Four

Four

The class was quiet as they were copying notes that was written on the board. Everyone was focused and writing fast because after 15 minutes Mrs. Reynoso is about to give them a short quiz. But Hannah doesn’t seem to feel like copying. Yeah, she was copying but her hands movement was so lousy. She was even leaning her back against her chair and let out a heavy sighed.

“Are you okay?” King asked her, without looking on her. His eyes was focused on copying.

She pouted, “My notebook is almost full with this crazy numbers and letters but all of them doesn’t seem to make sense in me.”

King paused from writing and looked on her, rising his brows, “Which part?”

“All. Its all geek to me.” She replied as she was writing.

“Do you mind if I simplified it?” He offered.

She automatically turned on him with a charming smile and their gaze meet, “I love to hear that.”

He replied with a small smile and lean his back on his chair before looking on the blackboard. She also looked on the board as she paused from writing and waited for him to start.

“As you know, there are 2 ways of multiplying polynomials. The first is FOIL method.” He paused as he pointed on the left board. Her eyes followed his finger pointing at the blackboard and she nodded.

“FOIL means First term, Outer term, Inner term and Last term. FOIL method is only applicable with binomials. Other than that, Distributive method is apply, especially with trinomials.” He paused as he glanced on her. Her eyes was focused on the board while listening on his explanation.

“Example #1: Given binomials are (y+3)(y+7). Multiply the FIRST term, y times y equals y squared. Then OUTER term, y times 7 equals 7y. Next INNER term, 3 times y equals 3y. And lastly, LAST term, 3 times 7 equals 21.” He paused and looked on her. He was explaining the example written on the board.

Hannah was quiet while her brows meet. She was trying to understand the example on the board with King’s explanation.

Later on, he moved back his eyes on the board, “And combine like terms 7y and 3y. So your final answer is y²+10y+21.”

It took a minute before she get her thoughts together, “Why are 7y and 3y are like terms?” She was still looking on the board when she asked.

“Because they have the same variables.” King answered.

For the first time, she grinned from ear to ear. When he noticed this, he looked to her and smiled. She also looked on him when she felt his eyes on him with a smile.

“Easy peasy, right?” King was grinning.

“I guess.” Hannah replied as she raised her shoulder. And they both giggled.

King looked back on the board, “Okay. Lets try number #2. (y+4)(y-3).”

“Unlike signs.” She mumbled.

“Don’t let it confuse you. Remember: In subtracting or adding integers with unlike signs, you will follow the sign of the greater integer." He explained and she just nodded.

“First term, y times y equals y². Outer term, y times -3 equals -3y. Inner term, 4 times y equals 4y. Last term, 4 times -3 equals -12. Combine like terms, -3y+4y is y. So your final answer is y²+y-12.” He illustrated.

Her brows were crossed as she followed his words by the example written on the board. She thought about it for a second before a question came to her mind.

“Why is 12 negative?” She asked, her eyes was on the board studying the signs.

“Well... There are two simple rules to remember in multiplying signed numbers: When you multiply a negative number by a positive number then the product is always negative. When you multiply two negative numbers or two positive numbers then the product is always positive.” He stated.

Her lips were slightly parted while raising her brows before she lightly noted. She was still staring on the board, trying to absorb it.

“How about that one?” It took her for a while before moving her eyes to the half of the board.

He moved his eyes at the half of the board, “That method is called Distributive method. On the given example 2x(x+5), you can't use FOIL with that because it has one term outside the binomial. So, you have to distribute 2x to x and 5. 2x times x equals 2x², then 2x times 5 equals 10x. So your final answer will be 2x²+10x.”

She raised her brows as her head slowly nodded. She tried to comprehend the example written on the board thru King's explanation. King moved his eyes to her and saw her determination to learn that made him smile.

Later on, he moved his eyes back to the board, “Lets try another example, 4a²(a^5-2).”

Her brows crossed, “Two of the terms have exponents.”

“Just add the exponents of 4a and a. 4a² times a to the power of 5 equals 4a^7, then 4a² times -2 equals -8a². Your final answer is 4a^7-8a².” He illustrated as he glanced on her with a small smile.

She was smiling while looking at the board. It seems that she understands a bit after he explained it to her.

She turned to him and their gaze meet. He was attracted to her charming smile that made him giggled. She covered her mouth with her palm as she softly chuckled.

She put her palm down as she looked at her notebook while smiling, “I think I'm ready for the quiz.”

He was grinning while staring at her, “That’s good.”

“Class, since we don't have enough time, I'll give your quiz as your assignment.” Mrs. Reynoso stood from the teacher's table as she walked to the other board. And he started to wrote their assignment.

