The second day of school wasn't much better than the first. The day was seeming to drag on, and I had only seen Kaylee in the hallway for a moment. Despite the few minutes that we had to talk, we were able to match up our schedules to see that we had lunch together and made plans to find each other and eat together when we got to the cafeteria. That short discussion had happened nearly three hours ago, and now I was currently sitting in my third class of the day; math.
I was in the last lunch group, therefore me and the rest of my class wouldn't be eating until after this period ended. Then we only had two classes left before we got to head home for the day. Then I could go home and curl up in my bed for a bit before I had to do my homework.
At the front of my class, Ms. Miller droned on about what we were going to cover in unit one, and despite the rule about math being fun, a majority of the class was slumped over onto their desks half asleep. It wasn't until the middle of class hit that she finally started to go over the lesson for the day. While my classmates stared at the board with lifeless eyes, I scribbled down notes in my spiral notebook.
That is until the sound of knocking came from the door. A few people stayed slumped over their desks but a majority jumped up, startled by the sound.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Ms. Miller said, "This is why I don't like tardy students. It interrupts the class." Despite her words, and the heavy scowl that now adorned her wrinkly face, she proceeded to open the door anyway. On the other side of the door stood Nate with one strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder and a charming smile on his face.
"You're late and the rule is that you do not come into class at all if you are late."
Nate nodded his head, his smile not faltering for a second. "That rule makes perfect sense, but I my schedule was messed up and I was in another class during this period until today. That's why I'm late. I was with my counselor sorting out everything just now."
Ms. Miller raised and eyebrow, huffed in exasperation, and then waved Nate into the classroom. She looked as if somene had just kicked her puppy. Nate had just broken rule #9 by finding a loophole, and as the rule states, loopholes will not be tolerated.
As Ms. Miller locked the door behind Nate and proceeded with the lesson, Nate caught my eye and came and took empty seat that was behind me. When he passed me, all smiles and a flirty wink, he whispered, "Senior math?"
I was a little scared to talk in fear that Ms. Miller would yell at me, despite the fact that I was indeed talking about math, so instead I just nodded in response.
For the rest of the class period Ms. Miller droned on about limit fundamentals and term definitions, I wrote my name in bubble letters and colored it in with my colorful pens. It wasn't that I wasn't paying attention, it was just that I had already taken the notes down from my math textbook, so everything that she was saying was just going over what I had written at the start of class. As I scribbled with my purple pen in the second 's' in my name, I felt a little nudge on the back of my shoulder. Beofre turning around, I made sure that Ms. Miller wasn't paying attention, and then I turned to see Nate offering me a piece of folded up paper.
I glanced down at the note, then up at Nate who gave me a little half smile before waving the note at me until I took it and turned back to face the front of the room again.
I bit my bottom lip as I unfolded the note to read Nate's message. In scrawled handwriting was written, "Calculus? I thought this was your first year in highschool?"
I shook my head at the note. Just because I'm young, doesn't mean that I can't be advanced in a subject. In response to his words, right under his question I wrote, "I've always been advanced in math," before sneakily passing it back to him under my arm.
It only took a short second for Nate to hand me the note back and for me to see his response of, "Wow. I suck at math. Barely passed last year."
Just as I began to write back, Ms. Miller cleared her throat and spoke so loud that her voice seemed to echo in my skull.
"Class, what is rule #2 in this classroom?" Her eyes were squinted, and her nostrils had a slight flare to them. She was so angry that people weren't paying attention that her face was turning a beet shade of red.
"Math is fundamental, and fun. Therefore you will all show your interest in this fundamental subject by staying awake, paying attention, and reiterating rule #1. You will not be bored or sleep in my class," chanted my classates and I in unison, with an exception to Nate who remained quiet.
"Well, if you can read the rules then you should be able to follow them. If you continue to have this problem then I would be more than happy to give you guys a test on the rules."
Some people in the class groaned while others, those like me, just stared at her with wide eyes not wanting a pointless test like that in our gradebook.
"So, since you were all napping and not paying attention, I'm going to assume that you all already know this information. So I'm going to ask some questions at random and see who was actually paying attention." She then turned off the projector, and went to sit behind her computer at her desk. She pulled out the attendance sheet, and called out a name, then asked a question about unit 1.
She went on doing that for the rest of class. Halfway through her little quizing of the class, she went to stand next to the board where she was wriing out problems and asking students how the equation would be said. Luckily she never called my name, but just in case, I had my notes open in front of me preparing for the worst.
Just as the bell to dismiss class was about to ring, Ms. Miller traced her finger down the attendance chart and called out, "Nathaniel Thomas."
Behind me I heard Nate answer with a hesitant, "Yes?"
Ms. Miller cleared her throat and scribbled down an equation on the board before asking, "How would this limit expression be said in words?"
The classroom was silent as Ms. Miller stared at Nate, waiting for his answer. I could feel the tension in the air, and I felt bad for Nate who was sitting behind me in silence, trying to figure out the answer.
Without thinking about the consequences of my actions, I blurted out, "The limit as x goes to two, of x squared minus 5x," just a mere second before the bell blared and everyone began packing up and pushing out of their seats to exit the class.
Nate stood next to my desk, waiting for me to stuff all of my stuff into my bag and stand, before saying, "Thanks."
"No problem," I said, walking to the front of the class with him behind me.
As I passed Ms. Miller she said, "When I ask a student a question by name, I expect that student to be the one to answer."
I just mumbled an apology and left the room quickly. I had forgotten that Nate was even behind me until he called my name out and told me to slow down. Once he had fallen into step next to me, he spoke again, saying, "In a hurry to get to lunch?"
"No, just in a hurry to find a table that isn't crowded with people I don't know."
Nate chuckled at my response. "I remember how it was to be new here. Everyone is really welcoming though."
Yeah, of course they're welcoming when you're hot and athletic, I thought.
"Yeah, and I'm meeting up with my friend for lunch."
"Oh." His face fell slightly. "I was going to ask if you wanted to sit with me at my table."
I sighed dramatically, then pretended to think about his offer. "I mean, I guess I could find time in my busy schedule today to eat lunch at your table. My friend Kaylee would have to join too though."
Nate nodded his head, his smile wide and contagious. "Of course she can. I love meeting new people."
"I think you'll like her. Her hair is cookie monster blue."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Her hair is what?"
"You'll see."
Nate shrugged his shoulders. We were now approaching the cafe, which the school had labeled on a plaque outside that called it the Dining HalI, and the sounds of laugter and talking met our ears as we entered.
"I also wanted to ask you if you would consider tutoring me in math. I know that it's a bit early to ask since school is just starting, but I know that I'll need a tutor from the start."
"You aren't giving yourself enough credit."
Nate grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward a long table by the windows where a few kids were already sitting. "You don't understand. Math is my mortal enemy."
I rolled my eyes and laughed at his words. "Yeah, sure. If you need help I don't mind tutoring you." I smiled as he thanked me, and went to take the seat across from him so that I could watch the doors for when Kaylee came in. It was exciting to think that it hadn't even been a full week of school yet, and I had already made two friends. As the table began to fill with other students, and Nate began introducing them all to me, I realized that before the week was out I would have more than just two.
This year was definitely going to be different.