SHE ADJUSTS A STRAND OF HER RED HAIR, standing in front of the mirror. The morning light filters through the curtains, but she pays no attention to it. She feels nervous about spending time with Joseph. Just thinking about him puts her in a sour mood. How had they ended up here, having to work together on math problems that she already found boring, not to mention the presence of the little angel ?
As she leaves school in the evening, she sees him waiting at the entrance, hands in the pockets of his jeans, his gaze detached. His arrogant smile grinds on her nerves, but she tries to stay calm. "Ready to face the boredom ?" she says sarcastically as she approaches.
"I can't wait to see my teacher in action," he replies. She rolls her eyes, already annoyed.
Finally arriving at her house, Aimée takes a deep breath before entering. The warmth of home welcomes her. Joseph, on the other hand, seems almost nonchalant as he strides toward the kitchen. "Hello, ma'am !" he exclaims cheerfully, as if he hasn't just spent a day at school with her.
Her mother responds with a smile, clearly charmed by his attitude. Aimée, for her part, feels uncomfortable. She mocks him for the facade of innocence he wears so easily. "You can go upstairs to work," her mother announces, casting them a conspiratorial glance.
Joseph nods and turns to Aimée. "Ready for the anxiety ?" he asks as he climbs the stairs behind her, a provocative smile on his face.
As soon as they enter her room, he surveys the place with a critical eye. "Wow, you really have a... unique taste," he says, scrutinizing the pale pink walls and the music posters hanging above her desk. "Are you nostalgic, or did you just miss the train to modernity ?"
Aimée, stung, turns around sharply. "Can you stop being a critic ? This is my room, not a museum." She takes a step forward to show him that his snarky comments won't get to her. "Anyway, you're here for math, not to judge my decor."
"I'm sure you could make an effort to add some style. I mean, pale pink is cute, but it needs a little kick, don't you think ?"
"Sure," she retorts, heading to her desk where the math textbooks are already open. "I'll show you how to approach these problems simply, but you should try to avoid comments about my tastes, okay ?"
Joseph, clearly amused, approaches the desk and leans over the open book. "So, what do we do first, Miss Math Genius ?"
"We'll start with quadratic equations," she replies, flipping through the book. "I hope you're ready to focus because I don't want to waste my time."
