SINCE THE INCIDENT, their exchanges have deteriorated even further. Everyone notices — they throw more jabs at each other than before, providing an endless source of entertainment for their classmates.
Aimée secretly keeps the infamous list that Joseph wrote, but he never finds out. For her, it's a formidable weapon that she plans to use wisely.
That day, during math class, Joseph is firmly bored. The teacher, engrossed in her explanations about quadratic equations, doesn't seem to realize that the battle brewing won't take place on the board but on the desks.
Aimée, bent over her notebook, diligently jots down notes, her red hair cascading over her face. At the same moment, he grabs an eraser and, with the precision of a sharpshooter, launches it across the room. The eraser flies through the air, making a perfect arc before crashing onto Aimée's head.
"Really ?" She slowly turns her head, raising an eyebrow. "An eraser ? You think that's going to scare me ?"
Without waiting for his response, she grabs a pen from her desk and throws it back at him. Joseph skillfully dodges, the pen grazing his shoulder before smashing against the wall. "Not bad, but you need to aim better than that, redhead !" he mocks, an amused smile on his face.
Seeking an advantage, he picks up a pencil and, with a determined pout, throws it like a javelin. The pencil lands on Aimée's desk, leaving a mark on her notebook.
Amused, Joseph rubs his hands together, preparing for his next offensive. But at that moment, she catches the eraser he threw earlier, focuses, raises her arm, and hurls it back with force. The eraser heads straight for Joseph, but instead of hitting him square in the face, it bounces off his eye patch.
"Ow !"
A flash of pain crosses his face as his injured eye is particularly sensitive. He rubs his eye, grimacing.
"You... you really aim well," he complains, trying to hide his embarrassment under a layer of humor.
Just then, the bell rings, echoing throughout the room. The students start packing their things. The teacher, as if waking from a dream, suddenly straightens up, realizing class is already over. "You're all quite noisy today," she says, frowning. "What's going on here ?"
"Just a little physics lesson, ma'am," Joseph retorts, still rubbing his face. "The speed and trajectory of projectiles, you know..."
"Alright, that's enough ! Gather up for dismissal. Next week, I expect you to be a bit more focused, okay ?"
