The narrator feels hurt by his own incompetence. He wonders why she had such a big reaction after he merely answered some questions honestly. He doesn't think that she was surprised by his answer. The situation last time, he says, was a minor accident. She was called to answer some questions after a long sleepless night. So, in theory his academic progress should not be anything special. When he participated in the Olympia Competition a few years before, several kids of his age applied for patents. How scary. the jerk who doesnt realize he is a genius. The narrator asks if she wants to skip the next grade. She says yes. He tells her to come and he will teach her how to tilt her spine. They head downstairs to have a break. He hears her voice suddenly grab. He says that if she had seen them together, there would have been unthinkable consequences.