Good afternoon, everyone. I know you've had a pleasant start to the semester and would like to continue enjoying your newfound freedom and party with your friends. Unfortunately, for you, I take the quality of your education seriously. Today, I've handed out the first math assignment, and I want to emphasize its importance. This assignment may appear challenging at first glance, but remember, it's designed to stretch your intellectual boundaries. Now remember, I am here to help. If you're struggling, I encourage you to seek assistance during my office hours. During our next class, I'll be selecting random students to discuss their thought process and approach to the assignment. This is to ensure authenticity and that there is no plagiarism. Also, I will be assessing your level with this and failure to submit the assignment would mean an F. So be careful. Now let us continue..."
Nora looked down at the first problem on the assignment sheet that the professor had given out and almost fell to the floor. The entire topic of Derivatives had been going over her head and now this.
'Consider the function f(x) = 2x^3 - 5x^2 + 3x - 7. Calculate the first and second derivatives of f(x), and then analyze the critical points, inflexion points, and intervals of concavity of the function.'
She did not even understand the first question, how was she to look for an answer? Suddenly it made her realize that she was in hot waters. The two math experts in the class happened to be the two people who hated her the most.
Sara and Antonio had quickly become the star couple at the university. Sara had an outgoing personality and looks that matched her. She had quickly become friends with everyone, effectively isolating her. Antonio, on the other hand, had become the perfect adoring boyfriend to Sara, enjoying and reaping the benefits of her fame.
Thankfully, they had at least not tried to cross paths with her, but she could already feel Antonio's smug gaze on her. She had never been very smart with numbers, but she would have been better at it if Lara Anderson had ever let her study. Her formative years had been spent doing the bare minimum to pass school and handling all the household chores that her mother had said were her responsibility.
Professor Thomas had almost finished the problem on the board, and Nora realized with a jerk that she had missed the entire explanation! Oh gosh! She was going to go crazy!
Finally, the professor left, and she quickly started to pack for the day, stuffing the assignment sheet into her bag. Maybe she could look for a tutor who could help her with this. Yes, as if she hadn't been looking already. But every senior who could help her had already refused her. Professor Thomson said that she could go to him for help, but it was an open secret among the students that Professor Thomson was as prejudiced as a judge who would rule a person guilty before even start of a trial. If she exposed her weakness, she would forever be failing this class.
Distracted by these thoughts, she failed to see Sara approaching her. As she picked up her bag, she heard the girl's sweet voice," Nora."
Nora raised her eyes and felt anxiety as soon as she met Sara's eyes. She was definitely up to something. Nora quickly scanned the classroom and noticed that most of the students had left while the others were leaving. Giving her a strained smile, Nora nodded at her," Sara."
"How are you doing, Nora? Do you need any help?" Nora almost laughed out loud at the question. She still could ask that so innocently.
Sara had offered her help a few years ago as well. And feeling hopeful of getting her sister's love, she quickly agreed to receive help. Only to be humiliated in front of the entire school when the headmaster made her read out her foreign language essay in front of the entire school with a translator. Instead of their topic about nature, Sara had... made her write about... Biology.
"I'd sooner eat a bucket of nails than accept your assistance," Nora replied with a perfect smile. Anyone looking at them from a distance would assume that they were having a pleasant conversation.
"Of course, you would want my husband to help you." Sara taunted with a glint in her eyes.
"Your husband. Tsk tsk tsk. At most, he is your boyfriend." Nora taunted with a grin.
"Those are semantics! If you had done something so insidious, we would have been married. To me, he is my husband and to him, I am his wife."
"Alright. But why are you telling me this?" Nora asked with a shrug.
"Because I don't want you to try and get him back. Look, Nora, I don't have any personal grudge against you. Whatever I did in the past, it was because Mom told me to. But I genuinely love Antonio and I don't want to fight you. But if I have to, then I will leave no stone unturned. I will forget that you are my sister!"
Nora rolled her eyes internally at that. Did Sara even remember they were sisters? But the girl seemed to have selective memory. She'd suddenly started to believe that she had been only obeying their mother when she had made her life a living hell. Maybe Sara had developed some mental problems. However, she had no wish to entertain her drama.
Stepping aside, Nora spoke softly," I'd prefer getting lost in the desert without water than getting his help."
Finally, having said the last word, Nora made her escape. Outside the room, she sighed in relief. It had been difficult for her to confront Sara. She'd half been expecting Sara to use her old tricks and try to bruise her arms or hurt her where it would not be visible. This time she would have used a small move of small defense that she had been learning over the weeks.
With a sigh, she imagined throwing Sara towards the back of the classroom, where she would then stick to the wall like a cartoon character before slumping to the floor. Grinning at the image, Nora quickly walked outside, ready to get to the cafe where she worked as a waitress.
