The Secret History Of Genius (page 6)

The walk home with Kai was silent, with a few pops of chatter from his side, all of which danced around tomorrow. With each car that passed brought with it a cool breeze and a look of confusion from its driver. Charlotte isn’t a walking town, but for as long as we’ve lived here I found myself walking. My grandfather loved walking, he told me before every big decision you should take a lap. To him walking was about listening, it was a chance to hear the noise, and to see what actually matter to him.

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.

The Secret History Of Genius (page 5)

The journal she was holding was a little smaller than the one I remembered, but it was almost identical to the one in the picture I showed her for my biography project. I had written about Augustin West, my grandfather, it was ten of the easiest pages I’ve ever written charting the adventures of a man who had traveled the world five times over, and who accepted me for me. I felt my eyes well up in front of her as she laid the journal in my palms, resting her hand on my shoulder as Kai rest his on the other, I felt a tear escape as Ms. Arcadie spoke. “but I thought this might help you navigate your summer”  

We spoke for about five minutes, it might have been longer I couldn’t tell. I stared at the journal imagining what would end up inside, which experiences with Kai would I keep in it. Kai guided me from Ms. Arcadies' room, through the hallway, to outside, just in time to see the bus leaving and to start my adventure. 

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.

The Secret History Of Genius (page 4)

My inner voice exploded at Kai filled with fear, “You think she knows?” Kai’s seen me in all from the highest highs to my lowest lows over the last six years so he’s mastered calming me, he touched my shoulder, shook his head, and with a steady voice said“ there’s no way she knows anything” those words were just enough to relax me from saying anything more.

When I turned around I was met with a genuine smile from Ms. Arcadie as she opened her desk draw and spoke. “I wanted to talk to you about your summer plans” 

I nodded slow and listened feeling the edges of my lungs tingling begging me to take a breath,  “I don’t usually do this, actually” she paused and touched her chin, her desk draw partially open “ I’ve never done this before, but I couldn’t, not say anything. You’re a special kid”  Special was not a word I was fond of, special meant extra homework, responsibilities, and expectations from all the adults in my life. Special is the enemy of normal. “And I know this term has been hard for you” out of her desk she lifted a tan  leather-bound journal held shut by a thin rectangular shoestring wrapped around the journal's spine twice and tied on the cover, I could smell  the leather, and paper from where I stood and felt my eyes fill. “and I would hate to see you lose your summer as well”

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.

The Secret History Of Genius (page 3)

And just like that, it was over, the bell rung and like coiled springs everyone flew from their seats to the door. I could barely hear the casual goodbyes being tossed between Ms. Arcadie and my classmates over the swell of joy growing in the hall. She didn’t seem bothered by it with her black and yellow sneakers resting on top of her desk, her latest read resting on her lap using her finger as a bookmark. Under her pixie cut, she wore the same smirk she had given us all semester as the classroom emptied out, it was this knowing smile she’d flash at us in class I called it the you don’t a have clue smile.  Ms. Arcadies’ class had become my personal escape from reality. Forty-five minutes to disappear into a book or crafting Kai story without interruptions. The funny part is  I didn’t even want to take AP English this year, I thought I was going to be reading a bunch of dead white dudes, but Kai insisted he said my writing was a little flat.

When I had made it to the front of the class, her sneakers final left her desk and hit the floor   

“August before you go” I  looked at Kai my eyes flashing my confusion to him before I turned.

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.

The Secret History Of Genius (page 2)

I’ve stared at that King quote hanging above the whiteboard for six months, it’s probably been there for a few years now since the red of the banner now looks pinker and each day fading closer to the white letter stretched across it. I quieted the murmurs of my classmates summer plans filling my ears and finding silence. As I looked at Kai floating above the banner as if he were sitting in a chair suspended over us with gaseous cloud dangling down where he would sometimes construct legs and wondered what other Jinns were floating around me. Who were they talking to in my class desperately trying to get their attention and what ideas did they need brought over to this side?

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.

The Secret History Of Genius (page 1)

“Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ‘til noon or seven ‘til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up, chomping his cigar and making his magic.” Stephen King

I lol’d in class when I saw this quote, not because it was funny, but because I couldn’t imagine Kai with a cigar, or chomping on anything, he or rather they (considering he’s part of some collective spirit or hive mind, I still don’t understand which) has been with me since my sports career started and ended at eleven and for the last six years we’ve been together.

He’s told me, “pick a time, the place only matters so much, and make sure there is no rush. What follows isn’t magic it’s just you and me in conversation seeking clarity.” 

I think Kai said this to me over a thousand times, even though we don’t have the “normal” Jinn to human connection.

Normal, I can hear my mom would snapping at me “there is no such thing” if she heard me say that, she’s not wrong, but all I’ve ever wanted was just that, but for most of my life normal has been six inches out of reach, even on my tippy toes. 

The son of two only children who never learned to share, now forced to learn by a judge. Just brown enough and tall enough to get picked in gym the first few days of school, whose best friend is invisible to everyone but him and can only hang if we talk about him.

Ed’s Note: The Secret History of Genius is a new novel by Jamal Bilal. It’s being written and published in real time, page by page. Subscribe to the blog to receive new pages via email or follow along here.