The Student Who Wasn't There

I once watched someone fail a test they never took.” “There was a guy in my class who

showed up to every exam early. Same seat. Same posture. Pen on the desk.

Paper untouched. When the paper was handed out, he didn’t read it. He just stared at

the first page. Didn’t flip. Didn’t write. At first I thought he was nervous.

But he did this every time. Midterms. Finals. Quizzes.

Two hours would pass. He’d submit a blank paper. Stand up.

Leave. No reaction. No rush. One day, I checked the attendance

sheet. His name wasn’t there. Not crossed out. Not marked absent.