The Unsolvable Equation

Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Almier POV

Almier looked up, staring blankly at her, his introduction dying on the tip of his tongue. The charming, intellectually crafted 'hello' that he normally threw in the way of unsuspecting females now tasted sour and unfamiliar. "Hi-hi," he stammered, accepting her handshanke. Were my palms sweaty, oh dear lord, he wondered. Quickly retracting his hand, he wiped his palms against his shirt and offered up his best impression of what he hoped was a smile. "I'm Almier. Almier Lowe. Not low, like low, but with the e at the end. So it looks like, you know, a name." Stop. Stop talking, bloody hell. This was not normal. Smooth-talking, lady charming Almier should be wetting the panties of females that bowed to his intellectual greatness, not wetting his own palms.

Alexia glanced over him, as if giving him a once-over. Then her lips bent into the kind of crooked smile that Almier was usually on the other end of giving. "So," she said. "What're you into."

 

You. Almier wanted to slap himself. Had he nearly just said that out loud? Play it cool, play it cool. She's just another girl. "Um, well, you know," he managed to get out, shrugging. "Nothing particularly interesting. I mean, like heavy metal and ya know, um rock and yeah. And maybe sometimes, if I'm, you know, forced to, I like to do math and erm, french. But not really, though. Mostly cool stuff, ya know?" Nice going, Almier, now she thinks you're an identity-less idiot nerd.

Alexia smiled. "Well, I'm not too big a fan of that kind of music myself. But I do love french and math. It's a shame you're not more into that, because I would really love to have someone to discuss it with. Barely anybody in this class can hold a decent discussion about a topic that does not involve some shallow, mind-rotting aspect of human existence." She rolled her eyes.

If it was any other girl, Almier might have leaned in, and with an arched eyebrow said, "personne jusqu'à maintenant." (nobody until now).But this was Alexia Lee, and all of Almier's wit and humour was long sucked into her entrance. "I can speak french," he blurted out. Where are the holes to suck you into for eternity when you need them.

A look of excitement crossed Alexia's face and her eyes lit up. "Really! She said. "So can I! Are you any good?"

Almier weighed his options. He could play it humble and go with 'no', but something told him that a girl like Alexia Lee wasn't too appreciative with a man who played down his talents, and liked ability presented to her. "I'm not too bad. I mean, I did get the scholarship to France."

Now the tables turned and it was Alexia's turn to play the drooling fangirl. "Oh wow. Wow that is so cool. Well, call it coincidence or call it fate, but so have I. Guess we'll be going to France together in the near future then?"

"Near future being two months," Almier stammered, his heart beating faster than his brain could think.

"I can hardly wait," Alexia grinned. "Well, got to go. See you around, Almier Lowe with the e." She waved to him and sashayed out of the class.

Thanks to the miracle of bodily functions and reactions, Almier's hand lifted up and limply waved to her retreating form. Suddenly, Alexia turned around and handed him his dreams on a silver platter. "Oh, and Almier, maybe you and I could meet up to, you know, discuss french."

Almier wasn't religious, but in moments like these, he truly wondered if there was a God, and if there was, what amazing deed he must have done to deserve such a miracle. "Okay," he fumbled. Oh, come on. Is that the best you can do?