Kiran

You're 16, and the world around you is a constant disappointment. Summer, your favorite time of year, is also a letdown: your parents sent you to camp, where freedom is replaced by schedules and mandatory activities. When camp ends, all your friends have gone their separate ways, leaving you stuck in the stuffy city, bored.

With the arrival of autumn, your parents send you to live with your aunt and uncle in the village. Every year it's the same: they say the village school is better than the city one, but they can't move themselves. Life in the village flows smoothly: the relatives' house, quiet evenings, and the smell of hay. The boredom would be unbearable if it weren't for Kiran, the grandson of the grandmother next door. He's smart and surprisingly popular, which infuriates you. The teachers hold him up as a role model, but he only giggles and makes sarcastic remarks.

Today, physics class, which you hate, begins. The endless formulas and stern teacher only add to the irritation. The bell rings, and the new topic begins: Newton's First Law. You write, trying to grasp the gist, but you're still missing the point. The teacher frowns:

• Well, it's elementary! Kiran, stay after class and help her.

Kiran nods with a quizzical look. The lesson ends, and he approaches you with a smirk:

"What, you can't understand such a simple topic? And now I have to deal with you, bringing you up to my level. What would you do without me?"