Some weeks later Mrs. Sterling was waiting outside the headteacher’s office. She had received a call from the school and was asked to come in to discuss some concerns that the school had with David’s behavior.

‘Good morning Cheryl’ - said the receptionist, as she walked past Mrs. Sterling

‘Good morning Kathy’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘What are you doing here?’ - said the receptionist

‘Och. The headmaster wants to talk to me about David. He said he has some concerns’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘David hasn’t been in any trouble, has he?’ - said the receptionist

‘No, he is as good as gold. All he does is read and work these days. Comes home from school and does his homework in about 15 minutes, and then he is reading all night until bedtime. Book after book!’ - said Mrs. Sterling

The headteacher’s door opened.

‘Mrs. Sterling?’ - said the headteacher

‘Yes’ - said Mrs. Sterling, standing

‘Come in, please’ - said the headteacher

The headteacher held the door open for Mrs. Sterling and then closed it and sat behind his desk.

‘Please have a seat, Mrs. Sterling’

Mrs. Sterling sat down.

‘What’s this all about?’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘Yes. Well thank you for coming today Mrs. Sterling, but it appears we have a bit of a problem with young David’ - said the headteacher

‘What kind of problem?’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘Well, not to put it too bluntly. A cheating problem’ - said the headteacher

‘Cheating?’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘Yes. Cheating I am afraid’ - said the headteacher, opening a file on his desk - ‘Young David scored 56% and 61% in the previous two mathematics tests. David took the mid-term test this week and scored 100%. For science David had scored 62% for chemistry in the previous test and in the mid-term he scored 100%. For physics he scored 49% in the previous test and has scored 100% in the mid-term. The same for geography and history. For French, which is David’s weakest subject he has gone from 22% in the previous French grammar test to 100% in the mid-term test. English, from 73% to 100%. David scored 100% - he got every single question right on every single test for every single subject’

Mrs. Sterling didn’t know what to say.

‘We are, unfortunately, going to have to suspend David’ - said the headteacher

‘Suspend him?’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘Yes, unfortunately. This is not just writing down a couple of answers on the back of his pencil case, Mrs. Sterling. David has cheated on every single one of the mid-term tests. This is very serious, and the school intends to respond to this matter in an equally serious way’ - said the headteacher

‘Have you spoken to David about this?’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘Yes we have. David denies cheating. So he is now both a cheat and a liar’ - said the headteacher

‘His father was a very clever man’ - said Mrs. Sterling - ‘And he was a late bloomer’

‘Yes Mrs. Sterling, I am aware of David’s father. But you cannot go from scoring 29% in a physics test to 100% in a matter of weeks. Regardless of how late you might bloom. I know this is difficult for you to hear, and I am sorry, but your son has cheated and then lied about cheating and he will be punished’ - said the headteacher

‘Give him another test - with just you and him’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘I beg your pardon?’ - said the headteacher

‘You bring him in here, and you give him a test to write. Just him and you’ - said Mrs. Sterling

‘And what will this prove?’ - said the headteacher

‘You set the test, anything you want. Science or math or whatever. He will take the test, and if he fails it you can do whatever you want to punish him’ - said Mrs. Sterling - ‘That boy’s father was described as the cleverest man that had ever lived’

The headteacher sat and thought.

‘Alright Mrs. Sterling. One test, in this office. If young David Sterling doesn’t do anything other that ace that test then he will be suspended immediately - today - and until further notice’ - said the headteacher

Mrs. Sterling left the school, and the headteacher sent a runner to get David Sterling and bring him to his office.

David Sterling sat outside the headteacher’s office.

The office door opened.

‘Inside Sterling’ - said the headteacher

David walked into the office. The headteacher closed the door and sat down behind his desk.

‘Sit’ - said the headteacher

David sat down, and smiled at the headteacher.

‘How are you today, sir’ - said David

The headteacher hesitated.

‘We suspect you of having cheated on the mid-term tests, Sterling. You are here today to take one more test, Mr. Sterling. How you perform on this test will determine whether you are suspended, or are a late blooming genius…’ - said the Headteacher, before being interrupted by David

‘Very well, headteacher’

‘I suspect that you are not a late blooming genius’ - said the headteacher

‘We shall see’ - said David, smiling

The headteacher hesitated again.

‘The test you will be taking today is the GCSE physics mock exam paper. I will be staying with you and observing you. You have 120 minutes to complete the test, Sterling’ - said the headteacher, placing an exam paper in front of David Sterling - ‘Here is a pen’

David looked at the exam paper, and then smiled at the headteacher.

‘Shall I start?’ - said David

The headteacher started a timer on his desk - ‘You may start’

David picked up the pen, and opened the exam paper.

David immediately started completing answers. One after the other.

‘What are you doing boy?’ - said the headteacher, snatching the paper from David Sterling

The headteacher looked at the first page, and the first 8 questions that David had answered. The headteacher looked at the questions and worked out the answers in his head. It took about 15 minutes for the headteacher to check the 8 questions that David completed in about 20 seconds.

The headteacher put the exam paper back in front of David , with a confused look on his face.

‘Is everything alright, headteacher?’ - said David

The headteacher hesitated again.

‘Yes, everything is alright. Oh, I’m sorry - I didn’t stop the timer’ - said the headteacher

‘That won’t be necessary headteacher, I am nearly finished’ - said David

David continued to work through the questions. He finished the exam in another 1 minute and 26 seconds.

David placed the pen down on the desk, and smiled at the headteacher.

The headteacher took the exam paper and flicked through the answers.

The head teacher picked up the phone and spoke to the receptionist. He asked for the head of science to come to his office.

The head of science joined David and the headteacher in the headteacher’s office.

The headteacher handed the exam paper to the head of science.

‘Can you score this test?’ - said the headteacher

The head of science took the test and flipped through the exam.

‘Who wrote this?’ - said the head of science, looking at David

‘He did’ - said the headteacher - ‘In about 2 minutes’

‘2 minutes? That’s not possible’ - said the head of science

‘I watched him’ - said the head teacher

‘It will take me a while to mark this’ - said the head of science

‘We have time’’ - said the headteacher

‘Do you have a calculator I can borrow?’ - said the head of science

The head of science scored the exam.

‘100%’ - said the head of science

‘Are you sure?’ - said the headteacher

‘Oh yes. This is beautiful. Did he really do this, is this a joke or a prank?’ - said the head of science

‘He did’ - said the headteacher

‘In how long?’ - said the head of science

‘About 2 minutes’ - said the headteacher

‘That isn't possible’ - said the head of science

‘Thank you’ - said the headteacher - ‘If you can leave us now’

The head of science stood, and left the office shaking his head.

The headteacher placed another exam in front of David .

‘GCSE mathematics. You have 120 minutes. I am a math teacher Sterling, and I will be watching you write every answer’ - said the headteacher

‘May I start?’ - said David

‘You may’ - said the headteacher, starting the timer and walking behind David to look over his shoulder as he completed the exam.

It took David 1 minute and 14 seconds to complete the exam.

The head teacher picked up the exam paper and looked through the answers.

‘How did I do?’ - said David

The headteacher didn’t say anything. It took him a whule to read through the exam paper and score it with a calculator.

The headteacher sat.

‘100%’ - said the headteacher

‘Would you like me to do another one?’ - said David

The headteacher stared at David .

‘No, that won't’ be necessary’ - said the headteacher - ‘Return to your lessons’