Only Fools

Chapter Forty Four

Every day I step into my first hour class, I must admit that I do have some inkling of hope, hope that I might finally understand the mystery that is calculus. Yet, every day, Mr. Todd decides to brutally crush that hope by opting to teach something new.

Today, his choice of poison is the Mean Value Theorem.

As I drag my notebook out from my backpack, I take my sweet time writing the name of the lesson at the top of the page, wanting to procrastinate paying attention for as long as I possibly can.

However, as soon as I finish, rustling can be heard from the spot behind me before I sense a looming presence.

"You have gorgeous handwriting," Margot whispers in my ear.

"Thank you," I respond quietly as I smile to myself.

"Too bad there isn't anything else on that page, and it's been ten minutes already," Margot says louder as she sits back down in her seat. I huff before turning around to face the girl in order to give her the dirtiest look that I can muster.

"Aspen, you're not threatening. Do your work," Margot shakes her head before turning her attention back to the problem written at the bottom of her paper which she finishes solving in a matter of seconds.

Grumbling incoherent curses, I turn back around in my seat and cast my eyes down onto the notebook paper in front of me and the textbook open to the selection of calculus problems I'm meant to be completing.

As my eyes scan over the first problem on the page, I take a deep breath. First, take the derivative of the given expression. Next.... I scrunch my nose as I hastily punch numbers into my calculator and scribble them onto my notebook. With a sigh, I draw a messy box around my final answer, lacking any hope at all that it's correct. Margot will just teach it to me anyways.

Still, I take a quick glance at the provided answers in the back of the book, practically humoring myself at this point to even think that my answer and the given answer will match.

Hold the actual fuck up.

I reread my answer again before flipping back to the answers expressed in the back of the textbook and reading the correct answer. They're one in the same.

Hold the actual fuck up.

"No way," I say quietly, still in shock as a result of my realization.

"What?" Margot demands, clearly confused.

"I actually understand how to do this! You just take the derivative and then put the numbers in and then solve or whatever shit and boom,"

"Yes?" Margot confirms, her lips tugging into a soft smile filled with pride. In a way, I consider that type of a smile a bigger accomplishment, which only makes me happier.

"Margot. I finally understand how to do something first try,"

"Do you understand why you're doing it?"

I scoff.

"Of course not. But I can get the numbers. Look!" I say as I grab my notebook and hold it out directly in front of her face so that she can observe the numbers written beside the problems.

Margot slowly pushes my notebook down so that it's not blocking her face.

"Aspen.... You do know that the questions on the final are going to require an explanation.... right?" Margot asks me, cringing slightly and clearly not wanting to ruin my good mood.

"For the mean derivative thing only?"

I could figure out a basic response to write for these types of problems. If not, I'd only be deducted a few points because I can clearly obtain the correct answer. This isn't terrible news.