The Ally

Chapter 1

I found myself seated at my cluttered bedroom desk, the soft glow of the desk lamp casting shadows around the room, creating a cozy yet chaotic study environment.

In front of me was my physics textbook, open to a page dense with formulas and diagrams, and just one question away from completing my homework. Frustration began to seep in as this final question proved to be a stubborn hurdle, its complexity deepening with every read.

The numbers and variables merged into an indecipherable equation. I couldn't count the number of times I had read over the problem, and each attempt seemed only to confuse me even further. My pencil tapped an impatient rhythm against the workbook, each tap echoing my growing irritation.

"What in the Einstein is this question?" I muttered under my breath, feeling frustration welling up inside. The question seemed to loom large, mocking my efforts with its complexity.

With a heavy sigh, I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose as if to massage away the confusion. I took a deep, measured breath, hoping that perhaps this small pause would magically bring some clarity. Closing my eyes, I sought a moment of calm, trying to reset my focus.

'We learnt this in class, I just need to try to remember how the teacher did it.' I thought to myself. The basic formula for linear momentum seemed straightforward when our teacher explained it. Yet applying it to real-world problems was proving to be a challenge.

The memory was very fuzzy, but I concentrated harder, piecing together the fragments. The classroom faded in and out of my mental view, snippets of equations, the teacher's patient clarification of common mistakes, and their encouraging nod when a student finally 'got it.'

I tried to visualize the classroom discussion; the teacher had a way of simplifying things, using everyday examples like a moving car or a thrown baseball to illustrate the concept. 'The greater the mass or velocity of an object, the greater its momentum.' the teacher had said, writing the equation on the board in bold letters. I scribbled the same equation in my notebook, underlining it twice. My phone then suddenly buzzed, breaking me from my reverie. I glanced at the screen to see a message from Crystal.

Crystal has been my best friend for as long as I could remember. We've grown up together, sharing countless memories from scraped knees in the playground to late-night study sessions that often turned into sleepovers filled with laughter and whispered secrets. She's been there for me through my toughest times, and now we were both navigating our senior year together, bracing ourselves for whatever the next year might bring.

[Crystal]: How's the homework going? T-T

[Me]: Like hitting a wall over and over again!

[Crystal]: The last question?? I've been on it for almost an hour now.

[Me]: Me and you both. Don't you remember a bit of what Ms. Freya said though??

[Crystal] I remember she was talking ... <<

Of course. She probably was distracted by her phone, she often is. Flicking through social media or texting in the brief moments between classes. It's a habit that might suggest a lack of focus to anyone who doesn't know her well. However when it came to exams? She manages to pull everything together impressively.

[Me] Sigh. Why must school be this hard?

[Crystal]: Tell me about it >< but we have scaled bigger walls, so give me answers when you finally get it pls :3 I'll do the same if I find the answer first!

[Me]: I'll do so, later! <3

I smiled after sending the text then put my phone aside. Just as I was about to dive into the problem again, a sudden, deafening crash shattered the silence. The sound, explosive and close, sent a small shockwave through the room. The ground beneath me trembled slightly, vibrating with the force of the distant impact, and my physics book slid shifted lightly close to the edge of the desk.