Chapter 3: Class Of Strangers

CHAPTER 3: CLASS OF STRANGERS

 

For as long as society has been in existence, the concept of ‘groups’ and ‘individuals’ have been relevant.

There must always be a collective before a ‘person’ can be. The same applies vice versa.

However, it is also as old as society itself that conflict will be birthed from a mix of people. In that vein, a clash is inevitable.

There is only one path out of this design.

 

——————————

 

“I see. So, that’s how it is.” John laughed silently.

This school did not betray his expectations, after all. 

“They banded the returners into one Class, and we newcomers into another. It’s obvious what this school is trying to achieve once you figure that out…”

The only question was whether everyone else could see the true intentions of the school. However, there was no doubt in John’s mind. This was a learning place for the world’s brightest, after all.

“If I may continue, I would like everyone to hear me out. We shouldn’t feel stuck this way.”

John’s eyes lit up as he took in more of the brunette’s charisma. Her social skill was top-notch, and her beauty was captivating too. Those factors caused the attention of about ninety percent of the class to remain glued in her direction.

“As Mr. Archibald said in his address, also emphasized by our Principal in his opening address, this school fosters competition. This arrangement is how they plan to kickstart their agenda.” The girl spoke eloquently and fluidly.

In essence, it was a contest between oldies and newbies. Anyone with common sense could tell who would emerge victorious though.

“Yes, they have an advantage since they’ve attended Richardson’s longer than we have. They probably have more knowledge on the system in place, and are probably more adept in terms of ability, however…” Her passionate voice resonated with everyone as she relentlessly poured her heart out.

“... That does not guarantee them victory!”

Doubtful stares greeted her. 

So far, she had done well… but without concrete proof to back up her assertion, the students could as well just accept their fates as inferior students.

“Richardson Elite Academy prioritizes the growth of all its students and guarantees fairness. I don’t believe that they will be biased by giving one class an advantage over the other. The scales must be evenly balanced.”

Even though she didn’t have enough information to completely assure everyone of their security, what she had just said was enough to calm their minds. After all, she was right.

“We simply need to calmly assess the situation and prepare appropriately. There could be a group exercise, and we might be required to function as a team. In that sense, it’s best we get to know one another quickly. That way, Year 1A won’t have the edge over us.”

Everyone understood her point of view, and the way she passed her information across to the whole class spoke volumes about her character.

“My name is Charlotte Olivia. I’m happy to meet all of you. Let’s get along well.” With a bright smile and her right hand on her chest, Charlotte greeted everyone.

That moment was enough to change the direction of the class… and her intervention kickstarted the first step Year 1B took as a group—

—Introductions.

 

—————————

 

There wasn’t enough time for an elaborate introduction, but every member of the class stood and introduced themselves.

It was a good thing that no one objected to it, and everyone agreed without any argument or resistance. Perhaps it was because of the pressure and inexperience that assailed them. No one had enough information, and Charlotte was the only one who offered a reasonable solution.

Certainly, the best and brightest students who were in the room were sensible enough not to argue with anything.

John tapped his desk slightly as he awaited his turn. His curled-up lips were moving slightly as he hummed. From the front row, to the second, and then the third, students rose to their feet and spoke.

It was soon his turn, and the young boy stood on his feet to give his first impression on everyone.

“My name is John Lenard. A pleasure to meet everyone here.” 

With that ordinary greeting, he returned to his seat and kept smiling.

“I nailed it!” He gave himself a personal fist bump, celebrating the new experience.

The introductions continued and John looked in the direction of the girl who started everything—Charlotte Olivia.

He was honestly impressed with her social skills and leadership qualities. Someone like her would suit a proper Class Representative. 

But…

You are reading story High School Syndrome at novel35.com

‘She’s too naive.’ John gave his review internally.

‘For one, she seems awfully pleased with herself for bringing everyone together and identifying the problem, but isn’t that basic? Professor Charles Richardson and Mr. Matthias Archibald already gave us enough clues, so this much is expected. Also…’

John looked at everyone in the class.

‘... Why has no one figured it out yet? Why were they surprised when she brought it up? Do they still not understand the implications of why we’re here? Maybe they’re hiding their knowledge…’

Because, if they weren’t… if everyone had been caught by surprise by the statement Charlotte made, then John was disappointed.

To make matters worse, Charlotte had mentioned ‘figuring it out together’ when addressing the unbiased reason behind the school’s purposeful division of the classes. 

‘Why can’t they see it? Is it just me?’ He wondered.

Sure, anyone with standard reasoning would think that Year 1A had an edge over 1B. 

Richardson Elite Academy boasted the best in terms of education and so many other factors. The Year 1A students had been in this environment longer than their counterparts, so wasn’t it pretty obvious that they would do better?

However, the true answer was far from that.

‘They must have been in separate classes in Middle School, so the ones who passed have now been placed in the same class. They must have been forced to compete against one another—to the extreme—back when they were in Middle School. Things won’t suddenly change now that they’re in High School.’

Having two warring parties in one group wouldn’t automatically make them an efficient team. Bad blood and a great amount of rivalry would still be present, and they would need a more skilled orator to band them together—unlike Charlotte’s barely passable performance.

This was all John’s opinion, of course.

‘Besides, their knowledge in Middle School… their preconceived notions… they probably won’t apply here.’

Not only were the respective campuses separate from each other, but the system would be completely alien. These differentiating factors would render the knowledge of the returnees obsolete.

‘They’re forced to deal with unresolved rivalry, while we are meant to bond as an efficient group… that evens the playing field.’ There were many other factors, and John ran them through his mind.

Still, he had to wonder if it was only he who had these thoughts. That couldn’t be, right? 

‘I can't assume anything, so I’ll just watch.’ The fact that he was silent meant there were most likely others who shared his thought.

And so, John looked around him once more.

The Introductions were just concluding, and after that, Charlotte was most likely going to speak again.

‘I’ll go along with this, for now. But…’ A glint appeared in his eyes as he stared in Charlotte’s direction.

He wasn’t staring at the girl, really. No, it was something else.

“I really want that seat.” A sigh escaped John’s lips as he appeared deflated.

Still, he pumped himself up quickly. It was his first day of school, so he had to play his part well. If he decided to be too… himself… then the chances of him achieving his goal would reduce.

They wouldn’t understand him, just as he currently didn’t understand them. It was this divide that he sought to overcome.

“That’s why I chose this school, after all.”

 

—————————

 

“Alright, everyone. Your ten minutes are up.” Our homeroom teacher entered the classroom.

It was exactly 9:00 AM, and while the students were expecting to see a teacher, they weren’t expecting Mr. Matthias Archibald.

“Within your desks, you’ll see a sheet of paper and a biro. Bring both of those stationeries out and write out the names of all your classmates.”

The teacher’s voice sounded almost mechanical, but his youthful smile faded.

“U-UH—?” Confused gasps escaped the lips of the students.

“This exercise will be graded. You have three minutes…” His voice continued.

The look in his eyes and his unchanging expression showed everyone just how serious he was about all he said.

At this point, students frantically began to search their lockers for the tools needed to start their surprising task. They had no time to question anything. 

Writing the names of twenty-four strangers in just three minutes… that was the exercise given.

“... Your time starts now.”

You can find story with these keywords: High School Syndrome, Read High School Syndrome, High School Syndrome novel, High School Syndrome book, High School Syndrome story, High School Syndrome full, High School Syndrome Latest Chapter