Between The Line || EstWilliam AU

Nine

The classroom buzzed with low chatter as students settled into their seats, the warm afternoon sun streaming through the windows, casting soft patterns on the floor. Est sat near the front of the room, his posture straight, eyes fixed on the blackboard. His notebook lay open in front of him, pages neatly filled with his meticulous handwriting. The notes were organized, underlined with different colors to separate important information from the general flow of the lecture.

Today's topic was calculus, and Est was already a few steps ahead of the lesson. As the teacher, Ms. Avery, explained the concept of derivatives, Est's pen moved swiftly across the paper, not missing a beat. His mind absorbed the information effortlessly, and he worked through the examples in the textbook as Ms. Avery spoke. He enjoyed the challenge of solving complex problems, the way numbers fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Est's focus was absolute. His surroundings blurred into the background—the occasional whispers between students, the rustle of papers, the creak of chairs as someone shifted in their seat. It was as if the world outside of the lesson didn't exist. This was his element, where everything made sense, where he could excel. Every calculation he made felt like another step toward mastering the material, toward preparing for the future he had set his sights on.

His classmates admired him for it. Est wasn't just a top student because he was naturally smart—he worked hard for his achievements. While many students would get distracted or zone out halfway through the lesson, Est remained sharp, focused, and attentive until the very end.

"Alright, let's try another example," Ms. Avery announced, writing a more complicated problem on the board. "Who wants to give this one a shot?"

A few students glanced around the room hesitantly, some looking down at their desks, avoiding eye contact. But Est's hand went up confidently.

"Est, go ahead," Ms. Avery said with a nod, stepping aside to give him space.

Est stood and made his way to the front, taking the marker from Ms. Avery's hand. His friends exchanged glances, a couple of them smiling knowingly. It was typical for Est to volunteer, and he always got it right. He looked at the problem for a second, mentally running through the steps, then began writing the solution with steady precision.

As he worked, the room fell quiet, all eyes on him. The way he moved through the equation seemed effortless, each line of calculation flowing smoothly into the next. Within minutes, he had completed it, writing the final answer with a quick flourish. He stepped back, scanning the board to double-check his work.

"Perfect," Ms. Avery said, smiling with approval. "Great job, as always."

Est returned to his seat, the praise making him feel quietly satisfied. He didn't need the recognition, but it felt good to know that his efforts were appreciated.

As soon as he sat down, one of his friends, Alex, leaned over from the desk next to his, nudging his shoulder lightly. "Man, how do you do that so fast? I'm still trying to figure out step one."

Est chuckled, shaking his head. "You just have to break it down piece by piece. Start with the basics and work your way up."

"Easier said than done," Alex replied with a groan, flipping open his own notebook. "You gotta help me with this after class."

"No problem," Est said, already mentally preparing how he would explain the concept in a way that would make sense to Alex. Helping others came naturally to him, and he didn't mind it. In fact, it felt rewarding to be able to share what he knew and see his friends succeed.

As the lesson progressed, Est's attention never wavered. He continued taking notes, jotting down key points and annotating the examples Ms. Avery provided. When the class was given independent work time, Est immediately opened his textbook to the assigned page and started working through the problems. His pen moved with steady confidence, each answer coming to him after a few moments of thought.

Around him, other students were still chatting or working at a slower pace, but Est was in his zone. By the time Ms. Avery announced that there were ten minutes left in the period, Est had already completed all the exercises. He spent the remaining time reviewing his notes, underlining anything that seemed important for the upcoming exam.

"Hey, Est," a voice called from behind him. He turned to see Mia, his friend also classmate, standing by his desk with her notebook in hand. "Could you look at my work? I think I'm doing it wrong."

"Sure," Est said, smiling as he took her notebook. He glanced over the problem she was working on, spotting the mistake almost immediately. "You're close, but you missed a sign here," he pointed to a minus sign she had overlooked, "which changes the whole calculation."

"Oh, I see," Mia said, her brow furrowing as she leaned closer to look. "That makes sense. Thanks, Est."

"No problem," he said, handing the notebook back. "Let me know if you need help with the next one."

Mia smiled gratefully before heading back to her seat. This wasn't an unusual occurrence. Est was the kind of person everyone in class trusted to help them out, not just because he was smart, but because he was patient and kind about it. He never made anyone feel bad for not understanding something.

More often than not, when someone struggled with a concept, they'd ask Est before even thinking about going to the teacher. Whether it was calculus, biology, or even history, Est had a way of explaining things that made them clearer. His calm, measured demeanor made people feel comfortable approaching him.

As class ended and the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, a couple more students came up to Est with questions about the homework. He didn't mind staying back for a few minutes, even as his friends gathered by the door, waiting for him to join them.

"Est, you coming?" Alex called out, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Give me a second," Est replied, as he helped another classmate with an equation. Once he was done, he waved to the others. "Alright, let's go."