As Miss Brooklyn's math classes progressed, Valentina found herself struggling to keep pace. Each time she was asked a question, she seemed to freeze on the spot, unable to respond confidently.
To be honest, I hadn't anticipated Valentina's difficulty with math. Given her connection to Thomas, I assumed she'd excel effortlessly. But perhaps math ran in the family, and Thomas struggled with it too?
Nevertheless, math was no walk in the park, and many would find it challenging. Despite her struggles, Valentina was still performing better than most would in her position.
"Valentina, to find the rate of change in volume, you have to first derive dV over dT and..." Miss Brooklyn persisted, attempting to convey the concepts to her. Today, Valentina happened to be the focal point of Miss Brooklyn's spontaneous quizzes, much to the relief of the other students who, undoubtedly, would have struggled even more than Valentina.
As the classes progressed, it became evident that while Valentina faced difficulties with mathematics, she excelled in every other subject.
***
Time ticked by as I patiently waited for the bell to signal the end of class.
— Kriiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
Finally, it rang, granting me the freedom to execute the plan I had been wrestling with for the past two days. However, just as I prepared to leave, Miss Brooklyn's voice halted me in my tracks.
"Ah, Edward, please come to my office within 5 minutes."
"Why?" I inquired, hoping it wouldn't disrupt my plans.
"Just be there; I'll explain when you arrive."
Should I decline? I could, couldn't I? After all, I had more pressing matters to attend to. Besides, I had always been trouble-free, so it was likely she required a favor from me.
"Um, sure," I acquiesced, though inwardly reluctant. Despite my reluctance, I was also curious about Miss Brooklyn's intentions.
Five minutes later, as I entered her office, I found two familiar faces already present: Valentina and Rena Kethland, our class representative and a member of the student council.
Rena, with her neatly styled dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and a distinctive birthmark beneath her left eye, exuded an air of authority.
She stood slightly shorter than Valentina and was the daughter of the town mayor. She and Miss Brooklyn appeared to be in discussion, while Valentina shot less-than-friendly glances in Rena's direction.
"I'm sorry, but I won't do it. Even with free time for the rest of the week, I could further advance my studies. I fail to see the reason to assist her,"
Rena stated, shrugging indifferently. She then turned her attention to Valentina with a disdainful look.
"How did she even get here? She struggles with basic integral problems," she remarked, earning a silent glare from Valentina.
Rena paused momentarily, meeting Valentina's glare with a dismissive expression, before continuing,
"Miss Brooklyn, I believe she's a lost cause. Midterms are only six days away, and I doubt she can catch up. Perhaps it's best for her to focus on her finals instead."
Sensing the tension escalating, Miss Brooklyn intervened, attempting to diffuse the situation.
"But Rena, you're familiar with the syllabus inside out. Just an hour each day for the next six days could—" Before she could finish, Rena interjected firmly, "No, sorry."
With a resigned sigh, Miss Brooklyn nodded, granting Rena permission to leave. Without wasting a moment, Rena departed, leaving Miss Brooklyn to turn her attention to me.
"Step aside," she instructed brusquely, as I complied, bemused by her abruptness. After muttering to myself about her demeanor, Miss Brooklyn explained, "She's very stringent with herself," to which I simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"Do you understand why I asked you here?" Miss Brooklyn queried, casting a glance in Valentina's direction.
I nodded in affirmation before questioning, "But why me? I doubt I can offer much assistance. Rena would likely be more effective."
"Edward, do you recall your math scores from your admissions test?" Miss Brooklyn inquired.
Of course, I did.
After reuniting with my parents, who had been worried sick over my mysterious disappearance for 14 years, I'd intentionally downplayed my educational background.
They had assumed I'd been living on the streets, barely scraping by, unaware that I had deliberately misled them. I don't want them to find out about my background.
Following our reunion, my parents embarked on a mission to educate me from scratch, believing I had missed out on the fundamentals.
To maintain appearances, I played along, pretending to be ignorant of basic education. However, as their efforts dragged on longer than I preferred, I accelerated the process, 'mastering' everything from kindergarten to high school in under two years.
Upon revealing the extent of my newfound knowledge, my parents were astounded yet conflicted, realizing their son possessed exceptional abilities but regretting the lost years.
Uncomfortable with the attention, I intentionally skipped a grade to downplay my capabilities.
Despite my educational background, I'd ensured my admission test scores fell within the 60-75% range in all subjects, maintaining the façade that I was merely completing my final year of high school.
There were few subjects where I intentionally scored well below 60% and above 75%, still making sure that it does not exceed the range I set for my self. As a result my averages were 67.5%
"Yeah, I scored 82%," I replied nonchalantly, prompting Miss Brooklyn to nod in acknowledgment. She continued, "You achieved the highest scores for this year among all who took the admissions test."
"Is that so?" I responded, maintaining my composure.
"Not only that, but your answers were exceptionally detailed, with no steps missed, and of a remarkably high quality," she added.
Miss Brooklyn regarded me with a thoughtful expression before speaking again.
"Considering your exceptional performance on the admissions test and your thorough understanding of the material, I believe you might be able to assist Valentina.
Teaching wasn't exactly on my agenda.
However, before I could formulate a response, Miss Brooklyn inquired, "Do you have any free time this week, Edward?"
I hesitated for a moment, mentally assessing my schedule. Despite the pressing matters on my plate, I found myself nodding slowly. "Yes, I do have some free time," I admitted reluctantly.
Miss Brooklyn's expression softened slightly, though her determination remained evident. "Good," she said briskly.
"Then I'd like you to assist Valentina with her math studies. With your guidance, she may stand a chance at improving before the midterms."
Then she locked eyes with me, almost as if she was trying to compel me to make a decision then and there. Well, more accurately, she seemed to be nudging me towards a "yes."
"Fine," I relented with a sigh. Miss Brooklyn's face lit up, her hands clasping together with an air of enthusiasm.
"Good!" she exclaimed. "You two can start today. There's an empty classroom down the hall, and I'll ensure you won't be disturbed."
Her optimism was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension at the task that lay ahead. Nonetheless, I nodded in acknowledgment, preparing myself for the challenge of tutoring Valentina in math.