Chapter 5 THE UNSOLVABLE EQUATION

The silence in the library was thick, broken only by the faint scratching of Alex's pen on paper. He was hunched over his notebook, his brows drawn together in concentration as he tried to work through the equation Mia had given him.

He had been at it for what felt like an eternity. Each time he thought he was close to the solution, something didn't add up, and he had to start over. Frustration built in his chest, but he refused to give up. He was determined to prove that he wasn't as hopeless as everyone seemed to think.

Finally, Alex looked up from his notebook, intending to ask Mia for help, but froze when he saw her.

She wasn't paying attention to him at all.

Mia sat with her chin resting on her hand, her gaze distant as she stared out of the library window. Her math textbook was still open in front of her, but she hadn't touched it in ages.

Alex realized with a sinking feeling that she had only given him the question to keep him busy while she enjoyed her quiet time.

"Seriously?" he muttered, dropping his pen onto the table.

Mia turned her head slowly, her serene expression giving no hint of guilt. "What?"

"I can't solve it," Alex said bluntly, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "I've tried everything, but I'm still not getting the answer in the textbook."

Mia sighed, as if his struggle was a minor inconvenience. "If you can't solve it, then don't bother coming here."

Her words stung, sharper than Alex had expected. He sat up straight, his frown deepening. "You're kidding, right? You're supposed to be helping me."

"I am helping you," Mia replied coolly. "But if you're not going to put in the effort to solve one simple question, then there's no point."

Alex's jaw tightened, the frustration and disbelief clear on his face. "Then show me how to do it. You're the genius, aren't you? Just solve it and explain where I went wrong."

Mia shook her head, her tone calm but unyielding. "No. You have to figure it out yourself. If you can't even do that, then I'll have to tell Mr. Johnson to pair me with someone else."

Her words hung in the air, heavy and cutting.

Alex stared at her, his eyes wide with shock. "You're not serious."

"I am," Mia said, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I don't have time to waste on someone who doesn't want to try. If you're not willing to put in the work, then this partnership isn't going to work."

Alex felt a pang in his chest, a mix of anger and hurt. He had known Mia was strict and no-nonsense, but he hadn't expected her to be so dismissive.

"Fine," he said finally, his voice tight. "I'll solve it."

Mia raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't believe him, but she didn't say anything.

Alex picked up his pen again, his grip firm, and stared at the problem. His mind raced, replaying everything he had learned about solving equations. He wasn't going to let her write him off so easily.

As the silence stretched on, Mia returned to staring out the window, her calm demeanor unchanged.

But for the first time, Alex felt a fire igniting inside him-a determination to prove her wrong.

The sharp sound of the bell echoed through the library, signaling the end of break time.

Mia stood up almost immediately, closing her book with a satisfying thud. She glanced at Alex, who was still hunched over his notebook, frustration etched on his face.

"We're done for today," she said curtly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking away without waiting for a response.

Alex watched her go, a mix of irritation and exhaustion swirling in his chest. He gathered his things slowly and left the library, his mind still fixated on the equation.

When Alex got home later that day, he went straight to his room, determined to crack the problem. He spread out his textbook, notebook, and calculator on his desk and began working through the equation again.

Hours passed, and he still couldn't make sense of it. No matter what approach he tried, the numbers refused to add up. His frustration grew with each failed attempt, his notebook filled with scribbles and crossed-out calculations.

"Alex?" his sister's voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked up to see his elder sister, Anna, standing in the doorway. She was dressed in her work clothes, her face a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"You've been in here for hours," she said, stepping inside. "What's going on?"

Alex sighed, leaning back in his chair. "It's this stupid math problem. I can't solve it, and if I don't figure it out, my class partner is going to drop me."

Anna raised an eyebrow, her protective instincts kicking in. "Let me see it."

Alex handed her the notebook, and she sat beside him, scanning the problem with a thoughtful expression. She grabbed a pen and started working through the equation herself.

Fifteen minutes later, she sighed, setting the pen down. "This doesn't make sense. Are you sure this is even solvable?"

Alex shrugged helplessly. "It's from the textbook. It has to be solvable."

Anna frowned but didn't press further. "Well, don't beat yourself up over it. Maybe ask your teacher for help tomorrow."

"Yeah, maybe," Alex mumbled, though his heart sank further.

The next morning, Alex walked into school feeling defeated. His usually carefree demeanor was replaced by a heavy sense of dread. He knew today might be the end of his study partnership with Mia, and the thought of it left an ache in his chest.

By the time math class began, Alex was barely paying attention. He slumped in his seat, staring blankly at the board as their teacher, Mr. Johnson, began writing out examples.

"Alright, class," Mr. Johnson said, turning back to face them. "Here's an equation I want you to try. It's a little tricky, but I'm sure you can handle it."

Alex's head snapped up as he recognized the equation on the board. It was the same one Mia had given him.

His heart raced as Mr. Johnson began explaining the steps to solve it. Finally, he would get the answer and figure out what he had been doing wrong.

But just as Mr. Johnson was about to write the next step, Mia's hand shot up.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, her tone polite but firm. "That equation is incorrect. It's missing a key variable, so it can't be solved."

The entire class turned to look at her, murmurs spreading across the room.

Mr. Johnson paused, adjusted his glasses, and studied the equation. After a moment, he nodded. "You're absolutely right, Mia. My mistake. This equation can't be solved as it is."

Alex froze, his heart sinking.

Mia hadn't made a mistake. She had known the equation was unsolvable when she gave it to him.

His hands clenched into fists under the desk as realization hit him like a punch to the gut. She had set him up to fail.

Mia, seemingly oblivious to Alex's reaction, returned her attention to the lesson, her face calm and composed.

Alex, on the other hand, couldn't focus. A mix of anger, embarrassment, and hurt churned inside him. He couldn't understand why she would do something like that. Was she trying to teach him a lesson, or did she simply want to humiliate him?

One thing was clear-he couldn't let this slide.