We fell in love in math class

Chapter 1 "The math problem"

Xyleme's POV:

I was rushing down the hallway, practically stumbling over my own feet. I was so late, and of course, our first subject was math. The teacher, Mrs. Marivic, was notoriously strict, and she did not take kindly to latecomers. As I reached the classroom, I slowed down, trying to catch my breath, and sighed in relief when I saw that she hadn't shown up yet.

X: "Ah! Yes! The teacher didn't come in! This is perfect," I muttered to myself, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. Maybe I wasn't doomed after all.

But as I made my way to my seat, I noticed something strange. Everyone was already working on something, heads bent over their papers. I furrowed my brows, trying to figure out what was going on. That's when Ethan walked over to me, a slight smirk on his face.

E: "Xyleme? I thought you weren't coming today."

I rolled my eyes at his comment but was curious about the papers in his hand. Before I could ask, he handed one to me.

E: "Since you're late, I won't explain it to you. You'll have to figure it out yourself. Mrs. Marivic left an assignment for us."

X: "Oh, please! This is easy. I can finish it in 5 minutes," I said, brushing off his warning. Math wasn't exactly my favorite subject, but how hard could it be?

Ethan's smirk grew wider, and that's when I realized something was off. I glanced at the assignment, and my confidence immediately vanished.

X: "What is this? This isn't even the topic from yesterday!"

Ethan chuckled, leaning against my desk.

E: "Oh, right. Mrs. Marivic came in earlier and gave us a short discussion on it. Since you were late, you missed all the fun. But don't worry, Xyleme, you can still finish it before noon. Good luck!"

X: "Are you serious? I can barely understand this! I won't be able to finish it in time!"

Ethan's smile didn't waver. If anything, he looked more amused.

E: "Is that my problem? Anyway, don't stress too much. I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're smart, right?" He said, giving me a playful nudge before walking off. "I'm still accepting papers until noon, so if you manage to finish, just hand it in then."

I glared at his back as he walked away, humming a tune like he didn't have a care in the world.

X: "Go away, will you?!" I called after him, but Ethan just laughed, not even bothering to turn around.

(Lunch Break - A Few Hours Later)

I was still sitting in the same spot, staring at the same set of confusing problems. I hadn't even written anything down yet, aside from my name. I tried scribbling some random formulas, but none of them made sense, and I could feel my frustration growing.

X: "What is this? Did Mrs. Marivic come up with this just to torture me?" I muttered, tapping my pen against my notebook. I looked around the room, hoping someone would give me a clue, but most of the other students had already finished and gone off to enjoy their lunch break.

I groaned, slumping down on my desk.

X: "Whatever. I'll just leave it to fate. Maybe I'll get lucky with some random guesses."

As if on cue, Ethan strolled back into the classroom, a tray of food in his hands.

E: "Wow, still at it, huh? I thought you'd be napping by now."

I shot him a frustrated look, but he just grinned and took a seat across from me.

X: "Don't you have anything better to do than mock me?"

E: "Not really. But I'll tell you what-if you make it through even half of the problems, I'll buy you lunch."

I blinked at him, not sure if he was serious or just teasing me again.

X: "Are you actually trying to motivate me, or is this just another one of your jokes?"

Ethan shrugged, popping a fry into his mouth.

E: "Maybe a bit of both. But I'm serious about the lunch offer. You've got until noon, so get to it."

I stared at him for a moment, then at the clock. Maybe it wasn't a lost cause. If I could at least get through half of this, I wouldn't have to suffer through the rest of the day on an empty stomach. And besides, a free lunch didn't sound so bad.

With a renewed sense of determination (and a lot of grumbling), I picked up my pen and got to work, hoping that somehow, I'd manage to solve these problems-or at least enough of them to earn that meal Ethan promised.