a crime," declared Jordan, watching Ari's captivated eyes grow wide with excitement, unaware of his mother's raging temper. "Wherever they go, the Drone goes too, until the real cops arrive to make an arrest. They never stop their pursuit until a more pressing matter comes up."
"Like what?" Questioned Ari, waiting restlessly for the answer as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd learned all week.
"Something life-threatening."
"Wanna tell me how you're suddenly a math Wiz?" Asked Hannah, grimacing as she batted her eyelashes in Ari's direction.
She sat right next to him, reclined on the couch, looking too cozy for a woman who gets swept away by every wind. Her face was lit up with an exaggerated grin that almost hurt to look at, undoubtedly a ploy to cover the fact that she was ready to embark on a spontaneous investigation targeting her son.
"What do you mean?" asked Ari, drawing in a hesitant gulp of air.
"You scored a 97% on your last math exam. How on earth did you manage to pull that off?"
Ari searched her eyes, trying to understand the direction of her question. The duress in her tone was unmistakable. She was upset, and he knew he was the cause. For no other reason would she be counteracting venomous anger with artificial exuberance.
"I'm only going to ask you once, and you'd better tell me the truth, or there will be consequences," said Hannah, adjusting herself as she sat on the tiniest edge of the furniture, glowering into him with two powerful eyes. Are you cheating on your schoolwork?"
"No," whined Ari through a reticent, shrinking tone.
In an instant, Hannah could feel the room's warmth rise to an uncomfortable level. She didn't detect the faintest hint of dishonesty, and even though she believed him, the truth didn't make enough sense to be true. She couldn't understand how to reconcile his most significant improvement in performance with the boy she knew who had never studied for school. She couldn't figure it out, and she determined that his reaction to her blatant assertion would reveal whatever secrets he was hiding, however costly.
"You're lying to me!" shouted Hannah, rising to her feet.
"I am not!"
"Then why did the entire school board just tell me otherwise?"
"I don't know!" shouted Ari, advancing as fast as possible to his room.
Although her move had backfired, she couldn't give up just yet. She was determined to crack her son's hidden code.
"Get back here right now," she insisted, trailing closely behind.
She yelled after him many times, but he scurried away from her grasp as if he didn't hear her resounding voice echo up the stairs and into the hallway. He slammed the door shut before she had a chance to follow his footsteps into the bedroom, and then she slapped her hand against the door as if she couldn't unwind the knob herself. She was irate on the outside, while in reality, she felt remorseful for waging a war against her 12-year-old son.
Ari didn't reply, but as she began striding away as loud as possible, the door flew halfway open, revealing an angry boy blanketed in darkness. He seized her attention, causing her to stop cold in her tracks. Maybe he would forgive her temper if only she could find it in her stubborn heart to be humble. She looked into his eyes, and her hand flew to her chest. Her narrow eyes widened as she prepared to apologize for her brash reaction.
"By the way, there's a van outside the house watching us. They're probably tapping our phones and listening to our conversations, but you're too concerned about impressing other parents to notice."
With that, the door slammed shut, leaving Hannah stunned and confused on the other side of the wall that separated her from Ari. It was the most she had heard him speak in weeks, and suddenly, he left her with a mystifying announcement that she didn't understand.
Swayed by a surge of relentless wonder, she dashed into her bedroom. Rushing to the nearest window, she scrutinized the dark neighborhood below, trying to understand what Ari had meant. Pressing her face against the cold glass, she looked for anything unusual but found nothing.
Although it wasn't the mystery she had hoped to solve, she at least managed to extract some information from him. Part of her wondered if his latest comment was merely a tactic to distract her from the truth he refused to reveal. The other part imagined the one possibility she struggled to accept—that her son was remarkably brilliant.
A genius, perhaps, but how?