It was the last day of the term, and Katherine, a student of Study Well International High School (SWIHS), sat alone under a tree inside the school compound, crying and lost in thought. She worried that if she didn't improve her grades next term, she would be withdrawn from school. The thought of her poor mother, who worked as a servant and struggled to send her to school, made her feel even more guilty. Her mother barely earned enough to put food on the table, let alone afford luxuries. Katherine's heart ached at the thought of showing her mother her poor grades.
As she finished crying and turned to leave, she stumbled upon a golden pen. At first, she ignored it and focused on leaving, but then something caught her attention. The pen had an inscription that read, "My name is Bic." She leaned back, turned her neck, and read the words. As she bent down to pick it up, the inscription changed to "Can we be friends?" Katherine's heart skipped a beat, and fear flickered in her eyes.
Before she could process what was happening, the pen spoke again, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I mean no harm." Still struck with fear, Katherine heard the pen say, "Take me." She picked it up, examining its body in wonder. "Pen communicating?" she silently questioned before putting it in her bag and heading home.
In her one-room apartment, Katherine's mother, Mrs. Lorita, sat on a plastic chair, sewing a torn cloth. The room was simple, with a worn-out couch, an eight-spring bed, and a plastic table cluttered with old newspapers and textbooks. Katherine called out to her mother, "Mum," jolting her from her work. "I'm sorry," Katherine said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Mrs. Lorita put away her sewing and beckoned Katherine to come closer. "Ah, my baby, come here. What's the matter?" she asked calmly. Katherine explained, "I... I... am sorry, Mum. I failed again. But I prom - " Her mother cut her off, saying, "It's okay, my dear. It will be fine. Keep trying." She patted Katherine's back, offering words of comfort.
The next day, Katherine's class was lively, with students chatting about their holiday plans. But when Mr. McDonald, the physics teacher, one of the toughest teachers at SWIHS, walked in, the room fell silent. "Hello, class," he said, watching them settle into their seats. "Good morning, Sir," they greeted in chorus.
Mr. McDonald scrutinized the students before responding, "Good morning. Hope you all had a nice holiday?" Without waiting for their response, he continued, "As you all know, this term is crucial for those who still don't meet the performance requirements. Hence, the need for you all to tighten your belts." He walked up to Katherine and asked, "Am I understood?"
He wrote on the whiteboard, "Date: 26th May, 1995," "Subject: Physics," and "Topic: Expansivity." "Expansivity is typically refers to thermal expansivity, which is the tendency of a material to change its shape, area, or volume in response to temperature changes. There are different types of expansivity........." As he taught, Katherine listened intently. When he finished, he announced a surprise test. "Bring out a sheet of paper and take a test. Question one: What is the formula for linear expansivity? Question two: Why is expansivity important in engineering? You have five minutes."
As Katherine struggled to write down the answer, her pen ran out of ink. She rummaged through her bag and found the golden pen she had discovered earlier. Before she could think, the pen began writing, controlling her hand movements as she pointed it at the paper. "The formula for linear expansivity is ?L = aLo?T, where ?L is the change in length, a is the linear expansivity coefficient, Lo is the initial length, and ?T is the change in temperature."
Katherine was awestruck, but Mr. McDonald's warning glance brought her back to reality. She composed herself and continued writing with the pen. "Expansivity is important in engineering because it can affect the behavior of materials in various applications, such as construction and manufacturing."
From that day on, Katherine's grades improved dramatically. She became confident in class and topped every test and exam. Teachers and students alike admired her, and she could proudly show her mother her grades.
A year later, a classmate snatched the pen from Katherine, asking why she still used it. As they struggled to get it back, the pen's cover opened, and a smoke-like substance emerged, forming into a human figure. "Bic!" Katherine exclaimed, shocked.
"Don't worry," said Bic, looking at Katherine, who was still in shock. "Now that I'm out, I'll put you through your studies. No need for me to help you write again; you'll be able to do it yourself. Am I clear?"
The whole class was taken aback, wondering who Katherine was talking to. Katherine nodded, smiling, "Ye... yes, Bic."
"Who are you talking to?" "Are you okay?" they all questioned. Katherine replied, "It's fine, I'm okay," and picked up the pen and its cover, returning to her seat.
As she sat down, Bic walked up to her and began to explain, but Katherine signaled him to wait until they were out of class. After the class, Bic danced and jumped with excitement, much to Katherine's amusement.
"What's the excitement for?" Katherine asked, curious. Bic stopped, smiled, and sat down under the tree where Katherine had initially found the pen.
"I'm not from this planet," Bic began. "1500 years ago, as a child, I played near a forbidden area, a boundary between our planet and this one. I wandered into it, and a melter covered me. My voice was lost, and I was trapped. I floated in the air for two years before landing on Earth."
Bic continued, telling Katherine about his journey. He was picked up by a fisherman, swallowed by a fish, and later brought out by an old woman. He stayed with her until she passed away, and then he was taken by her eldest son to a museum.
"In the museum, I was a showpiece for visitors from all over," Bic said. "One day, three masked men broke in and stole me along with two statues. They brought me to Spain and sold me to Michelle, a student at SWIHS. She was arrogant and rude, using me as a punch weapon on her classmates."
Bic explained how he had been misplaced by Michelle and lay hidden under the sand and leaves until Katherine found him. "I was touched by your tears, the day you found me, and wanted to help you," he said. "I began praying that you would see me and pick me up."
Katherine listened intently, feeling sorry for Bic's hardships. "I'm so sorry you had to go through this," she said.
Bic smiled and continued, "But I'm glad I met you, Katherine. You've changed my life." "And here I am, free," Bic said with a smile. "And will soon be joining my family after I'm done putting you through." Katherine smiled, understanding his excitement. "Now I see why you're so excited," she said.
The next day, Bic began putting Katherine through her studies, preparing her for her final exam. On the day of the exam, Bic said, "I will be taking my leave now. Do take care of yourself." Katherine wished she could stop him from going, but she knew she couldn't. "I wish I could stop you from going, but it would be selfish of me to stop you while your family is longing for your return," she said. "Do take care of yourself too. I will miss you." They bid each other farewell, and Bic vanished into the sky.
The results came out, and Katherine had topped her class, winning many prizes, including a scholarship to study medicine at one of the top universities in the world. Her mother, Mrs. Lorita, beamed with pride at the speech and prize-giving graduation ceremony. "That's my daughter!" she exclaimed, proudly telling everyone present that Katherine was her child.
Years later, Katherine returned as a certified medical doctor and established her own hospital. She had achieved her dreams, and her mother couldn't be prouder. Katherine's journey had been remarkable, and she had Bic to thank for helping her reach her full potential.