Hannah and King both looked at the board quietly, same to their classmates.

After writing 5 items on the board, Mrs. Reynoso turned to look at them, “Write your answers on a ½ sheet of paper. Copy and answer.”

Their classmates automatically copied the assignment written on the board. Same goes to King and Hannah.

Mrs. Reynoso was tidying her things when the bell rang for the next subject.

“See you tomorrow class.” Mrs. Reynoso said her goodbyes and leave the room.

No one didn't bother to respond because everyone was busy copying their assignment and others are chatting with their seatmates. Others are already answering it and asking for answers.

“Will I be able to answer this?” Hannah asked while copying. She sounded like she was doubting herself.

“Trust your knowledge and believe in yourself. You will go nowhere with doubts.” He said in deep soft tone.

He was poking his pen on his notebook when she looked at him. He was looking on his notebook, trying to avoid her gaze. She glanced to his notebook and he seems not yet finished copying. She just smiled at him though he wasn't looking back at her, before she continued copying.

“I’ll take that advice and try to answer this at home.” She spoke.

King's eyes slightly moved to give her a quick look and continue poking his pen, “If only I was Mathematics…” He mumbled.

She half-smiled, “So everyone would go crazy over you?”

He smirked while staring at his pen, “No. So you will still answer me even though you're not sure if it’s right or wrong.”

Her instincts take over her as she turned at him. She was surpassing a smile while he was trying to avoid her eyes.

“You really are Mathematics, Carnillo.” Her voice was deep, even though her lips were twitching because of surpassing a smile.

His hand suddenly cease from poking when he looked straight to her sight, “Really?”

She pressed her lips as she covered her mouth with her palm, “You’re too difficult to comprehend. That's why I always fail.”

He moved closer to her with a poker face as his words came out in deep manly tone, “I don't care how many times you fail as long as you fail straight in my heart.”

She was sure that her blood rushed to her cheeks as she giggled. She was covering her mouth while meeting his serious look. Their faces was so close to each other like the tip of their noses is about to touch.

“Erase the writings on the board, Alvarez.” Just by hearing the voice, they were sure it was Mrs. Onevic who entered the room. He moved back and lean his back against his chair and started poking his pen again on his notebook.

The thought about his lost report card suddenly change his mood.

Nicole, who was talking with her seatmate, stood and went at the board. She took the eraser, that was place at the bottom of the board and started erasing the writings.

King slightly moved his head and he saw a glimpse of Mrs. Onevic entered the room. He looked back at his notebook when their teacher sat on the teacher's table. He was still poking his pen on his notebook absent-mindedly.

Before Nicole could proceed to the other board to erase the writings, Hannah just finished copying. She looked at King as she glanced on his notebook. He hadn't finished copying and it seems he won't finish it. He looks distracted with something.

“Hey, Alvarez is about to erase the assignment.” Hannah's voice was low but enough for him to hear.

He lightly quivered as he immediately looked at the board. Unfortunately, Nicole already erase everything. He sighed in disappointment and lean his back on his chair.

Hannah bite her lower lip as she leaned closer to him, “I had a copy of it.”

With disappointment, he looked at her but before he could reply, she continued.

“Of course I will let you copy it…” She paused as she put her hands together and nervously meet King's gaze, “Unless you will help me answer it.”

With a small smile, he replied, “Sure.”

“First of all, return your report cards.” Mrs. One of announced.

Their classmates scanned their bags to get their cards and walked to the teacher's table one by one to give it to their teacher. Hannah was about to open her bag when her instincts stop her. She slightly moved her eyes and saw King's discouragement from the corner of her eye. He wasn't paying any attention to anyone as he continued to poke his pen on his notebook.

She swallowed her guilt and composed a smile, “Carnillo, I'll help you find you card.. After class?”

Without looking at her, he smiled halfway but still poking his pen, “I appreciate that, De Vera.”

“Hannah.” She corrected him with a charming smile.

He looked to her and stared on her eyes for a while. She had a sparkling black eyes that perfectly fits her natural gold hair and her angelic smile makes her more gorgeous.

With a genuine smile, he replied in his deep low tone, “King. Only those people who are close to my heart calls me King.”

She was unable to hide the fact that her cheeks were starting to turn red, and she even giggled without having second thoughts about what he said. His smile was even wider than her, like his face was about to be thorn.

She was grinning when she covered her mouth with her hand as she looked down, “Do you eat street foods, King?”

After staring on her for a minute, he answered, “Yeah. Wanna eat Takoyaki after class?”

Her eyes lifted as she giggled. She wasn’t able to answer but her smile already gave King an answer.