"Well well, the newbie is here just in time for the evening hour rush. Move fast, newbie."
Lena, the senior waitress winked at her as she passed by while rolling her eyes at the other waitress who was calling out to her. Dressed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans the dress code of the cafe, Nora quickly picked up the large tray with numerous glasses of coffee and rolled her eyes at the manager," Look here, I am able to balance this tray without spilling a drop, that qualifies me to be taken off the newbie block."
The older woman tsked and added another glass of coffee to the tray," Nope, you are a newbie until we have more new blood sign up. This is for table seven. Brace yourself they are caffeine addicts and regulars. Just pass the cups randomly and they will handle it themselves!"
From then on, it was a busy day for Nora who stayed on her feet the entire time, rushing around, getting orders and dodging runaway coffee cups. Lena and Maya, the two other women, continued to tease her and critique her technique throughout the shift, giving her no time to think about the assignment now hanging over her head like a sword.
Finally, as the evening rush quietened, Maya patted Nora on the back and sighed," You are doing well for a rookie. I thought you had no experience."
"I've never worked for money, but sometimes I used to help out at a cafe near my old place."
"Ha! So you lied in the interview! We told you we wanted newbies, and you downplayed your experience so that you could get the job?"
Nora smiled awkwardly at that, unsure now if she was being scolded or teased. This was a feeling that she had come to experience a lot lately. It was because these people had accepted her into this role so easily. All her life, Sara had overshadowed her and only now did Nora realize that she'd been more affected than she realized.
While Nora tried to think what she should say, Lena interceded," Come on, Maya. Don't tease the poor girl! We both know we needed someone experienced but couldn't afford them so naturally Nora is a God-sent."
"God-sent huh?" Maya repeated before shrugging her shoulders and patting Nora's shoulder," Alright then, go take a coffee break miss God-sent."
Lena smiled approvingly at Maya while adding, "Take a muffin as well. On us!"
Nora looked at the two women gratefully and then almost ran to the backroom almost kicking off the high heels into the air. The only problem with working at this place was that her uniform insisted on her wearing high heels. And for someone like her who wasn't used to it, this was a punishment.
As Nora bit into the soft muffin, she looked through the student communities online trying to find someone who could coach her in mathematics, but it was all in vain.
Soon after the break was over, she went out and almost sighed to see a customer in her section of the cafe. She looked at the man and felt as if he had a familiar profile.
"The man wants the house special sweetheart. Here, take this croissant for him and tell him it is on us." Lena pushed the tray towards Nora who quickly took it and carried it for the man.
"This is not the place to be matchmaking, Lena." Maya pointed out archly as she checked the bills from the rush hour.
"Every place is a place for matchmaking, Maya. She is a young and good girl, working here to pay her tuition. If she had someone to take care of her, it would be good for her, wouldn't it? And I think the man has come here before."
"How do you know he has been here before? You wouldn't recognize someone's face if they pushed it in front of you!"
"Well, so what if I have face blindness? I can still recognize people, can't I? But anyway, this time I know because the man specifically asked me about the newbie. It is why I guided him to her section. And see, they are already chatting!"
***
As Nora placed the cup of coffee in front of the man, he looked up and she felt a flash of recognition. She knew the man! Or rather, she had seen him. Hoping against hope that he would not recognize her, she gave him a strained smile and placed the order," The croissant is on the house, sir."
The man thanked her, and Nora thought she'd made a lucky escape when the man commented," I hope your ex is still not pestering you."
Nora smiled at the man, reminding herself that it was not this man's fault that he was too curious. But even so, she answered, "No. Thankfully, he has left me to my own devices."
"Good, that is a good thing. Messy exes are always a problem. So, do you study in a university here..." The man left the question open, expecting Nora to complete the sentence and tell him which university. she was studying in.
"Yes, yea. In a university here. Please let me know if you need anything."
"You." The man spoke a single word.
Wide-eyed, Nora looked at the man with astonishment," Pardon?"
The man smiled and clarified himself," Just wondering if you could sit here and chat with me while I finish this coffee. Chatting with a pretty girl while drinking coffee would be a pleasure."
"Umm. Sorry. I just took a break. Also, we are not allowed to sit with customers... So, I'm sorry, please enjoy your coffee."
Having said that, Nora made her quick escape. She did not understand why she felt the urge to stay away from this man. Maybe it was because of embarrassment that he'd heard the things that Antonio had told accused her of. Whatever it was, Nora felt that she should stay away and she was not about to ignore her instincts, no matter if the guy was handsome.
The man smiled as he watched Nora walk away from him. Hopefully, next time he would be able to chat with her for longer.
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