Authors note: A reimagining of Ozhojabbe's Gifted and Talented. Written with the author's permission.

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Miriam Werner heard her office door open and continued to look through the school records. She was checking out the birth dates and other information of the seniors.

Miriam liked the old days when things were done with pencils and paper. When files were actual files in a cabinet. When people read books that were actual books. Listened to records that were on tape or better yet vinyl. Now no matter where you looked everything was on a computer screen, even phones.

"Um... excuse me. Is this the school counselor's office?"

Miriam looked up, and tried to place the student. Blonde, glasses, no slouch in the looks department and eyes that radiated intelligence. The girl was very pretty without having to be made up, Miriam liked that. The girl was wearing modorn clothing which Miriam didn't like. She preferred skirts and blouses in muted colors, not the flashy and tight t-shirts with leggings that were in style now. Her last assistant was like that, but she was gone, graduated last June.

Miriam prided herself on knowing all of the school's students (even if it wasn't much of a feat in a rural school like this), but she was drawing a rare blank here. She nodded and motioned for the girl to sit.

The girl obliged and spoke again. "I know I just transferred in, but I'm not finding my classes challenging enough. I was hoping I could talk to you about fixing that?"

Miriam smiled. So this was the new transfer student all the teachers were talking about. "Ah, so you're Susan Corsetti, then? I'm sorry to hear that the course load your father and I hashed out over the phone isn't to your liking. What exactly is the problem?" Miriam pulled up Susan's profile on her computer. She hadn't gotten around to looking at it this morning with all the others.

Susan looked nervous. "Well, it's just... At my old school I was in the gifted and talented program, and all of my classes were honors and AP classes. Right now, you guys have me in the same classes that all the other seniors are taking. I've already taken half of the classes I'm currently enrolled in, and even the ones I haven't taken already are painfully slow and, well, easy. Since this is my last year, I was hoping to have more challenging classes to prepare me for college..."

Miriam looked over Susan's records. Susan had transferred into the school only a few days ago. She had just turned eighteen on labor day. Susan was one of the unfortunate who was born 'too late'. Most of the seniors would be turning eighteen this school year, but the lucky ones would be doing it in June. Susan had lost an entire year and was one of the oldest students attending. She made up for it by taking the most challenging classes the school would allow. "I'm sorry Susan, but we're a small district. We've never really had the funding to offer AP and honors classes. I'm afraid your last year might have to be an easy one for you. Look on the bright side, you'll probably be a shoe-in for any college you decide to apply to."

Susan looked crestfallen.

Miriam frowned. This wouldn't do at all. "That said... I might still be able to help you."

Susan brightened a little. "Really? How?"

Miriam pulled out a red crystal that seemed to shimmer in the light. "With this. Why don't you take a closer look?"

Susan's excitement faded. Was this some sort of new-agey crystal nonsense? However, as she glanced at the crystal she couldn't help but notice the strange star pattern the light made as it passed through. Even though Miriam was holding it perfectly still, it seemed to move, radiating outward again... and again... and again... Eventually, Susan was just staring, zombie-like at the crystal.

"Susan, can you hear me?" Miriam asked.

There was a brief pause before Susan gave a soft, breathy response. "Yes."

Miriam crossed her arms. Many young women had come to her office in the preceeding years. Miriam has an old pro at this by now. "You're unhappy because your classes are too easy, correct?"