Is the kid the true evil in this story? I’m Herschel Sterling, and I’m here to help.
Mitchell had a mission. He really knew for sure that there was something wrong about Paul. He was going to prove it. Everything that Mitchell was able to do, Paul was able to do better. That just wasn’t right, because Mitchell was sure that he was better than Paul. He was going to prove that Paul should not be seen as being better than Mitchell was.
In science class, Paul was usually finished with his work the soonest, and he would have time to work on his drawings while the other kids finished. Paul knew there was something fishy about that. There is no way that Paul could finish before Mitchell and get a better score on his work because Mitchell was smarter than Paul. Mitchell was going to prove it.
The next time there was a quiz, Mitchell watched Paul like a hawk because he knew for sure that Paul had to be cheating, because he was dumb and Mitchell was smart. In between answering the quiz questions, Mitchell watched every move Paul made. He could see him because he was sitting behind him, one row over from Paul and a couple of seats back. This was a perfect vantage point for seeing what that rascal, Paul, was up to.
“Mitchell, can you come out into the hallway and see me, please?” The teacher said it aloud from his desk. Mitchell felt special, the teacher wanted to see him, separate from the rest of the class. He went out to the hallway with the teacher with a smile on his face, thinking it must have something to do with his being so set apart from the other kids.
“Mitchell, I'm going to have to flunk your quiz because I saw you consistently watching Mitchell take his test, and I can't trust that you weren't looking at his pages.” Mitchell was horrified. “No! I was watching to see how he was cheating, because he always gets done faster than me and gets a better score, and that is not right; I'm better than he is!” Mitchell said. The teacher looked at Mitchell, puzzled and humored. “Mitchell, I have to flunk your quiz, you're not making any sense. Keep your eyes on your own pages from now on, because next time I'll be talking to your parents.
Mitchell's brow furrowed, he was fuming mad, he could barely contain himself. “I can see that you're upset, Mitchell.” The teacher told him, “Stay in the hallway until you can compose yourself. When you are settled down, you can return to class.” After a few minutes, Mitchell was able to keep his angered expression under control, but inside he was still fuming. As he walked past Paul's chair, he looked at him with contempt. There was a look of certainty on Mitchell's face. He was defiant. He had no idea why that teacher had it in for him.
The next day, all the kids were in the cafeteria for an assembly. The chairs were set up in rows with aisles. Mitchell had an aisle seat, and he was watching behind him to see all the kids who got there after he did as they filed into the cafeteria. “Here comes Paul,” he said to himself. “This is my chance to show everyone how clumsy he is.”
As Paul approached Mitchell's chair, Mitchell stuck his foot out in order to trip him up. As the very tip of Paul's toe sensed Mitchell's foot through his shoe, Paul simply adjusted to the obstacle, and he gracefully hopped right over it, not really even noticing. Paul crossed his arms in disbelief because he trips all the time, and he can't understand how Paul can do that. “He must be on drugs.” Mitchell thought to himself. “No one could be so coordinated unless they're on drugs; I know he's hiding something.” Mitchell's imagination was reeling with excuses and reasons for Paul's athletic, natural reflexes.
Later that day, Mitchell was shadowing Paul. He carefully followed him down the hallway and watched as he effortlessly greeted and spoke with the other students. “Why is he being so nice? He's up to something,” Mitchell thought to himself. “He has some ulterior motive for always being so cheerful; no one is that happy.”
There was a teacher who was observing Mitchell, and Mitchell observed Paul. He seemed curious as to what was happening between these two students. He watched as Mitchell stood across the hallway from Paul as Paul opened the combination lock on his locker. He watched Mitchell jot something down in his notebook. As Paul turned from his locker, he saw Mitchell. “Hey Mitchell, how's it going? “I'll see you in science class later on!” Mitchell feigned politeness with a fake smile, turned, and kept walking in the other direction. The teacher, who had been watching, took mental notes on the entire event.
The next morning, while his mother was asleep before he left for school, Mitchell snuck into his mother's medicine cabinet and stole some pills. He placed them in a sandwich bag and stuck them in his pocket. He had determined that he couldn't find any proof, but he knew he had to do the right thing and take care of that menace, Paul. It was in everyone's best interest. The community would be better off for it.
The teacher, who had been watching the scene from the day before, kept his eye on Mitchell as Mitchell sneakily opened Paul's locker and placed the sandwich bag in Paul's locker. This teacher watched Mitchell walk away with a look of satisfaction on his face. He again made a mental note of the situation but did not apprehend Mitchell for the obvious criminal behavior. The next thing Mitchell did was write some notes down in his notebook, and then he tore the page out of it and folded it. He went to the principal's office and, without being seen, placed the note on the counter while the people in the office were looking elsewhere.
Later that day, during science class, Mitchell was gleeful when the principal and a police officer came into the room and escorted Paul out of the room. Everyone was concerned. No one knew what was happening, and the kids and the teacher were instructed to continue on with their day, as they had nothing to be concerned about. Mitchell was certain that he had finally vanquished his nemesis forever.
The next day, Mitchell was alarmed and confused when he saw that Paul was back at school. Instead of being vanquished, he was simply the object of gossip and embarrassment. Apparently, the cause of all the controversy was that he had been found to have a bag of laxatives in his locker, and he swore up and down that he had no idea how they got in there. Mitchell was furious, he should have made sure the pills were something serious that would have gotten Paul kicked out of school and ruined his life. Mitchell was back to square one.
As Mitchell was walking the hallway between classes, the teacher who had observed his exploits pulled him aside and asked him to go with him. “Hey Mitchell, come with me,” he said. Mitchell became scared. He thought he was busted, because he did notice the teacher in the hallway during his malevolence, but he thought he was careful enough. Apparently not. The teacher took him to his office, and they had a conversation.
“Mitchell, you're special.” Mitchell liked the sound of this because he always knew he was special. “There is a special place in society for people with your skills and insights. How'd you like to be in a special law enforcement program where you can use your special abilities and your exceptional personality for the greater good of society?”
Mitchell always knew he was better than Paul. “I'm better than Paul; I'm better than all these stupid kids.” He said this to himself as he walked to his next class.
The End.
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