Rise of Genius

It was an ordinary, unremarkable day in a small town. The weather, as if by someone’s design, was bright and clear, as if nature wanted to give people a break from the lingering fall rains. Nick, an ordinary high school student, sat on a stone bench near the school and watched his best friend Misha talking animatedly about something nearby, waving his arms. On the other hand, Maria, his girlfriend, was sitting next to Nick and seemed a little bored by Misha’s endless chatter.

Nick was a smart guy, always one step ahead of his classmates when it came to studying, and in life he was distinguished by some invisible talent to quickly understand people. But he tried not to stand out. He valued simple friendship with Misha and warm moments with Masha. It was his private place, his little world where he could be himself.

The middle of the school day was smoothly transitioning into evening. Several black cars with tinted windows suddenly appeared at the school entrance, attracting the attention of everyone around. Teachers, students – everyone froze, not realizing what was happening. Out of one of the cars came a tall man in an elegant black coat, with long blond hair that was neatly styled and eyes sparkling with cold, shrewd confidence. The man, barely casting a glance at the crowd around him, walked past as if no one mattered. Only a few guards accompanied him to the entrance of the school.

- Who is it? – Misha whispered, glancing nervously at Nick.

- No idea,» Nick answered, squinting frowningly. He felt something strange: this man was no ordinary sponsor. There was power in his gaze – overwhelming and heavy.

A moment later, the headmaster came out to greet the stranger. After hearing the principal’s short speech, everyone around them realized that this was the school’s new sponsor, a rich and powerful man whose name was Alexander Kowalski. He was not just an ordinary businessman – he was rumored to be a man who could achieve anything he wished. He immediately attracted everyone’s attention, and even the teachers did not hide their admiration.

When Alexander entered the building, Nick noticed how his girlfriend, Maria, kept her eyes on him. Some fleeting admiration flashed across her face, and Nick didn’t like it. He tried to suppress the unpleasant feeling inside, but something about Alexander’s behavior made him wary.

The day was coming to an end, but Nick soon realized that this was only the beginning of strange events. In the evening, when he and Misha had arranged to meet Masha outside the school, she was nowhere to be found. She didn’t answer her phone, although that wasn’t like her. Nick felt slightly uneasy, but decided to wait. Barely ten minutes had passed when he noticed a message from Maria:

«Sorry, I have to leave on business. Talk to you later.»

Nick frowned, not used to this kind of behavior from his girlfriend. He dialed her, but again she didn’t answer. His mind, used to always finding logical explanations, told him that something was wrong here. Nick could sense that Maria was hiding something important.

Later that evening, when he did manage to contact her, Maria answered him with some incomprehensible excitement in her voice. She tried to end the conversation quickly, as if she was uncomfortable talking to him, but mentioned that she had a «special guest» that she was helping to tour the city. Nick didn’t immediately understand what that meant, but later learned that this «guest» was none other than Alexander Kowalski, the very same sponsor.

The next day, as soon as he entered the school, rumors about Maria and Kowalski spread among the students. Nick felt a wave of jealousy and anger rise in him. His best friends tried to support him, but Nick kept silent, keeping it all to himself. He began to analyze and think through how he could find out what was behind Kowalski’s appearance and how he had gained his girlfriend’s favor.

Maria stood at the window in the school hallway and watched the wind play with the leaves. She felt strange, a mixture of guilt and excitement that wouldn’t go away. Suddenly her friend Alina came up to her, noticing the change in her mood.

- Masha, you don’t look like yourself today,» she winked, nudging her in the side. – Did something happen?

Maria hesitated a moment, looked around as if to make sure no one was listening, and answered quietly:

- You won’t believe who I was with last night.

Alina froze, tilting her head interestedly.

- Wow! With whom?

Maria lowered her voice even more, her eyes sparkling.

- With the one… Alexander Kowalski,» she whispered, as if sharing her deepest secret.

- The school’s new sponsor? – Alina raised her eyebrows, barely containing her surprise. – Oh, really! How did it happen?

Maria smiled, remembering the first time he had approached her after the school day was over. He was so confident that her heart immediately beat faster. Her friend listened with bated breath as Maria recounted how Alexander had offered her a ride around the city, to show him the local sights. His smile, his attention – it was all too exciting to refuse. They went to a restaurant, then took a long walk through the night streets, and Maria didn’t even notice how she ended up in his room.

- I don’t even know what came over me,» she said quietly, blushing slightly. – It was like a dream.

Alina opened her mouth in surprise, then giggled.

- Oh, Maria, you’re so full of it! But… what about Nick? He doesn’t know, does he?

- No, and I’m not going to tell him,» she answered quickly, lowering her eyes. – It… it was just once, that’s all. Consider it nothing.

Alina nodded, but it was obvious that she was still shocked by the story. A couple of classmates passed by, and the girls hurried to change the subject, but the excitement that engulfed Maria did not go anywhere.

Meanwhile, Nick, without knowing the details, was noticing more and more how his girlfriend was acting differently. Her gaze was becoming somehow absent, she would often stop talking in the middle of a conversation and avert her eyes when he looked at her. He tried to put it down to his paranoia, but subconsciously he felt something was wrong. The only person he could share his thoughts with was Misha.

The next day, at the school stadium, he told his friend about his suspicions.

- Look, Nick,» Misha scratched the back of his head, «don’t get yourself worked up. Come on, even if she went out with this Kowalski, what difference does it make? He’ll be out of here in a couple of days, and everything will be forgotten. Let’s grab a beer, huh?

Nick nodded, but in his heart he’d already made up his mind: he’d find out what was really going on.