Teach Me Ate

Chapter 3

Kire's POV

As the class started, I couldn't stop yawning. The monotonous hum of my teacher's voice, combined with the warm, cozy atmosphere of the classroom, made it nearly impossible to keep my eyes open. It felt as though the heavy hand of sleep was pulling me deeper into its clutches.

"To find the limit of a function in the graph, it shouldn't have holes, gaps, or jumps," the teacher explained, her voice drifting into the realm of background noise. With a barely concealed yawn, I watched as she drew a Cartesian plane and a zigzag line on the whiteboard.

My eyelids grew heavier by the second, and I fought the urge to succumb to the inviting embrace of slumber. The teacher's question about the limit function caught me off guard, and I jolted back to attention. She repeated it, "Now, what if the given limit function is x²+4x-5/x+5? How can we find the discontinuity?"

Silence engulfed the room. No one dared to break it with an answer. The tension in the air was palpable, and I could feel the teacher's exasperation mounting. With a sigh, she cast a disappointed gaze over the sea of blank faces.

Unbeknownst to me, my momentary lapse into sleep had led to an unexpected turn of events. As I snored loudly, my obliviousness transformed the once-quiet classroom into a center of attention. Eyes turned towards me, curiosity mixed with amusement.

Then, it happened—I woke up with a start, my snoring abruptly interrupted by my consciousness. Panic coursed through my veins as I realized that all eyes were on me. My cheeks flushed crimson, and I slouched in my seat, trying to shrink away from the spotlight.

Summoning my courage, I spoke up, hoping to salvage the situation, "We can find the discontinuity of a function if we're going to get the denominator, equate it to zero, and transpose."

A moment of silence hung in the air. The teacher's gaze shifted from surprise to a mix of astonishment and satisfaction. It seemed that my unintentional nap had unwittingly bestowed upon me a hidden expertise in the subject matter.

The teacher smiled, impressed by my response. "That's correct, Kire. Well done."

Relief washed over me, and I couldn't help but smile back. It was an unexpected triumph, turning what could have been an embarrassing moment into a moment of recognition.

As the class continued, my drowsiness seemed to dissipate. I became fully engaged, eager to prove that my accidental contribution was not a fluke. The teacher's lecture became more captivating, and I found myself absorbing the information with newfound enthusiasm.

From that day forward, I never slept again inside the class. The incident served as a reminder to stay alert and to fully participate in my education. It taught me that sometimes, even in the most unexpected circumstances, we can surprise ourselves with our abilities.

As the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the class, I gathered my belongings and headed out into the bustling hallways.

——————

As I closed my locker and prepared to head to the cafeteria, Yana appeared out of nowhere, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How's your sleep, Mr. Prince?" she sarcastically quipped, crossing her arms and leaning against the adjacent locker. Yana had always been the one person I couldn't escape from, the only person who dared to speak to me.

Ignoring her comment, I walked briskly toward the cafeteria, hoping for a moment of solitude amidst the bustling hallways. To my surprise, Yana followed closely behind me, her footsteps echoing mine. It seemed as though she had made it her mission to invade every corner of my life.

Reaching the cafeteria, I joined the line for the counter, scanning the room as I waited. Something caught my attention—a table occupied by a person who didn't belong to our campus. The woman sat there, still wearing a helmet that obscured her face. Puzzled, I couldn't shake off the feeling that her presence was somehow connected to me.

Trying to brush off the curiosity, I focused on ordering my food—a simple slice of pepperoni pizza and a can of soda. Yana, never one to be deterred, insisted on joining me in finding a table. Unfortunately, there were no vacant spots available, leaving us with no choice but to eat while standing.

Just as I resigned myself to a meal on my feet, the stranger woman caught my attention once again. She let out a teasing whistle, gesturing towards the available seat at her table. Confusion and apprehension mingled within me, uncertain about accepting the invitation.

Without hesitation, Yana tugged at my arm and pulled me toward the stranger's table. Her disregard for caution was both frustrating and intriguing. She was the only person who seemed unfazed by the woman's presence, her curiosity overriding any sense of self-preservation.

Reluctantly, I took a seat opposite the stranger, my nerves tingling with unease. Yana, oblivious to my apprehension, offered a quick "thank you" to the woman, before diving into conversation. I, on the other hand, remained silent, my mind racing with possibilities and potential dangers.

Yana revealed that the stranger was a member of a notorious motorcycle club, her words dripping with excitement. My heart skipped a beat. The mere mention of such an affiliation sent shivers down my spine. My mind conjured images of lawlessness and danger, wondering what kind of trouble I had unwittingly stumbled into.

As the stranger removed her helmet, revealing her face for the first time, a sense of recognition washed over me. It was her—the woman who had followed me on the Ducati. Her piercing eyes held a hint of mystery, an aura of danger that sent a chill down my spine.

Silence enveloped the table as I tried to gather my thoughts. What did this encounter mean? How would it shape my life? Questions swirled in my mind, but the answers remained elusive.

"So you're Kieran Remington?" The stranger asked.