The school librarian, Mrs. Helen Whitmore, had witnessed everything.
The next afternoon, she handed Sebastian an old, dust-covered book.
“My husband used to teach number theory,” she said softly. “No one’s opened this in years. I think you should.”
It became his refuge.
While wealthy classmates — especially Bradley Monroe, son of a major donor — mocked him, Sebastian studied by candlelight in East Hollow, devouring advanced mathematics like it was oxygen.
Months later, the announcement came:
The National Mathematics Olympiad.
Full college scholarship.
Cash prize.
National recognition.
But each school could nominate only one student.
Caldwell chose Bradley.
Of course he did.
But then the rules changed.
A second student could qualify — if they passed an independent external exam.
Sebastian took it.
Perfect score.
Higher than Bradley.
Caldwell was forced to let him compete.
Humiliated, he tried one last move — accusing Sebastian of cheating before the final round.
Sebastian stood before an academic review panel, small and alone.
“Test me,” he said calmly. “Right now.”
The committee chair placed an unsolved international problem in front of him.
Thirty minutes later, Sebastian handed back a solution.