We fell in love in math class

Chapter 6 "Unspoken Tension"

Xyleme's POV:

After breakfast, I was still trying to figure out why I felt so weird. Maybe it was just the leftover anxiety from that bizarre dream, but every time I glanced at Ethan, I could feel my cheeks heat up. He acted like everything was normal, so I decided to play along. We had a study session planned, and I couldn’t afford to mess it up just because my head was in the clouds.

E: "Alright, let’s get back to it. I’ve got some more practice problems for you."

He dropped a stack of papers on the table, and I couldn’t help but groan. Ethan shot me a teasing smirk.

E: "You can’t keep complaining. We’ve got to get you ready, and you’ve already made some progress."

X: "Easy for you to say. You’re a math genius."

E: "And you’re not bad yourself. You just need to stop spacing out so much."

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide a smile. It was nice how he believed in me. Ethan was right—when we studied together, things started to make sense, even if I had to work extra hard to catch up.

We settled down, and for the next hour, I tried to focus on the problems. Ethan was patient, guiding me through each step when I struggled, but I kept getting distracted by how close he was sitting. Every time he leaned over to check my work, his arm brushed against mine, and I’d get this weird feeling in my stomach. I didn’t know if it was nerves or... something else.

Ethan's POV:

Xyleme was fidgeting again. I could tell he was trying to concentrate, but he kept glancing at me like he was expecting me to say something. Honestly, I was finding it hard to focus too. After the way he acted this morning, it was obvious something was bothering him, but I didn’t know how to bring it up without making things awkward.

E: "Hey, you okay?"

He looked up, startled, like I’d caught him doing something wrong.

X: "Yeah, why?"

E: "You’re just... distracted. Did you really have a nightmare or something?"

He hesitated, and for a second, I thought he was going to brush it off. But then he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

X: "It wasn’t exactly a nightmare... more like a really weird dream. I don’t even remember most of it."

I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t, so I figured I’d drop it. Maybe he’d open up later.

E: "Well, whatever it was, it’s over now. Let’s just get through this, and then we can do something fun."

Xyleme's POV:

I didn’t want to talk about the dream. It was too embarrassing, and I wasn’t even sure what it meant. But Ethan’s casual offer to do something fun afterward made me feel a little better, like he was giving me something to look forward to. I nodded, trying to focus on the problem in front of me.

After another half hour of studying, Ethan suddenly stretched, his arms reaching high above his head, and I caught a glimpse of his toned stomach under his shirt. I quickly looked back down at my paper, feeling my face flush. Seriously, what’s wrong with me today?

E: "Alright, break time."

X: "Already?"

E: "Yep. If we don’t take a break now, your brain’s going to melt, and I’ll be stuck cleaning up the mess."

He stood up and walked over to the window, opening it to let some fresh air in. I watched him for a moment, realizing how comfortable he seemed in his own space, and how easily he could make me feel at ease, even when I was freaking out.

Ethan's POV:

I leaned against the windowsills, looking out at the street below. The morning was still bright, and I could hear the distant sound of kids playing. I turned back to see Xyleme staring at his notebook, lost in thought. I couldn’t help but smile—he looked so serious, like he was trying to solve the world’s biggest mystery.

E: "Want to go out for a walk or something? We could grab a drink, get some fresh air."

X: "A walk?"

E: "Yeah, you’re getting that zoned-out look again. Might help you clear your head."

He seemed hesitant at first, but then he nodded, and I felt a little relieved. Maybe it would give us a chance to talk about whatever was bothering him without the pressure of studying.

Xyleme's POV:

We ended up walking to a nearby park. The air was cool, and I could feel myself starting to relax a bit. Ethan bought us some cold drinks from a vending machine, and we sat down on a bench, just watching people pass by.

E: "See? This isn’t so bad, right?"

X: "Yeah, it’s nice."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping our drinks. I kept thinking about how natural it felt to be here with him, even though I’d been so anxious earlier. I wanted to ask him about last night, why he was so kind to me, why he put up with my weirdness, but I was scared of what his answer might be.

E: "Hey, Xyleme?"

X: "Yeah?"

He hesitated, looking down at his drink. For a moment, I thought he was going to say something serious, but then he just smirked, nudging my shoulder.

E: "Next time, don’t scream like that in the morning. You scared the hell out of me."

I laughed, feeling the tension break, and nudged him back.

X: "No promises."

We both laughed, and it felt good. For now, I decided not to overthink things. I’d figure out what this weird feeling was eventually, but right now, I was happy just to enjoy the moment with Ethan.