Equations (preview)

mr. henriksen

• o n e •

when i get to algebra class, i don't know what to expect. it's the first day of school and as the first day of school, everything that can go wrong usually does. english was a bust. biology is already not making sense. p.e is the easiest. history is the same like last year. spanish is going muy bueno and the only thing left is algebra. i can't say that i hate math or anything related to it. on the contrary, i love it. i know that some people think that's crazy but it's true. i. love. math.

i love it when i'm solving a problem and then it's like all the numbers just click.

at times it can be difficult but the rest of the time it's easy... at least for me. for people like francesca granger—my bestfriend—it seems impossible. bless her little trying heart. once, she tried being all smart for me but even pretending was hard. haha. that's why this year she's talking regular, old math—algebra 1, but still—and plans on growing all the hair she lost last year because of advanced math. personally, i think a wig suits her, but that's just me.

algebra honors is considered the class for the nerds and those kids who've already been accepted to yale or harvard without even signing up. technically trig and calculus are for the best of best but the school board decides to show us off like prize-winning dogs. i don't mind. i kind of like the recognition.

11:48 am. the bell rings.

"well alrighty then," the algebra teacher begins, clapping his hands together and letting a huge grin fall onto his face. "i guess that's my cue." he muttered, taking a sip of his coffee.

a random guy runs into the class and stares at us with a scared look on his face then checks the time and the room number and quickly bolts, leaving us distracted and chatty.

the teacher clears his throat and begins again. "welcome! you guys are juniors this year right? yeah. welcome, juniors, to the place where dreams are made... algebra! woo!"

he's already trying a little too hard but i'll give him points for that. he's wearing a semi-stylish tweed suit and has the nerd look going for him... not that he's trying to be a nerd or anything... or maybe he is i just wouldn't know...

the class gives him a little pity clap—an extremely sad clap, two people maybe?—and another sad ' woo'. he introduces himself first, talking about his native denmark and how to pronounce his name. mr. henriksen. mister hen • rick • sin. it's not that hard. what does he think we are? little babies with no clue whatsoever? maybe we are little babies and this is all a dream...

"this year in algebra we will be striving to become the best!"

"why?" some guy sitting in the front dares to ask.

"i want to have the best algebra honors class in this whole school, okay. i'll admit that i'm extremely competitive and sometimes that competitiveness grows and i can put it to good use."

"what's the 'good use'?" a different kid asks. a girl this time.

"you guys ask a lot of questions but okay. i. want. to. beat. mr. chang."

"who's mr. chang?"

"my long-time rival here at edgewater."

i'll hand it to mr. henriksen. man's got a bit of evil inside of him. never would've thought a dane to be so competitive and blood thirsty. i mean, c'mon. i can already see him ripping off mr. chang's head and eating it maliciously. sometimes, i scare the baby jesus out of myself all on my own. i'm considering it as a career option. no seriously, i am.

"so how exactly are we going to be the bes—"

every girl in this room went silent... even the one that was talking. it was like the scene of a movie... or that baywatch scene when they're all running in slow motion with their amazing bodies. he had short black hair, more like bad-boy hair, and grinned/winked at me as he found a seat. sadly, there are no open seats anywhere near me. why why why. he hands his schedule to mr. henriksen for him to sign it and then retakes his seat.

he turns around one more time and flashes me a smile. i can't help but blush, blush until the guy next to me brings every girl—including me—back to reality.

"not this dick again." the guy next to me scoffs.

now this guy is no where, under any circumstances, as hot as the guy that just walked in. he's has this innocent lamb, adorableness going on for him—a look that has just earned him ten gabrielle points—but that's it. i like his eyes, though. they're a nice green and his hair is little messy, too. he's wearing this loose sweater that could honestly be his sister's—if he has a sister—and in this room, with a sky cloudier than a steamy bathroom window, it makes him look good.

i lean sideways and whisper, "you don't like him?"

he chuckles. "no, i love him!"

sarcasm detected. warning number one on my list of dicks' that i meet.

"okay." i respond, getting a teensy bit pissed off. gotta hate dicks.

the cute guy that just walked in keeps turning around. he smiles every once in a while and winks whenever he gets the chance. cue the blushing. i tuck a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear and return his smile and wink. a little flirting in algebra never hurt anybody... except the guy next to me. the guy—which has not stopped 'bitching' about this so called 'dick'—looks like he's about to break out in a song detailing how much he hates the cute guy.

"really?" he asked me, interrupting me as i snuck another smile at the cute guy.

"what?" i asked him, annoyed.

"nothing. just remember that i warned you."

"you did no such thing!" i yell.

mr. henriksen tells us to be quiet and goes back to taking roll. the cute guy doesn't turn around anymore. great.

"rowan cahill?" mr. henriksen asks.

"here." the cute guy responds. rowan cahill. what a hot name.

as the attendance goes on, i stare at rowan until he turns around and catches me looking at him or my name gets called.

"gabrielle vanburen?"

"here." i firmly say, sitting patiently, and tapping my pencil on the desk.

"felix von grimmelhausen?"

my eyes wander around the room, not necessarily looking for this 'felix gorman-house', but out of curiosity. curiosity suddenly becomes hatred and pure annoyance. turns out that the kid next to me is felix von grimmelhausen. von grimmelhausen? that's a name? wow.

"here." he responds, jumping out of his seat a little and raising his hand to distinguish himself from the crowd.

i scowl at him. i can't help but be annoyed at this kid. i mean, seriously. when a guy costs you a really hot guy on the first day of school, you have to get revenge. it's tradition. he on the other hand, blows me a mock kiss. when the bell finally rings, i pick up my stuff slowly and linger by the door, sort of waiting for rowan and checking to see if he's interested. he gives me a smile—not the same smile like before, but a pity smile almost—and takes me outside.

"gabrielle, is it?" he asked, holding my hand and pulling me aside.

i nod confidently. i'm positive he's interested. if he wasn't he wouldn't be going straight to hand holding.

"i feel so bad for saying this but we can't be anything more than friends. i'm not into bad girls and you're just a bad influence. you disrupted the class for christ' sakes!" he told me in a hushed voice.

"what—?" i was completely confused. what the hell just happened? was i just... dumped? what?

"please know something, gabs. it's not me, it's you."

are you kidding me? we smile and wink and flirt with each other during class and this is what i get in return? but... he can't do this! how dare he!? oh my gosh what am i saying? i sound like my sister. jeez.

"um, okay?" i nod, a little pout forming on my lips.

he gives me one last smile and then leaves to join some of his friends down the hall. i stare at him as he gets surrounded by a swarm of girls. they're all brunettes. what, because blondes are too blonde for him? when i turn back around, i begin to walk slowly towards the field to meet my friend, but i'm stopped when i see the one and only, felix von gimmelhausen.

"i told you." he smirked.

i'll get you for this, von gimmelhausen.