Pʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ Sᴏʟᴠᴇʀ| ˡᵒᵒᵏⁱˢᵐ

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘅| 𝑌𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑎.

A/N: So when I first wrote this I hadn't yet gotten to the part with Eli's backstory and assumed that he had mother and father (and mentioned them here). For everyone who read this before, I changed that now.

Have fun reading :)
_

"So, you're saying that if I deduce two on this side, then add it on the other side so it's zero, I can use the pq-formula?"

"That's right," Eli nodded, before praising his friend with a smile. "You're making progress, that's good."

Kayden nodded and wrote it down. Since they weren't supposed to use calculatiors, he had to go the long way and work out the result on his own, with the purple haired boy watching every step. "Thank you for helping me. I know you're busy."

"Of course," the boy smiled. "I was the one that offered after all. Besides, our class is ahead of your sister's, so she couldn't have helped you anyway." Suddenly, his phone began to ring. He picked it up and talked a few minutes with the caller, before ending the call again. "I gotta go home now, something came up. You don't mind, do you?"

"Course not." Kayden helped him collect his belongings and lead the way to the door, as they were at his house.

"Oh, are you leaving already, son? I just wanted to ask if you wanted to join us for dinner."

Eli smiled brightly at his friend's mother. "Thank you, mother, but I really need to go home now. Thanks for the snacks."

"Of course, thank you for making my son study," she laughed. "But make sure next time you come you stay over for dinner. Oh, and-" she interrupted herself, quickly leaving them alone to fetch something from the kitchen. Once she was back, she gave her guest a small box. "Some sweets that were given to me, but I as well as my husband don't like the particular favour. Maybe your mother would enjoy then?"

He looked down at them. He did not have a mother and was living alone, but he really did not want to tell her that. "Thank you, Miss Oh, I'm sure she will like those."

"I told you to just call me mother, didn't I," she laughed, but them ushered him out the door. "But you should really leave now, or you mother will worry. Take care, boy."

"Again, thank you, mother."
_

The next day, Eli wasn't at school. Everyone in class worried about him when the teacher told he had called in sick.

Kayden thought this was suspicious, since he was perfectly fine the day before, but he didn't say anything. It's not my business anyway.

That day, Cassy helped him study, with her girlfriend Lexy constantly by her side. Angelina also attempted to help, but as her grades were even worse than his, she was more of a disturbance than anything else. When she stood up to get her third can of soda, the group finally decided to force her into a time-out, which consistet of sending her into a corner facing the wall.

The girl complained a lot — loudly at first, but she kept quiet when Lexy offered nicely to hit her with her shoe. Pink, but painful.

Yes, Cassy made her girlfriend wear pink shoes, it definitely wasn't her own choice.
_

On his way home — everyone else was busy and the academy was closed for today — Kayden stopped by the supermarket to buy some ingredients for dinner since he would be alone this evening — Mira was spending the night at a friend's house.

There, in the milk section, he found an exhausted Eli, nearly sleeping in front of the shelves stacked up with baby food. Just as he was about to fall over, Kayden supported his back and made sure he regained his balance.