Snippet 1h

"O'tay," Jimmy said, watching the building with his eyes steadily growing bigger and bigger. "He'w we go..."

-

That school day turned out to be very interesting.

Spock and Jimmy actually had some fun. They both sat next to each other, and Jimmy was sometimes able to lean over and whisper funny things to Spock while the instructor wasn't looking. They did their projects together, and were always partners whenever they had to solve a math problem in class. Jimmy seemed right at home among the academics, and seemed very happy to be in the same classroom as Spock the whole day.

Sam, however, didn't blend in quite as easily with the rest of them. And that was mostly because he found no need to restrain himself from asking questions during any subject they were learning.

"So, why do the crystals work with calcium?" Sam asked, looking at the instructor who was staring at him with a not-so-kind expression. "I mean, calcium works with a lot of stuff, but the crystals from that lake lack potassium which it normally takes to make that kind of reaction."

"Perhaps you do not understand the entirety of calcium's components," the instructor said in a voice that was becoming more and more distinctly strict as the lecture went on. "Potassium is not necessary when calcium is able to provide a supply of nerotidin in its absence."

Sam gave him a look of disbelief. "No kiddin'."

The instructor raised an eyebrow.

Sybok quickly raised a hand to clarify. "He is simply expressing interest in the matter," he said, casting a discrete glare at Sam in the process. "It is a human expression."

"I see," the instructor said shortly. "Are there any other human expressions that we must be made aware of before we may move on with this lecture?"

"Preferably not," Sybok said pointedly, narrowing his eyes meaningfully at Sam.

"Good, then. Now, as we move on to the multicellular biology of this substance..."

Sybok shifted his foot over to nudge Sam's under the long desk they were seated behind. "Keep yourself quiet for the remainder of the lecture."

Sam frowned over at him as he leaned over. "Why?"

"You are holding back the rest of the class," Sybok hissed back at him. Then, as if in an afterthought: "...and I believe you are causing Instructor Sal'moun to become agitated."

A smile slowly grew over Sam's face. "Seriously? I thought Vulcans tried to hide their emotions."

"Agitation is not truly an emotion," Sybok explained superiorly. "It is merely a state of thought - "

"Sybok, perhaps you would care to carry on your conversation out in the hallway," the instructor's voice suddenly interrupted them. "So that the rest of us many continue to work."

Sybok's face remained impassive, but Sam distinctly noticed the faint green flush that appeared near the tips of his ears. "No, sir. I apologize."

The instructor nodded, giving him and Sam a last look before he turned to continue teaching.

Sam waited a moment before leaning over again and speaking out of the side of his mouth. "Sorry."

Sybok stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him. It was clearly the Vulcan-esque equiviliant of giving the cold shoulder.

Which Sam received until lunch time that day.

Meanwhile, morning classes were nearly over for Spock and Jimmy. Both of them were working diligently on handwriting at the moment - though, when Spock glanced over at Jimmy's paper, he suddenly realized that Jimmy wasn't writing anymore. Instead, he was quite clearly drawing a picture on the back a scrap piece of paper.

"What are you doing?" Spock whispered over to him, pointing to his paper. "We're a'sposed to do this!"

"I'm done!" Jimmy whispered back, showing him his finished handwriting paper - which was still rather sloppily done, and then went back to his picture. "I'm drawing you an' me in th'chool."

Spock looked at his paper. "No, Jimmy. You hafta write nicely."

"I did," Jimmy insisted, pointing to the letters on the paper. "I 'wite nicely!"

"You may put your utensils down," the instructor suddenly called out, looking over the room of small Vulcans (and one small human). "It is now time for lunch. Proceed to the cafeteria."

Spock left his paper on the desk as he got up on his knees and then down off the chair. "C'mon Jimmy." he said, picking up the rest of his books with a slight huff of effort.

"Coming," Jimmy said, picking up his paper and then his books before moving to follow Spock quickly out of the room. "I'm hung'wy."

The students of the facility all flocked into the hallways as they began to make their way toward the cafeteria for lunch. Different levels and ages of Vulcans intermixed, and somewhere in there, Sam and Sybok emerged from their classroom to join the rest of the crowd.

"The cafeteria is this way," Sybok said, pointing down the hallway as he led Sam through the rest of the students around them. "They provide a noonday meal for us every day of the year. And it is always - "

They both stopped short when the crowd parted slightly - due to the fact that a small Vulcan had just fallen - or been pushed - flat on his face in the middle of the way. Some slightly bigger Vulcans behind him smirked in triumph, throwing down the little boy's books after him.

Sam took in the fact that the small boy on the floor was Spock. And that the little boy yelling angrily at the other Vulcans behind him was Jimmy. But he'd barely registered this when he suddenly realized that Sybok wasn't at his side anymore - and, rather, was currently stalking toward the other Vulcan boys, heedless of everyone else around him.

There was one sound punching sound, a yelp, and then muttered words of alarm as the small group of Vulcan boys retreated down the hallway, away from the scene they'd just created. Sybok turned to step forward toward Spock, then, to where Jimmy was already working to help the little Vulcan up. "Are you all right, little brother?"

Spock nodded, looking a little shaken up but determined as he started to pick up his books. "I'm otay."

Sam watched the Vulcans with wide eyes before giving Jimmy a smile. "Good job cussing out those lamebrains there man. Next time use the fists." he held them up with a wink.

"I hit one of 'um," Jimmy said, looking ashamed. "I'll hit more nex'th't time..."

"Let's go to the cafeteria," Sybok said, taking Spock's books before taking the younger Vulcan's small hand in his, and walking him down the hallway. "Perhaps they have something good to eat."

"It th'mells like vegetables," Jimmy observed as they came nearer to the room. He made a face at Sam. "I don' like vegetables."

Sam made a face too. "Vegetarians."

Sybok cast a dark look back at him before they entered the actual cafeteria - which turned out to be a room filled with long tables, and a line at the far end where the food was served. They dropped off their books by one of the tables, before heading over to stand in line.

"They have lou'bie today, little brother," Sybok pointed out to Spock as they stood in line, leaning down to point out the vegetables to Spock. "What do you think of that?"