Status: A work in progress. Updates may be slow due to school.
Tied
Atomic Algebra
I sat in Algebra 2, my pencil tapping nervously against my desk. Equations that used to be so easy were now getting the best of me, and all because of those words. Those stupid black letters written on my ankle.
"Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed."
What is that even supposed to mean, and what does it have to do with me?
I hunched over my desk, trying to concentrate on the equation before me.
f(x)=x^2-13x+30
Factor it. Factor it. Factor. Limiting factor. Carrying capacity. Birth rate. Death rate. Death. Killing. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.
I gritted my teeth and tried to focus again.
f(x)= (x-10)(x-3)
I moved on to the next problem.
y=2/3x-3
Graph it. 2/3. Two thirds of the population.
Damn it. I set my pen down and leaned back in the chair. Focus was evading me, and it was pissing me off. The period was almost over anyway, and soon I'd be in the car on the way home.
I doodled on the side of my paper, drawing a little mushroom cloud, blowing up a house and spitting out fragmented remains of someone's life.
I glanced up at the clock. 2:53. I had seven minutes before we were dismissed, so I attempted another problem.
Find the real zeros.
f(x)=x^3-4x^2+2x-6
Zeros. Synthetic division. Synthetic leather. Synthetic rubber. Synthetic knowledge. Flash. Boom. Bang. Flash. Duck and cover. Synthetic bananas. Twinkies.
The bell rang, and we were dismissed. I packed up my books and hurried out the door, headed for the parking lot. I knew I had about 3 minutes until Aurore showed up, and about 10 until Mom arrived, so I pulled out my phone and started googling Albert Einstein and the Atomic Bomb. Probably not the best way to get my mind off the situation, but oh well.
I clicked on a link and it took me to a research webpage. Right at the top of the page was my quote.
"I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed."
The words suddenly burned into my skin, scalding my flesh and bubbling my skin. I yanked up my pants leg to see what on earth was going on, but nothing was wrong. The words were a little darker, but my flesh wasn't falling off in scalded strips. It wasn't even a little pink.
"Watcha got there?" I quickly pulled my pants leg down and turned around. Aurore was standing next to me.
"Nothing. Just a bug bite." She frowned and looked at my phone screen.
"That's a pretty nasty bug bite..." She remarked. "Is that Albert Einstein? I thought you didn't like that atomic bomb stuff..." I paled and shut my phone off.
"I don't. It's a research project for History."
She looked a little suspicious, but let it go. We stood there in silence for a while, waiting for Mom to show up. All of a sudden Aurore turned to me.
"Zhenia, do you believe in reincarnation?" I stared at her for a second before replying.
"No. I'm not even sure about an afterlife."
She thought for a moment, and was about to say something, but Mom pulled up. We got in the backseat and drove away.
I wonder if Einstein believed in reincarnation...
"Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed."
What is that even supposed to mean, and what does it have to do with me?
I hunched over my desk, trying to concentrate on the equation before me.
f(x)=x^2-13x+30
Factor it. Factor it. Factor. Limiting factor. Carrying capacity. Birth rate. Death rate. Death. Killing. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.
I gritted my teeth and tried to focus again.
f(x)= (x-10)(x-3)
I moved on to the next problem.
y=2/3x-3
Graph it. 2/3. Two thirds of the population.
Damn it. I set my pen down and leaned back in the chair. Focus was evading me, and it was pissing me off. The period was almost over anyway, and soon I'd be in the car on the way home.
I doodled on the side of my paper, drawing a little mushroom cloud, blowing up a house and spitting out fragmented remains of someone's life.
I glanced up at the clock. 2:53. I had seven minutes before we were dismissed, so I attempted another problem.
Find the real zeros.
f(x)=x^3-4x^2+2x-6
Zeros. Synthetic division. Synthetic leather. Synthetic rubber. Synthetic knowledge. Flash. Boom. Bang. Flash. Duck and cover. Synthetic bananas. Twinkies.
The bell rang, and we were dismissed. I packed up my books and hurried out the door, headed for the parking lot. I knew I had about 3 minutes until Aurore showed up, and about 10 until Mom arrived, so I pulled out my phone and started googling Albert Einstein and the Atomic Bomb. Probably not the best way to get my mind off the situation, but oh well.
I clicked on a link and it took me to a research webpage. Right at the top of the page was my quote.
"I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed."
The words suddenly burned into my skin, scalding my flesh and bubbling my skin. I yanked up my pants leg to see what on earth was going on, but nothing was wrong. The words were a little darker, but my flesh wasn't falling off in scalded strips. It wasn't even a little pink.
"Watcha got there?" I quickly pulled my pants leg down and turned around. Aurore was standing next to me.
"Nothing. Just a bug bite." She frowned and looked at my phone screen.
"That's a pretty nasty bug bite..." She remarked. "Is that Albert Einstein? I thought you didn't like that atomic bomb stuff..." I paled and shut my phone off.
"I don't. It's a research project for History."
She looked a little suspicious, but let it go. We stood there in silence for a while, waiting for Mom to show up. All of a sudden Aurore turned to me.
"Zhenia, do you believe in reincarnation?" I stared at her for a second before replying.
"No. I'm not even sure about an afterlife."
She thought for a moment, and was about to say something, but Mom pulled up. We got in the backseat and drove away.
I wonder if Einstein believed in reincarnation...
♠ ♠ ♠
Updates will probably be more frequent on the weekends, due to homework, school, tumblr, and bananas. Enjoy reading, my lovelies, and drop a comment if you feel inclined to do so. You're nightmares aren't real, but the monsters can hear us.