Meeting the dread name

     "Oh, really?" Mr. Pat asked, his tone almost sarcastic. "Don't you realize all this stuff leads to things that are much, much more fascinating? We need to build a solid foundation, so you can have a lot of fun later."

He only received a blank stare in return.

"I mean it! Here's an example: how many of you have heard about quantum physics?"

Along with a few others, Tom raised his hand. He'd once watched a really cool Discovery Channel with his dad about the subject. Both of them agreed afterwards that quantum physics must have been something Star Trek fans invented, so they'd have another topic to discuss instead of debating the number of times Mr. Nukeman visited the toilet every day.

"Who would like to take a stab and tell us what it is all about?" Mr. Pat asked.

Trying to make up for his earlier daydreaming, Tom was the only one who offered. Mr. Pat nodded towards him.

"It's about the really, minimal stuff—stuff smaller than an atom. And they have countless properties that don't follow the same rules as physics."

"Wow, you're smart, newbie," someone whispered from the back. He thought it was one of his known bullies back at Deer Park, but that couldn't be true. Tom ignored him.

"For example?" Mr. Pat prodded, either not hearing the smart Alec remark or having heard it regarding it.

"Well, I don't remember a lot of the show I saw on TV, but the thing that really seemed cool is that they've basically stated that things could be two or more in more places at once."

"Excellent, Thomas. That's part of it." Mr. Pat paced forward and back in front of the students, hands clasped behind him, trying to fit the mold of a smart professor. "We can get to it very much in this class, but I think many of you will be excited to learn about it as you study more advanced classes in high school. My favorite aspect of Q.P., as we used to call it in my peer study group, is the fact that they have proven that you can affect the location of an object simply by observing it. In other words, how you study it changes the outcome, which means there must be more than one outcome occurring simultaneously. Does that make sense?"

Tom nodded, fascinated, wishing that they could drop the easy stuff and go deeper into this subject. He didn't bother looking around the room because, knowing what happens at Deer Park, he expected blank stares from the rest of his classmates.

"Basically," Mr. Pat continued, He shook his head slightly and stared at the floor, a smile on his face, as if recalling a pleasant memory.

What a great tutor, Mr. Tomikins can be! A good one, really a good one, and a good mentor. He thought.

"Nothing in all my studies has ever fascinated me as much as quantum physics."

He paused, looking around the room, and his face dropped into a scowl of disappointment, like a kid who'd just told his parents he'd seen a dragonfly, only to get back a "who cares?" In return, "Go wash your hands for dinner."

"Uh… Anyway, I guess that's enough on that subject. The bell's about to ring. Don't forget, your monthly research report is due tomorrow."

Tom gathered his things and put them in his backpack, not worried about the assignment, which he could finish in the twinkle of an eye once he got home.

Mr. Pat came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thomas right?"

Tom nodded.

"You should think about studying quantum physics in more detail when you get a chance. It's right up your alleyway. Don't you think this is a pretty crazy world we live in?"

"Tell me about it," Tom muttered. Mr. Pat shook his shoulder gently before striding off to the back door, which swung with a disturbing sound coming from the hinges, just like those in hospitals. Immediately that hospital thought came into Tom's mind, the flash of the gnome attack started flowing in, and a shiver creeped up his spine.

"This is pretty much a crazy world we live in."

The back door swung again. Tom didn't bother to check out to know if it was Mr. Pat again, but he just guessed it would be him until he heard a strange masculine voice, very gentle.

"Hello, Thomas Noland, right?"

Tom spun immediately, just to see a very young man with big glasses. He shifted it continuously, as if it was sagging out of his face. He was slim, just like Tom.

"Nice to meet you," he said as he extended his hands to shake Tom's.

Tom nodded, but he was a bit out of state. Who's this?

As if the young man before him heard his thoughts, "My name is actually… Mr. Tomikins, Tomikins Clayton."

At that moment, it seemed as if everything had shut down for Tom. You? I know you… Tomikins Industries, Martian gnomes.

It took a few minutes for Tom to realize that the man had said hello like five times before he snapped back into reality.

Mr. Tomikins continued, "I am your main teacher. While Mr. Pat is my friend, he's the substitute. Whenever I'm not around, he takes over. Just like today, I went to sort things out with the bursary unit. He was here in your class." He paused, with a smile curling up his face, "Hope you enjoyed his class?"

"Yes, I'd say it was worth it." Tom said.

"That's nice to hear from a new kid. See you next time. If you've got any questions, I'm always around to guide you." Mr. Tomikins took a few books from the class book rack and was about to walk away.

"Hey, Mr. Tomikins?"

 "Yes?"

"Does your family… I mean… have you ever heard of a company called Tomikins Industries?"

Mr. Tomikins's face wrinkled into a look of confusion. "I've never heard of it before, but there are a lot of Tomikins in the world. Why?"

"Oh, nothing… It's just an ad I saw somewhere. It made me wonder if you had anything to do with it."

 "I wish. Sounds like it could've made me rich."

"Yeah, maybe. Well, see you tomorrow." Tom swung his backpack over his shoulder and walked to his next class.