IVY POV
He just stared at me, that unreadable smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips. My stomach churned. How is he so calm? Doesn't he even care that he's failing?
"Are you going to start or just stare at me like that all day?" I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant.
He tilted his head, blue-hazel eyes locked on mine. "You're really serious about this, huh?"
I crossed my arms, refusing to look away. "Of course I'm serious. You want to pass, right?"
"Eh… kinda," he said lazily, leaning back in his chair.
I almost dropped my pencil. Kinda? I wanted to scream. "Kinda?! Hale, this isn't a game! You can't just 'kinda' know Algebra if you want to graduate!"
He shrugged again, acting like my frustration amused him. And it did… almost.
My chest tightened.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Focus, Ivy. You came here to teach, not to kill him.. Cos I'm a step away from committing murder.
"Fine," I said, flipping open my notebook. "We're starting with Linear Equations. One step at a time. I'll show you a few examples, then you do some problems. Got it?"
He raised an eyebrow, still lounging like he owned the room. "I got it. But don't expect me to do everything perfectly on the first try."
I huffed. "I don't expect perfection. I just expect effort."
He smirked again, that infuriating, knowing smirk. "Effort, huh? I'll see what I can do."
My heart hammered in my chest, equal parts frustration and doubt… he needs to pass so I could get my letter… or less... Let's hold that thought for now.
I opened my book, took a deep breath, and began writing out the first Linear Equation example on the table.
"Alright, Hale," I said firmly, "let's see what you've got."
He leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes sparkling with challenge.
And just like that… the battle had officially begun.
I wrote out the first Linear Equation:
2x + 5 = 15
"Okay," I said, trying to stay calm. "Solve for x. Step by step."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded like he was bored. "Ugh… do I really have to?"
I clenched my jaw. "Yes. You do."
He groaned dramatically, then grabbed the pencil and scrawled something on the paper. I leaned over.
2 + 5x = 15
I blinked.
My brain froze for a second. Then I blinked again.
"What the hell is that?" I hissed. My hands shot to my face, trying not to scream. "That's… completely wrong! The x goes with the 2, not the 5!"
He shrugged casually, like it was no big deal. "Relax. Math's boring. Who even uses this in real life? You really want me to spend my brainpower on… x and numbers? Why the hell are we finding x all the freaking time?"
I felt my face flush hot with anger. My hands shook slightly as I slammed my notebook down. "Who even uses this? Are you serious? You can't just ignore it because you don't like it! You're failing! You need this!"
He leaned back, smirking, and said, "Okay… okay. Fine. But seriously…. I should just hire someone to handle all this shit while I focus on hockey. That seems way smarter."
I froze.
My jaw dropped.
My hands gripped my notebook like I could crush it. "Excuse me? You… you think failing is okay as long as you skate well? You… ugh… You are mad!"
He laughed softly, that arrogant, infuriating laugh. "Relax, tutor girl. I've survived worse teachers than you."
I stood up abruptly, voice shaking with rage. "Worse teachers than me? Ronan, I'm trying to help you pass! And you sit there acting like this is a joke!"
He leaned back in the chair, calm as ever, smirk still in place. "Fine, fine. You're being dramatic."
I threw my hands up, taking a deep breath, trying not to let my anger completely take over. My chest was tight, my stomach twisting.
This is going to be a long semester. A very long, infuriating, completely impossible semester.
And I had a feeling… it wasn't just his math that was going to be a challenge.
Two hours. Two freaking hours of trying, of him ignoring, screwing up, and spouting nonsense, and now…
"Let's end this for today. I'm tired. I need my sleep," he said casually, standing up with no care whatsoever."
I froze, my hands still gripping my notebook. My brain screamed. What?
He walked toward the door, tossing a glance over his shoulder. "Walter, see her out. And be kind. Drop her off."
I sat there, frozen in shock, my mouth slightly open. My chest felt tight, and my fingers twitched on the table.
He's… he's serious?
I wanted to scream, cry, throw the damn books at him… something. But instead, I just sat there, staring at the empty doorway, my brain spinning.
Two hours. And for what? For him to dismiss me like I was… like I didn't matter.
I couldn't even look at the mess of equations and scribbles in the book. I shoved them aside, my stomach twisting.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but it was useless. My hands shook, my jaw ached from clenching, and my heart was still hammering.
This guy is…. Aghhhghhh
And yet… despite everything, a tiny, ridiculous part of me couldn't stop thinking about him. The way he moved, the way he smirked, the way he made me furious… and somehow… .
I shook my head. Focus, Ivy. Focus. His an arrogant asshole… don't go think about handsome douchebags... No
"Just the tutor…" I muttered to myself, bitterly. "Focus on just that."
Then I heard footsteps approaching. Walt appeared at the door, calm as ever.
"Ready, Ivy?" he asked, holding the door open politely.
I stood, still trembling from a mix of anger and adrenaline, and followed him out, trying not to think about the absolute chaos that was Ronan Hale waiting for the next day.
Because I knew… this was only the beginning.