Page 9 of Defiant Beta

His lips flatten, and he gestures toward the whiteboard. “The answer.”

My eyes glaze over. “For the equation on the right or the left?”

“They are the same equation.”

Damn.

I clear my throat and sit up straighter in my seat. “I, uh, I’m not sure.”

From out of the corner of my eye, River’s hand creeps up. “I think I might know?—”

His eyes bore into me. “I am waiting for Miss Farrow to grace the class with the answer.”

“I don’t really…”

“Take the pen.”

I slowly rise and approach the whiteboard, gripping the pen he thrusts toward me tightly in my hand. With dozens of eyes staring at my back, I feel sweat forming on my neck.

I have no clue what this math even is, but hell if I know the first thing about how to solve an equation that gives me a headache just looking at it.

“We don’t have all day, Miss Farrow,” he snaps.

“I don’t know the answer.”

He nods, and I start to hand my pen back when he pulls another one from his pocket.

“Then we’ll start with something easier, just for you.” His judgment raises my hackles.

He scrawls another equation on the board, this one no easier to decipher than the last.

“Well…” He peers expectantly at me.

“I, uh, don’t know.”

His eyebrows fly up. “Is there anything youdoknow?”

The room is pin-drop silent.

Pity fills Aden’s eyes, and I look away, cheeks red, humiliated.

I loved school and was always eager to go, but some things are more important than school. Things like family. Like looking out for your sister when she goes missing.

Now I just feel stupid for knowing absolutely fucking nothing.

Every class I’ve had so far has been superficial, it’s obvious that the only thing we’re here to learn is obedience.

Except this one.

In this one, I’m suddenly expected to use my brain.

Even my classmates looked surprised and confused when they saw the whiteboard full of equations, which tells me this substitute teacher either doesn’t know the deal, doesn’t care, or has something against me.

Because of last night?

What did I do to deserve this?

He shakes his head. “Sit down, Miss Farrow. You’re wasting all our time.”

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