Unacknowledged

Ch. 3 - "They think they know me, but they don't."

Everyone gets angry sometimes. Whether it's by stubbing your toe, forgetting your homework at school, or just not getting your own way.

Nate, however, wasn't angry.

He was furious.

"Who does he think he is?" the boy spat, storming down the hall. "Clara never speaks to me, never acknowledges me, never invites me to anything...yet she talks to and invites to her party a guy who never talks. HE NEVER TALKS!" Nate didn't care that he received baffled stares from other students who had overheard his rant. "Who does he think he is?" he repeated, and he asked himself this over and over as he entered the room of his geometry class.

As soon as Carter noticed his companion, he instantly became wary. The look on Nate's face actually made Carter reluctant to sit next to the orange-haired teen. Deciding to deal with him now rather than later, though, Carter sat by his side, glancing at him to see if he would speak first.

Nate dismissively shook his head. It was obvious he was too fumed to speak.

A woman with shoulder-length bronze hair entered the room. A bright smile consumed her features, making it evident she enjoyed her job. There was never a day where Mrs. Hex entered with a frown-she was always prepared and ready to teach. "Alright!" She spoke in a loud, exuberant voice. "Who can tell me what a curve is?"

Carter waited for a sudden and explicit answer, but an abnormal silence filled the room very quickly. He glanced at Nate, who proceeded to wear his unnerving scowl. He usually answers any math question in a heartbeat...

In order to avoid such an awkward pause, Trevor's hand shot in the air. "A wavy line!" he exclaimed in a somewhat comedic manner.

Several students erupted into a fit of laughter, and even Mrs. Hex couldn't hold back a snicker. "Close. That's what it may look like at times. Anything else?"

Although Carter knew the answer himself, he continued to wait for Nate to speak up. Even Mrs. Hex gave Nate an occasional glance, curious as to why he wasn't answering. Carter finally gave in. "A curve is a continuous set of points," he answered blatantly.

"That's right!" Mrs. Hex nodded.

Carter turned to look at Trevor, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "A wavy line?"

"Someone had to break the silence," Trevor spoke innocently. He paused, before adding, "I wasn't joking, either. I seriously thought that was a curve."

Carter turned back around, noticing how Nate had already started on the assignment and practically blocked out everything around him.

"What's up with him?" Trevor asked quietly.

"I don't know; he refuses to talk about it," Carter muttered.

"Is it about C-L-A-"

"I can spell, you know," Nate interrupted harshly.

"He speaks!" Trevor's eyes widened. "You know, you could've saved me from that embarrassing outburst back there."

"Nate, whatever going's on with Clara, it's not that big of a deal-seriously! The same thing happens every year with her; you know the drill!" Carter told Nate.

"It's not Clara."

Carter frowned. "Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

"Here we go again..." Trevor groaned, facing the board to listen to Mrs. Hex continue with the lesson. Carter sighed, but decided to copy Trevor. He wasn't in the mood to put up with another one of Nate's grudges.