Numbers and Nerves

"So, you and Damon are partners?" Kamsi asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Yeah," Zendaya muttered, clearly not thrilled.

Kamsi raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem too happy about it."

"Obviously," Zendaya huffed, rolling her eyes.

"I thought you had a soft spot for the T3 boys," Kamsi teased.

"Sort of," Zendaya admitted with a sigh, "but Damon's my least favorite."

Intrigued, Kamsi leaned in. "Why's that?"

Zendaya didn't hesitate. "For starters, he's an egotistical flirt and a narcissist who thinks he's the ultimate charmer."

Kamsi couldn't help but laugh. "Sounds like you've got quite the opinion on him. Makes me wonder if you know him better than you're letting on."

Zendaya gave a slight shrug, trying to brush it off. "Maybe. But seriously, he's a lot to handle. I doubt I'll survive this project with my sanity intact."

Kamsi grinned. "Take heart! You'll get through it somehow."

They shared a laugh, Kamsi's playful tone lifting Zendaya's spirits.

As Kamsi and Zendaya made their way to their lockers to gather their things for the next period, Kamsi's phone buzzed with a call from Mr. Felix, their mathematics teacher. Zendaya shot her a worried glance, silently asking if she'd be okay alone. Kamsi responded with a reassuring smile before heading to Mr. Felix's office.

"Good day, Ms. Chibuike," Mr. Felix greeted her with a warm smile, causing Kamsi's tense shoulders to relax just a bit.

"Good morning, sir," Kamsi replied, her voice steady. But that steadiness faltered when Mr. Felix dropped a stack of papers on the table. Her test results. Zoom! She got a D!

"You don't seem to be doing well in mathematics," Mr. Felix noted, his tone shifting to concern. "But all your other areas are pretty sound. Tell me, what's the problem? Is it my teaching method, or...?"

Kamsi fell silent, her gaze locked on the disheartening result. Shame washed over her; she had studied hard, yet nothing seemed to stick. In her desperation, she had crammed the formulas, only to mix them up when it counted. "It's not you, sir. It's me," Kamsi murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So tell me, Ms. Chibuike, what is the problem?" Mr. Felix inquired, his hand resting thoughtfully under his chin. "With a score like this, I doubt you'll be able to make it through the semester with good results." Kamsi felt a sharp pang in her chest at his words.

"I...I don't know, sir. I just can't remember the formulas. I try, but I keep mixing them up," she admitted, her vulnerability laid bare.

"Uhh!" Mr. Felix huffed, a hint of frustration mixed with concern. "Then I think you might be dealing with anxiety, perhaps? The pressure to perform can really cloud your memory."

Kamsi looked up at him, her heart racing at the thought.

"But not to worry," he continued, his demeanor softening. "We'll assign you a student tutor—a senior—who can assist you and help boost your grades. You'll meet him this noon after school in the library. And remember, you'll have a chance to retake the test next Monday. Don't disappoint me, Ms. Chibuike."

A wave of relief washed over Kamsi, and her face lit up with a smile. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much! I promise I won't!"

"You may return to class," he said, and Kamsi exited his office, bubbling with gratitude and determination. She paused at the door, turning back to thank him once more before heading back to join Zendaya.

"So, what happened?" Zendaya asked, her eyes bright with curiosity as they settled into a corner of the cafeteria.

Kamsi sighed, glancing around to ensure they were not overheard. "Well, he just told me I need to work harder in math since I got a D," she replied, a hint of disappointment creeping into her voice.

"Yikes!" Zendaya scrunched her mouth, clearly feeling Kamsi's pain.

"Yeah," Kamsi continued. "Then he assigned me a student tutor and mentioned I'll retake the test on Monday."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Zendaya exclaimed, relief washing over her features. "So who is your tutor?"

"I don't know yet," Kamsi shrugged, her curiosity piqued. "I'll meet up with him after school."

"Cool," Zendaya said, a smile returning to her face.

"I'll just call my mom to let her know I won't be leaving early." Kamsi replied, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety about her upcoming tutoring session.

The bell rang, flooding the halls with students eager to escape the confines of school.

"Okay, Zend, I'll be off now," Kamsi said, waving goodbye to her friend.

"Are you sure I shouldn't come with you?" Zendaya asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"For the fifth time, no! I'll be okay, so go home!" Kamsi insisted, turning Zendaya around and giving her a gentle push. They chuckled, the tension easing between them.

"Okay, but text me when you're done, and when you get home, okay?" Zendaya called after her.

"Yes, Mom!" Kamsi replied sarcastically, waving one last time. "Bye!"

"Bye!" Zendaya waved back, and they parted ways, Kamsi heading toward the school library.

