People have finally started spilling the tea on whatever happened to “the smartest kid in school”; you know, the human calculator who finished tests before you found your pencil. The kid who won every spelling bee, science fair, and probably a few games of Jeopardy in their sleep. Back then, teachers whispered their name like it belonged in a museum. The rest of us just hoped they’d remember us when they cured something important.

Now the years have rolled by like a mixtape you forgot under the car seat, and everyone’s comparing notes. Did that brainy legend become a rocket scientist? A novelist? A hermit with 14 cats and a garage full of unfinished inventions? Or did life pull a plot twist big enough to make the guidance counselor gasp?

Grab your popcorn, your readers, your sense of nostalgia. These stories go places you won’t expect and some you’ll definitely recognize.