8 Equation to age

Mona was focused on grading the scripts, attempting to resist the urge to check if Mr Ken was looking at her.

However, she eventually gave in and glanced over to see that he was still staring directly at her. Feeling uncomfortable, she called out to him with a pleading tone, "Mr Ken, I take back what I said earlier." She nervously pinched the skin on her neck.

The man grinned slightly and directed his attention back to the computer system. "I wasn't thinking about that," he informed her.

"Ohh," she nodded her head and reached to look at his face. "What were you thinking? You were staring at me, Mr Ken."

"I was studying your face."

"Why? Do I look beautiful?"

"I've told you not to flirt with your teacher." He sternly stared at her, thus she lowered her gaze.

"I'm not, I don't know that that's called flirting."

"Ever had a boyfriend?" He asked. She gazed at him in shock but he just looked firm with that smile crossed on his face.

"I…No."

"Wanna have one?" He asked, she had to stare at him again. What was he trying to say? That she should be his girlfriend? Was it because she said she loved him?

"I don't...know," she replied but didn't lower her head.

"Will you give… Derrick, the chance to date you?" He asked.

Mona frowned and returned to her punishment. "I told you that I don't know," she replied.

"Whatever. I was just helping the boy." He shrugged one of his shoulders and looked at his colleagues, they gave a kind gesture and then he returned to what he was busy with on the computer.

"Am I not too young to date, Mr Ken? I thought you are a teacher and are supposed to teach reasonable things not dating in school," she confronted him but he replied with just a shrug.

Mona glared at him for a while before returning to her punishment. 

Hours ticked away and Mona remained seated with Mr Ken. It seemed that he didn't have any classes to teach, and he appeared to be enjoying her company.

Mona yawned and dizzily stared at Mr Ken before letting her head fall on his shoulder. "I'm tired," she uttered but he shrugged to get her head off his shoulder.

When she planned to glare at him, she was stopped by the drink he handed to her.

"What is this, Mr Ken?" Mona eyed the bottle and gazed at him. 

Kenny swirled the cover off it and replied; "an energy drink. You are finishing that today," he concluded. 

After cursing him inwardly, she collected the drink and gulped a little before continuing to grade.

Eventually, around 6:00 in the evening, Mona was relieved that she had finished grading the tests and rushed to her classroom to retrieve her bag. She was glad that Mr Ken didn't report for her to be detained, as that would have been problematic.

She felt energized from the energy drink she had consumed earlier and gathered her things to leave. It occurred to her that Derrick must have already left, so she decided to deal with the equation tomorrow.

Mona took the bus instead of calling her driver. There she met Mr Ken standing by the bus station busy with his cell phone. What would he be doing on the phone anyway? She wondered.

Mona didn't announce her presence as she does because she didn't want to mistakenly flirt with the man. 

When the bus arrived, they all entered and took seats, she took the back seat and as if Mr Ken had the same mind as she had, he sat just right next to her. 

Mona aimed to avoid him so she stood up but the bus started when he was about to pull her back so she ended up sitting on his legs.

Mona's eyes widened at the thought of what she felt behind her. She gasped and moved away as soon as she regained her mind.

Mr Ken wasn't bothered or he was hiding his expression. "I... I'm sorry," she apologized and looked out of the window, cursing herself. 

Mr Ken didn't reply. "I wasn't… it wasn't intentional, I wasn't flirting." She tried to clear the confusion that never existed.

Mr Ken still didn't say a word, so she also decided to stay quiet. They dropped at the bus station by Daliy Hills. 

Mona followed Mr Ken from behind and when he reached his house she walked past him without greeting him or showing a nice gesture.

And that was how the day ended with the both of them.

The next day at school, Mona asked Gina if she could switch seats with her, so she could sit with Derrick and ask him to help her solve the equation. At first, Gina was hesitant, but she eventually agreed and left the two of them alone.

Derrick was excited to have Mona sit with him. Her cologne filled his nose, causing him to glue his eyes on her as if he hadn't seen a girl as beautiful as her before.

Gina burned in jealousy, Mona was brown-skinned, so why was Derick so interested in Mona and not her? 

She didn't tear her gaze from the two as Derrick was being so obvious about getting closer to Mona.

Gina imagined going up to Mona and cursing her but she quit that and continued to watch them.

[2x+2y=10

3x+y=11

Solve the simultaneous equation and find the value of x³.]

That was the equation to find Mr Ken's age and she was eager to know. Mona watched as Derrick solved the equation and he got x as the number three. 

So x³ was 27. 

Thus, Mr Ken was twenty-seven years old. She smiled. He was just nine years older. 

Mona stood up after saying thanks to Derrick but he pleaded she sat with him for a while.

Mona now understood what Mr Ken meant about giving Derrick a chance, she then asked. "Do…do you perhaps…l-like me? I mean feelings."

Derrick was surprised she asked but he replied by nodding his head.

Mona was taken aback by Derrick's positive response and replied with a nod. She couldn't help but wonder why she had never noticed the way he looked at her with kindness and the way smiled at her. She let out a sigh and furrowed her eyebrows before looking back at him and calling his name.

"Derrick…" but another voice was heard behind them and it turned out to be Gina. "Mona, aren't you done?" She asked.

Mona glanced at Derrick and stood up. "We are through, thank you." Mona walked to her seat.

She threw them a smile when she settled down, afterwards, she forgot the scene and texted Mr Ken the answer.

"I'm sure you didn't solve that yourself," he replied.

"Then, how will I know the answer if I didn't solve the equation?"

"It isn't hard to ask for help."

"Mr Ken…"

"Well, that isn't my age."

"Why? But… never mind," she became upset.

"Okay, do I look 27 to you?"

"Yes, and I'm sure that that's your age,"

"Okay…" He replied. "Using your phone in class again Mona?"

"There isn't any teacher," she defended herself.

"Why can't you study for the test then, instead of chatting?"

Mona glared at her phone as if it was Mr Ken. She didn't respond to his text and turned off her phone before resting her head on her crossed arms that were on the table.