Chapter 1: The Art of Napping

Alex loved exams. Not because he particularly enjoyed studying or showcasing his academic brilliance—quite the opposite, actually. For Alex, exams were the perfect opportunity to indulge in his greatest passion: sleep.

It was a crisp Monday morning, and the history exam had just begun. The classroom buzzed with the soft scratch of pencils on paper, the occasional rustle of pages, and the low hum of the ceiling fan. Mrs. Thompson, the history teacher, sat at her desk, occasionally glancing up with the practiced suspicion of someone who'd caught too many kids trying to sneak glances at their neighbor's paper.

But copying answers wasn't on Alex's mind. He was on a different mission altogether.

The exam was three hours long—school policy. High school students weren't allowed to leave early, no matter how quickly they finished. It was a rule designed to maintain order, but for Alex, it was an opportunity.

His strategy was simple yet effective: answer just enough questions to pass, and then maximize nap time. Why aim for an A when a C meant more sleep?

He zipped through the multiple-choice section, his pencil moving with the precision of someone filling out a personality quiz. When it came to the essay section, he applied the same efficient logic.

"Explain the major events leading to the revolution."

Alex wrote: "People got tired of everything. So, they decided to change things up. The end."

He added a tiny drawing of a pillow in the margin, just for his own amusement.

Within an hour, he was done. He flipped his exam paper over, folded his arms on the desk, and rested his head. His eyelids drooped as he slipped seamlessly into nap mode.

The Sleep King Reigns

"Is he… is he asleep?"

Tom, sitting two rows behind Alex, nudged Mia. She leaned forward, squinting over her exam to get a better look.

"He's out cold. Unbelievable," she whispered.

The rest of the class, still wrestling with essay questions and historical dates, cast envious glances at Alex. His peaceful expression stood in stark contrast to their furrowed brows.

Mrs. Thompson, ever vigilant, noticed. She rose from her desk, her shoes tapping rhythmically against the linoleum floor as she approached.

"Alex?" she whispered, as if not to disturb the sleeping prince. "Are you… sleeping?"

Alex's head lifted slowly. His eyes, soft and glassy with sleep, blinked up at her. "Huh?"

"Did you finish your exam?"

He nodded, a slow, deliberate movement. "Yeah."

"Did you answer all the questions?"

"Enough."

Mrs. Thompson hesitated, caught between confusion and acceptance. She had encountered all kinds of students—eager, stressed, indifferent—but Alex existed in a category of his own.

"Well, alright," she said finally. "Just… keep it down."

Alex gave her a tiny nod, then gently rested his head back on his arms, slipping into sleep as if it were as natural as breathing.

Nap Science: The Master Plan

During lunch, Tom and Mia found Alex at his usual spot under the big oak tree. His back rested against the trunk, eyes half-closed as if even eating was a bit too much effort.

"You actually slept through half the exam?" Mia asked, sitting down next to him.

Alex nodded, slowly chewing on a bite of his sandwich.

"How do you do it?" Tom asked. "Aren't you worried about failing?"

"Nope," Alex said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I did the math. If I score 50%, I pass. I answered enough to get, like, 55%. The rest was prime napping time."

Mia shook her head, half-amused. "But how do you just… sleep like that?"

Alex's eyes sparkled. "The classroom is perfect—white noise from the fan, the smell of old textbooks, the soft, muffled sounds of everyone stressing out. It's like… bedtime music."

Tom stared. "Only you could find a high school exam room 'relaxing.'"

Alex gave a small, sleepy smile. "Yeah."

His friends shared a look—a mix of disbelief and reluctant admiration. Alex wasn't just a kid who liked to sleep. He was an artist, a dreamer, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of a genius.

And as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Alex yawned and stretched. "Next class. I've got English. Should be good for at least a 20-minute nap."

Mia laughed. "Lead the way, oh Sleep King."

And with that, Alex strolled down the hallway, as relaxed as if he were walking into a daydream instead of an English lecture, ever on the quest for his next perfect nap.