Cosplay Shenanigans

17 - of math exam and show off

Friday.

Mairi's smiles had always been subtle.

One must fully inspect her features to point out the change in her flat countenance.

However, Abel's memories seemed to tell a different story, because those minuscule smiles had been crystal clear, and more often than not, they sent his body over the edge. No matter how much he tried evicting these images, they demanded to stay, especially the one back on the train.

Alas for him, a new one had arrived.

It was her unusual smile, which barely reached her eyes, when he gave her some donuts and some dumb advice he should have not muttered out.

This one not only beat the definition of subtle, but it literally shattered all his impressions of the poker-faced Mairi to pieces. It was so distinct and wide, it looked as though she was grinning, and from the way she thanked him... it was way too sincere.

Is she really that happy for just some Timbits? He tapped his fingers and glanced at nothing in particular, drowning out unrelated noises in the background. I gave them because she helped me, and it's not like she doesn't deserve some snacks...

Hold on, why the hell am I still thinking about last night?! Get over it, you idiot! There were probably hand marks on his temples from all the countless slaps he had done. Instead, he gritted his teeth and tugged his short hair, inducing sharp pain all over his head. Who cares if she's smiling or not, it's not your business! Stop acting so giddy over it!

This was the third time those dumb thoughts distracted him completely. It had him nearly miss a step during his nightly jog with Rocky, falling victim to Charlotte's special attack this morning, and then...

"Is there something wrong, Abel?"

The shrill voice of Mrs. Applewood — she finally muttered something relatable for once — sent his heart flying out of his chest. Snapping back to reality, numerous heads have turned towards him. Their gazes burrowed through every part of his body, judging even the tiniest of his stiff movements. Awesome, now I'm acting like a freak in the middle of the class!

"Uh, no..." he blurted out. "Not really..."

"You look like you're about to pull all of your hair out. Unless you wanna be bald, don't do that," informed the teacher as giggles from the girls quietly erupted around him. Meanwhile, Adrian didn't even bother hiding his bratty smirk.

"Well then, can you solve this problem for us, Abel?" Mrs. Applewood beckoned towards a math problem on the projector screen. Meanwhile, all kinds of weird numbers cluttered the whiteboard, which seemed to appear out of the blue.

"Y-Yeah, sure." Abel gripped his pen as he jotted the equation on his notes, then hovered over his textbook. His classmates continued monitoring him, pinning him to his chair and adding even more pressure.

"Well class, why don't you try solving it too?" The teacher's curls bounced as she walked. "Don't think you're gonna get away with it just because Abel's solving it."

Now you're just making too much sense, Mrs. Applewood...

However, just by looking at the equation, his three brain cells immediately skedaddled in endless circles, howling like those boisterous toddlers throwing tantrums. This problem had roots and fractions practically jumbled together, forming some complex shit that was no longer recognizable.

Regardless, maintaining his cool was a top priority. This was a consequence of letting himself drown in reverie consisting of only that certain friend of his. Damn it, Mairi. Even if she was not physically here, she occupied most of the space in his thoughts.