We fell in love in math class

Chapter 8 "The Unexpected Aftermath"

Xyleme's POV:

I was feeling pretty good about myself after passing the quiz. For once, I didn’t have to worry about being kicked out of the STE program, and I’d even managed to score a free lunch out of Ethan. Not bad for a Monday. But as the week went on, I started noticing something strange. People kept staring at me. Like, more than usual.

X (thinking): "Is there something on my face? Did I grow an extra head or something?"

I was getting pretty fed up. During lunch, I decided to confront Ethan about it. I found him sitting at our usual spot in the cafeteria, already eating. Typical. He didn’t even wait for me.

X: "Hey, have you noticed people staring at me lately, or is it just my natural charm drawing all the attention?"

He looked up, chewing thoughtfully, then shrugged.

E: "Well, you do have a big mouth, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just waiting to see what crazy thing you’ll say next."

I rolled my eyes and sat down across from him, stealing a fry off his plate.

X: "I’m serious, Ethan. It’s weird. Everyone keeps looking at me, and I don’t know why."

E: "Maybe you’ve become famous for passing your math quiz. A true underdog story."

He smirked, and I flicked a fry at him. But his joke got me thinking… there had to be some reason. And then it hit me.

X: "Wait. Did you… tell people about my score?"

E: "Nope. I mean, I mentioned it to a couple of friends, but I didn’t make any big announcements or anything."

X: "Then why does everyone seem to know?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow, clearly confused, but then his expression shifted, like a light bulb had gone off in his head.

E: "Oh… I think I might know why."

Ethan's POV:

It didn’t take long for me to realize what was happening. After Xyleme passed his quiz, I may have celebrated a little… loudly. Okay, a lot. I’d told a few people in our friend group, and apparently, the news spread like wildfire. In my defense, I was just really proud of him. But I could see how it might be annoying for Xyleme if everyone thought he’d barely scraped by.

E: "Look, don’t get mad, but I might’ve mentioned to a few people that you passed. I didn’t think it would become a big deal."

Xyleme stared at me, his eyes narrowing.

X: "Define 'a few people.'"

E: "Like… ten? Maybe fifteen? Tops."

X: "ETHAN!"

I couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. He looked like he was trying to be mad, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Xyleme's POV:

I wanted to be mad at Ethan, but it was kind of hard when he looked so damn proud of himself. It wasn’t like he did it to make fun of me. If anything, he was just happy I’d managed to pass. Still, I wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily.

X: "So, now everyone thinks I’m some kind of charity case who barely made it through math? Great."

E: "Hey, you passed fair and square. And I was just telling people how hard you worked. If they think anything else, that’s on them."

He had a point, but I wasn’t going to admit it. Instead, I leaned back and crossed my arms, giving him a dramatic sigh.

X: "Fine. But if anyone else asks, I’m telling them it was all your fault. Maybe I’ll say you bribed the teacher."

E: "Sure, go ahead. I’ll just tell them you were so good at guessing, you should play the lottery."

I laughed, and the tension melted away. Leave it to Ethan to make me feel better, even when he was the one causing my problems.

Later That Afternoon

Xyleme's POV:

As we left the cafeteria, I thought the weird looks would finally stop, but they didn’t. If anything, they got worse. People kept whispering and glancing at me, like they were trying to figure out if I was some kind of alien. It was starting to get on my nerves. I was about to confront one of the nosier students when Ethan grabbed my arm and steered me down a side hallway.

X: "What the—Ethan, what are you doing?"

E: "Just trust me. We need to talk."

I blinked, surprised by how serious he looked. He never acted this intense unless something was really bothering him. Suddenly, I felt a little nervous.

X: "Okay… what’s up?"

Ethan took a deep breath, like he was trying to figure out how to say something without freaking me out.

E: "Remember how I said people were staring because of your quiz? I don’t think that’s the only reason anymore."

Now I was really confused.

X: "What do you mean?"

E: "There’s… a rumor going around. About us."

Ethan's POV:

I could see Xyleme’s eyes widen, and I felt my heart skip a beat. I hadn’t wanted to bring this up, but I knew we had to talk about it before things got out of hand. Over the weekend, when we were studying at my place, one of our classmates must have seen us, and now people were saying all sorts of things—like how we were closer than just friends.

E: "Apparently, someone saw us leaving my house on Sunday, and they… might’ve gotten the wrong idea."

Xyleme’s face was a mix of confusion and realization.

X: "Wait. You mean people think… we’re…"

I nodded, trying to stay calm, but inside, I was freaking out a little.

E: "Yeah. I just thought you should know. In case someone says something to you."

Xyleme's POV:

Of all the things I thought Ethan was going to say, that was not it. I didn’t know whether to laugh or be embarrassed. I mean, sure, we’d been spending a lot of time together lately, but that didn’t mean we were…

X (thinking): "Wait. Why am I even getting flustered about this? It’s not like it’s true… right?"

I could feel my cheeks heating up, and I tried to play it cool.

X: "Well, I guess that explains why everyone’s been staring. I didn’t realize we were so interesting."

E: "Xyleme, I’m serious."

I could see how much this was bothering him, and I felt a little guilty for making light of it. But at the same time, I didn’t want things to get awkward between us.

X: "Okay, okay. So, people are talking. Who cares? Let them think whatever they want. We know the truth."

Ethan looked at me for a moment, and I could see something in his eyes—like he was trying to figure out if I was really okay with this.

E: "You’re not… mad?"

X: "Nah. If anything, I’m a little flattered. I mean, they think I’m cool enough to be your boyfriend. That’s gotta count for something, right?"

He stared at me, and then he started laughing. I couldn’t help but join in, even though my heart was still beating a little too fast.

E: "You’re such a dork."

X: "Yeah, but I’m your dork."

I said it without thinking, and when I realized how it sounded, I quickly backtracked.

X: "I mean, not like, your dork, but you know what I mean."

Ethan was still laughing, but there was something softer in his eyes, and I could feel my face turning red.

E: "Yeah, I know what you mean."