Jacob Miller is a completely average child. As he goes to his new school to begin sixth grade, he finds some things to be different. He does not recognize any of his friends, but assumes that they are just in other classes. Jacob soon finds that the teacher refers to the grade he is in as the "trelth" grade, and Jacob is confused. The teacher begins writing a math problem in some kind of foreign language on the board, and Jacob cannot figure out what it means. Everyone else begins doing the math problem correctly, and Jacob bluffs his way through the class. Next period, computer class, Jacob finds that the foreign language is on the computer keyboards, and when Jacob sees a map of the world, he realizes that no countries are familiar to him. When he goes to lunch, he finds that the students eat with holes like mouths in their armpits, and the student body is shocked to see Jacob eat with his mouth. Jacob also sees that a girl is studying him from across the room. He flees the cafeteria and runs into the forest behind the school.