I looked at Derek in shock, momentarily stunned by his perceptive question. I kept forgetting that despite his reputation as one of the school's most notorious troublemakers, Derek possessed a sharp intelligence that most adults seemed to overlook or dismiss.
His ability to walk into that classroom and immediately sense the underlying tension, even while focusing on routine administrative business, demonstrated the kind of situational awareness that couldn't be taught. Most people would have delivered their message about club budgets and left without noticing anything unusual. Derek had not only picked up on the dangerous undercurrents but had been observant enough to realize that something significant was happening beneath the surface of normal school interactions.
