Harper was a strange kid. He was incredibly smart and got straight A's but he seemed different from the other kids at school. He spoke in complete sentences and would always refer to you by your full first name. My name was Harry but he always called me "Harrison." I didn't really care for it but I let it go.

Harper would always make eye contact with the person he was speaking to. Yet when he was talking to you it seemed as though he was looking inside you and not at you. He made a lot of people very uncomfortable, myself included. Whenever he spoke he would use really big words that nobody understood.

As far as I know, he didn't have any friends at school. He pretty much kept to himself. A lot of the other kids wondered if he thought he was better than us. He would show no emotion as I don't think I ever saw him smile or cry. I never heard him joke or laugh either. He always seemed so serious, a little too serious for a 10 year old boy.

I must admit that he was an amazing athlete. Harper excelled at every sport and dominated gym class. He could hit a baseball or throw a football farther than some of the older kids at school. He had transferred to my school a couple of years ago and he never missed a day of school. I don't even think he ever got sick.

Some of the other kids at the school started to resent Harper for his high marks, athletic prowess, and low-key personality.  He seemed to get under the skin of one of the Grade 8 students in particular. Everybody at school knew him only as "Buzz" but Harper would always refer to him by his real name, Sidney.

One day Buzz challenged Harper to a fight after school. Nobody ever saw what happened but Buzz ended up missing the next week of school. He returned with his arm in a cast looking like he had been in accident. There were no scratches on Harper. Ever since the fight, whenever Harper passed him in the hallway, Buzz would either be overly friendly or avoid him altogether.

Harper rarely talked about his family. He referred to his parents as only "Mother" and "Father." I don't think he had any interests outside of school. Nobody ever saw him around town, at the park, or anywhere else. He just disappeared once the bell rang. Harper always ate lunch alone and read books. Come to think of it, I don't remember him ever bringing anything to eat or drink.

Harper was always dressed in the best clothes. Everything he wore looked brand new. He never came to school with ripped jeans or worn out running shoes. His hair was always neatly combed. I don't think he ever had a hair out of place. He didn't get pimples, bruises or blemishes on his face or arms. How could one kid be so perfect?

While he may not have been popular with his fellow students, teachers and parents loved Harper. They thought he was so intelligent and polite. I remember my mom always saying "Why can't you be more like Harper?" I was happy just being a regular kid hanging out with my friends, playing sports, and having a messy room. I didn't want to be perfect. How boring!

Harper walked home alone every day from school. Nobody had ever seen or met his parents since he transferred to my school. His lack of personality made it impossible for anyone to get to know him. One day I decided that I was going to follow him home after school. I wondered if Harper was hiding something. Or maybe he really was the perfect kid he appeared to be.