Congratulations

Maxxi finished the test. He didn't want to take it, but not many fifth graders wanted to take the test anyways. Like usual he was the last to finish filling in bubbles and the last to leave the classroom.

The teacher sat at the front, staring at him with a stale smile, waiting or him finish fill in the bubbles and turn the blue test book to him.

Maxxi looked around the empty classroom, jumped out of his seat and walked up to the teacher's desk. He placed the test on the teacher's wide, metal desk.

"Are you really done, Maxxi?"

"Yes," he said shyly."

The teacher took the test, looked at the boy then placed the test in a strange machine that sat right by the printer.

Maxxi watched as the machine made sounds and blinked several colors.

"I've been watching your progress, Maxxi," the teacher said. "You haven't been a good student."

"I have been a good student, Mr. Nevil. I am a good student."

"No, no, no. You've been quite a bad student. Your grades are unsatisfactory and your temper…that has to be worked on among other things."

Maxxi ran his thumb over the wood of his pencil. "I'm not a bad student, Mr. Nevil. My parents say that I'm a good boy and I'm smart. And, and, and, I haven't hurt anyone."

"Your parents don't see your academic progress over an extended amount of time. Only I know what's going to become of you." Mr. Nevil folded his hands. Looked at the computer monitor. "You see, Maxxi, the expectations of your parents are far different than your realistic future. You do realize that your entire future is based on the work that you put out and your test scores? Not to mention your temper. You have a very, very bad temper."

Maxxi's thumb ran over the tip of his pencil. "I can fix my temper, Mr. Nevil."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Maxxi. You're moving on to middle school now. You can't go back."

Maxxi's heart began to beat faster.

Mr. Nevil shook his head. "Congratulations, Maxxi. You're going to fuck up the world."

Maxxi stared at the teacher. He shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"You're not going to be a good person, Maxxi. Everything bad that's going to happen in this world is going to be caused by you. Bad things happen because the world has very bad people. People like you."

Maxxi gripped the pencil. He started to cry. "No!"

"See, that temper. Calm yourself, Maxxi before I have someone come and take you away."

"I'm not going to be a bad person! I can change!"

"You can try all that you want, Maxxi, but you can't change. No one can drastically change like you believe because humans are human. We have problems changing. Not only that, the government isn't going to believe anything that you or your parents say because they see everything from all the tests that they placed on you. Other students have already been sent away for their good because they realize that they weren't born for this world."

The pencil broke under his grip. There was a sharp side. "I don't want to be a bad person."

"I'm sorry, Maxxi." The words were rushed. Unsympathetic. Plain.

Maxxi began to walk away. He was going to be a bad person just like the people on television. His parents would be very upset, very, very upset. He wasn't a bad person.

Maxxi stopped and looked back at the teacher, who was writing his final report on him.

"I'm not a bad person!"

"Good bye, Maxxi."

The point was sharp. Maxxi poked the point. A pea-sized ball of blood came from his thumb.

"Yeah. Good bye Mr. Nevil." He turned to leave. The door was open, but he didn't go through.

Instead he closed the door, the broken pencil still in his hand.