That word again. Chronology. I know now it means the order that things happen. MC2 was nicknamed the Mixer of Chronology because he sold things that were out of time, like DJs who used to ‘mash up records’ so the words came out backwards and sounded like another language. But I didn’t know that last year.

‘The making of watches and clocks is horology,
I stole the past, so the present acknowledge me.’

And I remembered reading online he became an expert on clocks and watches. He would go back in time to find a clock that was worth lots of money and then bring it back to the present to sell it. Then he did the opposite: he stole modern watches and sold them to rich people in the past. He didn’t make as much money that way round but liked to watch people do what-big-eyes in 1800. The wristwatch hadn’t been invented yet.

‘If you’re in a mess, if you’re in distress,
send an SOS via SMS . . .’

Lots more applause.

And Mrs C Eckler was smiling from East to West.

‘Thank you for that wonderful presentation, MC2. Seventh Year have looked you up online so I’m sure they have lots of questions to ask you. But before they do, could you tell us the story of your name?’

‘Yeah.’ He disappeared, reappeared on the spot, his whole body blinking! Big Ben whooped, the whole class started muttering in amazement and my eyes went too big for my head. It was like leaping for a split second. How did he do it? ‘When I was a kid,’ he said, ‘I leapt before I could walk. For real. Too much energy with no place to go. Doc said ADHD and prescribed medication. But the meds didn’t work so I got sent specialist school to help me.’

‘One of my peer mentors said,

“You’re a bomb ready to blast, spar.
Channel that energy, you’ll go far.”

‘I put my energy into rhyme. When I started rapping, I leapt all over the stage. Here, there, everywhere. There was this brother called himself Einstein after the genius professor that hatched nuclear energy. Einstein said, “You ain’t just MC, you’re MC2.” He didn’t just mean a rapping MC. He named me after the formula: E=MC2. E’s Energy, M’s mass, C’s the speed of light. The most hyper MC on the planet.’

I’ve heard of the original Einstein. He had the best rhyming name ever. He wasn’t a Leapling with The Gift but he must have had one in his family to get that surname. MC2 is a brilliant name because it means lots of different things at the same time.

Mrs C Eckler thanked MC2.

‘Now Seventh Year, I know you have lots of questions.’

I put my hand up immediately and she peered round the room. ‘Yes, Elle.’