Playing with Fire

Chapter 3

I stare intently at the clock hoping it would go faster. Who do I think I am? Matilda? I wish. Maths is no question out of league for me. I did not understand a single thing Mr Lambert had said in the past 30 minutes. His monotonous, miserable voice made it impossible to pay attention. I  glance over at Mia who is beside me examining her worksheet with a determined expression probably speedily solving every question. I look around the room, spying other students fidgeting with their pencils, yawning, head supported by their arm probably bored out of their wits too or just full on sleeping without even bothering to try hide it.

From behind someone kicks me in the chair. Frustrated, I look over my shoulder.

"Hey have you done the first page?" the guy whose name I think was Tyler asks in a hushed voice. "Derek won't share his answers with me" he cutely pouts. 

"No?! I don't understand anything in this class" I whisper shout back at him.

His eyes light up and beams.

"Me too! I thought I was the only one but it looks like we're in the same boat."

"No, seriously, I haven't even finished the first exercise on the first page" I say scrunching up my nose looking at my sheet like trash.

"Wow you're more screwed than me, here, you can copy mine" he offers handing me his sheet.

"Gee thanks that made me feel better" I say taking his sheet, quickly scribbling down the answers gratefully since I didn't want to disturb Mia and ask her to explain the whole thing to me again.

"You two, why are you talking? " a groggy voice thunders making the two of us jump in our seats. 

"You better have finished the entire booklet or you won't be going anywhere after school"

"Sorry Sir, we have relay training after school, I don't think we can stay that long" Tyler innocently responds back.

Mr Lambert grunts but says no more.

We exchange smirks before I realise Derek is staring at the both of us with a stony expression. I notice his sheet is already filled out with messy numbers, symbols, lines and graphs. What the Frick. How can anyone understand this stuff. He has his arms crossed and sits back, relaxed in his chair, expression still hard but probably finished by the looks of it. Tyler and I stare at him with pure disbelief.

"Fuck off" he growls. "You'll never learn by copying"

My stare turns to a scowl as we silently challenge each other using only our eyes. I do my best to ignore the thumping of my heart against my chest as his eyes pierce mine. Why is he always so unwelcoming? Is it just because I accidentally dropped my book on him? Slightly confused, I break away from his intense glare to finish my work. 

What was with his attitude. Just because he's good at maths doesn't mean other people find it easy. And how is anyone lucky enough to be smart, sporty AND have a face of a supermodel and body of  some smouldering Greek God. God should at least distribute those factors equally when he decides to create new beings. 

I shake my head blushing, embarrassed to be picturing him in my mind.

After keeping my head down and pretending to be deep in thought about Maths, the bell finally rings after what felt like forever. 

"Let's get going now" Mia says whilst looking at the students slowly disperse from outside the window. "We still have to walk across the field to get to the tracks and you don't wanna keep Mr Harrison waiting" 

We walk to the change rooms to change into our sport clothes and make our way across the field.

"Mia, Jess! Wait up!"