The word hung in the air, as fragile as a spider's web. The cafeteria held its breath, waiting for the moment to shatter. But it didn't come. Instead, Eren nodded, once, twice, before turning on his heel and walking away, his entourage trailing behind like shadows dissipating in the sunlight. The whispers started again, louder this time, a murmur of disbelief and excitement. Alastair felt a weight lift from his shoulders, but the question remained: was it really over?
Destiny watched him go, her expression unreadable. "Well," she said finally, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife through butter. "That was... unexpected." She took a bite of her apple, her eyes never leaving Alastair's face.
Alastair nodded, still in shock. He hadn't just faced Eren; he had changed the very fabric of their school. "I guess it was," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the cafeteria's renewed chatter.
Destiny leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You know, Alastair, I think you might just be the most interesting person here." She took another bite of her apple, the crunch echoing in the space between them. "And I don't say that lightly."
He chuckled, the sound strange and foreign to his own ears. "Thanks," he said, feeling a warmth spread through him. "But it's not like I did it on purpose."
Destiny's eyes searched his, as if looking for the secret to his sudden courage. "Maybe not," she said, "but you did it all the same. And that's all that matters."
The rest of the lunch hour passed in a blur of conversations and shared smiles. Alastair felt like he'd stumbled into a different world, one where he wasn't the punchline of everyone's jokes. He listened to Destiny's stories about the school's drama, her words painting a picture of a world that had existed right beside him, unseen and untouchable until now.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of lunch and the start of their next class, Alastair found himself looking forward to math, his favorite subject. It was a sanctuary, a place where numbers and formulas didn't judge or whisper, where he could lose himself in the elegance of equations. The room was already filled with the comforting scent of chalk and old textbooks, a stark contrast to the harshness of the schoolyard.
Mrs. Jenkins looked up from her desk as they entered, her eyes lingering on Alastair for a moment longer than usual. Perhaps she had heard about the incident with Eren. But she said nothing, just a small nod of acknowledgment before launching into the day's lesson. Alastair took his seat.
The chalkboard was already filled with numbers and symbols, a complex equation sprawling across it like a mathematical spiderweb. "Alright, class," Mrs. Jenkins announced, her voice a blend of enthusiasm and authority. "Today we're going to tackle something a bit more... intricate. Let's break down 9b-3b+ blank=13b, shall we?"
Mrs. Jenkins wrote the equation on the board with a flourish, her voice steady and confident. "Now, who would like to explain how we can solve this?" she asked, scanning the room. Alastair felt his heart drop into his stomach as he looked down at his paper. He had solved the equation in his head the moment she had written it down, but the thought of speaking up in class was still as scary to him.
The room was a sea of raised hands, eager to impress the new social leader. Yet, Mrs. Jenkins' gaze landed on Alastair. He felt his palms sweat and his throat constrict. He hadn't raised his hand, hadn't done anything to draw her attention, but she saw him. She knew he had the answer. "Alastair," she said, her voice a gentle prompt. "Could you tell us how you would approach this?"
He took a deep breath, feeling the eyes of the class on him like the weight of a thousand bricks. But as he looked down at his notebook, the numbers danced in a comforting rhythm, reminding him of the sanctuary he had found in math. His hand moved almost of its own accord, scribbling the solution with a confidence that surprised even him. "Well," he began, his voice shaky, "you could start by simplifying the equation." He said in a whisper.
Mrs. Jenkins' smile grew wider, "Could you speak up, Alastair? The rest of the class would like to hear your method." She prompted gently.
Alastair gripped his pencil, his knuckles white. He hadn't planned on sharing his answer, not today. But the memory of Liana's imagined words echoed in his head: "You can do this." He took a deep breath and stood, his legs shaky, his heart racing. The room grew quiet as he approached the board. He glanced at the equation, his mind racing through the steps he had already worked out in his head. The numbers and letters were his friends, his allies in a world that often felt hostile.
With a trembling hand, he filled in the blank, writing with a sureness that seemed to surprise even him. The equation now made perfect sense, the answer as clear as day. He stepped back, his heart hammering in his chest as he awaited Mrs. Jenkins' response. She studied his work, her eyes narrowing slightly before a smile spread across her face. "Very good, Alastair," she said, her voice carrying a hint of amazement. "You've found a rather... unorthodox method to solve it."
The class stirred, curious whispers fluttering around like butterflies around a fresh bouquet. Mrs. Jenkins looked around the room, her gaze challenging anyone to argue with his answer. "So, Alastair, would you care to share with the class how you arrived at this solution?"
He took a deep breath, the words he had rehearsed a hundred times in his head now a jumble of letters and numbers. "It's... it's simple, really," he began, his voice wobbly. "You subtract 3b from both sides, so it becomes 6b equals 13b."
The class watched him, their faces a mix of confusion and curiosity. Destiny leaned forward, her eyes never leaving his. "And then?" she prompted, her voice a gentle nudge.
Alastair took another deep breath, his heart racing like a wild animal trapped in a cage. "You subtract 13b from both sides," he continued, the words flowing more freely now. "And that gives you 7b equals zero."
The class gasped collectively, the whispers turning into a murmur of astonishment. Mrs. Jenkins' smile grew even wider, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Indeed it does, Alastair," she said, nodding in approval. "And what does that tell us?"
He took another deep breath, feeling a strange mix of pride and fear. "It tells us that b equals zero," he said, his voice growing stronger. "Since 7b equals zero, and zero divided by any number equals zero, it follows that b must be zero."
Mrs. Jenkins nodded, her eyes gleaming. "And what does that mean for the original equation?" she prodded, her curiosity piqued by his unconventional approach.
Alastair took a moment to gather his thoughts, the room seemingly holding its breath. "Well," he said, his voice steadier now, "since we know that 7b equals zero, we can say that b is zero. And if b is zero, then the original equation simplifies to 9b minus 3b plus 7b equals 13b, which would mean that 7b is the final answer."
Mrs. Jenkins nodded, her smile one of genuine admiration. "Very clever, Alastair," she said, turning to the class. "This is a prime example of how different perspectives can lead to unique solutions. It's not always about following the textbook; sometimes, it's about seeing the problem from a new angle."