I tried to focus on Cassidy's work. Really, I did.
Problem twenty stared up at me from the graph paper, color-coded and methodical, with red circles around the variable and blue arrows showing where she'd moved terms across the equals sign. The setup was perfect. The factoring was correct. Then somewhere around step four, the numbers had apparently decided to throw a party and invite chaos as the guest of honor.
"So you got here," I pointed at the step where everything fell apart, "and then what happened?"
Cassidy leaned forward. Her glasses slid down her nose. "I multiplied both sides by negative one to get rid of the negative x, and then I—"
Sabrina's fingers slid into my hair.
My train of thought derailed. Crashed. Exploded into flames.
