The God Particle

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The Professor’s anxiety manifested itself as a small, involuntary tic above his left eye as he waited in the anteroom to be summoned.

It had been much worse as a child. The constant eye-blinking, mouth twitches and facial grimaces had elicited derision from his classmates and frustration from his parents, who were referred to one physician after another in an attempt to cure his affliction. By the time he’d reached puberty, he was an introverted loner, preferring to study in the seclusion of his bedroom, avoiding any and all social interaction with his peers.

His disorder seemed to lessen by itself as he moved into adulthood, but the years of reclusiveness had taken its toll, making him feel awkward around people his own age. He was much more at ease with his teachers; they were only concerned with his academic ability, which was bordering on genius. He was always the top of his class in every subject, which compounded the alienation he received from his fellow pupils; however, it also gave him a sense of self-worth, an inner resolve to rise above the taunts and jibes, the mimicry and the mockery.

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