Upon entering, she spotted a guy seated at the end of the library, his back facing her. That must be him,she thought, taking a deep breath as she approached. But as she drew closer, she met the shock of her life—Xavier! Was he her tutor, she cried internally.

"Hey!" Kamsi said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her racing heart. Xavier turned to her with a scowl that made her stomach twist.

"Mr. Felix said I'd be meeting my tutor here," she mustered the courage to say, feeling the weight of his irritated glare as if she had interrupted him in a moment of peace.

"Hey!" Gilbert suddenly appeared from around a bookshelf. "You must be the junior I've been assigned to tutor!" His broad grin was a stark contrast to Xavier's brooding presence.

Kill me, Kamsi thought, relief washing over her as she realized she had jumped to conclusions. It was Gilbert, not Xavier, who was her tutor.

"I went to get the materials we'll need for today," Gilbert explained, and Kamsi managed a tight smile. Gilbert took a seat, but Kamsi hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"Aren't you going to sit?" he asked, noticing her tense posture. "Forget about him; in fact, pretend he isn't even here, hmm?" Gilbert added, earning a glare from Xavier.

How was she supposed to do that ? Kamsi thought, feeling the magnetic pull of Xavier's presence. Why was he even here?

"Or we could get another seat?" Gilbert suggested, glancing between them.

"No, it's okay," Kamsi said, pulling out a chair and taking a seat across from Gilbert. He dropped the textbooks he had gathered onto the table while Xavier returned to his apparent nap.

"Alright, let's get started. We'll work on quadratic equations today. Do you remember how to solve them?" Gilbert began, flipping open the textbook to the relevant chapter.

Kamsi nodded hesitantly, her stomach churning with anxiety. "Um, I think so, but I'm really not good at them," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That's okay! We'll take it step by step. Can you tell me what a quadratic equation looks like?" Gilbert asked, leaning forward.

"Um… it's usually in the form of ax² + bx + c = 0?" Kamsi said, her voice shaky.

"Exactly! Great start! Now, can you tell me what the letters a, b, and c represent?" Gilbert continued, his encouragement shining through.

"A is the coefficient of x², b is the coefficient of x, and c is the constant," Kamsi replied, feeling slightly more confident but still anxious.

"Perfect! Now, let's solve an example together. How about we try solving this equation: 2x² + 8x + 6 = 0? What do you think we should do first?" Gilbert asked, looking at her expectantly.

Kamsi felt a wave of panic wash over her. "Um, should we… factor it?" she suggested weakly, unsure of herself.

"Good thought! But first, let's simplify it a bit. Can you divide the entire equation by 2 to make it easier?" Gilbert prompted.

Kamsi nodded and scribbled in her notebook, but the numbers danced in her mind, causing frustration to bubble up. "That gives us x² + 4x + 3 = 0, right?" she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

"Exactly! Now, what two numbers multiply to 3 and add up to 4?" Gilbert asked, his eyes sparkling with encouragement.

Kamsi bit her lip, her brow furrowing. "Um… I think it's… 1 and 3?" she ventured, though doubt crept in.

"Right! Now, can you write the factored form of the equation?" Gilbert asked, still smiling at her.

Kamsi hesitated, staring at the paper. "Um, is it (x + 1)(x + 3) = 0?" she said, but it came out more as a question than a statement.

"Great job! Now, can you tell me how to find the values of x from here?" Gilbert urged, leaning closer, his interest palpable.

Kamsi sighed, feeling overwhelmed. "We… set each factor to zero, right?" she replied, the words coming out slowly.

"Exactly! And what are the solutions?" Gilbert encouraged, giving her an encouraging nod.

"Um… so x = -1 and x = -3?" Kamsi said, her heart racing with a mix of relief and anxiety.

"Perfect! You're getting the hang of this," Gilbert said, and Kamsi felt a flicker of pride. "How do you feel about solving quadratic equations now?"

"I still feel confused," Kamsi admitted, her shoulders slumping. "But I guess I'm understanding a little more? Maybe?"

"That's a good start! It's normal to feel lost sometimes. Would you like to practice more, or do you want to see the quadratic formula?" Gilbert asked.

"Can we do both?" Kamsi asked, her determination flickering back to life.

"Of course! Let's tackle both. But first, I want to see if you're ready for the next step. Do you know how to derive the quadratic formula from the standard form?" Gilbert inquired.

"Um, not really. I don't remember…," Kamsi said, biting her lip as she looked at the page.

"No problem! I'll show you how we can derive it. Let's go step by step," Gilbert reassured her, launching into a clear explanation.

As they continued, Kamsi could feel Xavier's intense gaze occasionally shifting towards her, but each time she glanced up, his eyes were closed peacefully asleep. Maybe it's just me, she mused, focusing back on Gilbert's guidance.