Kayla's POV

Lila tilted her head, her brows furrowed with curiosity. "So, what's the deal with you and Fiona? Are you two friends now or something?"

I sat at the Andersons' kitchen table, surrounded by the lively chaos of the twins and a tempting tray of cookies and biscuits.

"Friends? Not quite. More like... close acquaintances, I guess," I replied, a slight shrug accompanying my words.

Luca's eyes narrowed, intrigued. "Did she spend last night at your place?"

"Yeah, she did," I confirmed.

"Why's that?" he pressed, leaning in as if I held the key to some great mystery.

I paused, contemplating how much to share. "She had some issues at home. I suppose my place felt like the safest option for her at that moment."

They both nodded, satisfied with my answer as they turned their attention back to their reading, but I could tell the topic lingered in the air, unspoken yet palpable.

"The fundamental theorem of algebra states that every non-constant polynomial equation of degree \( n \) has exactly \( n \) complex roots, counting multiplicities. In simpler terms, if you have a polynomial like \( P(x) = ax^n + bx^{n-1} + \ldots + k \) (where \( a

Eq 0 \)), then there are \( n \) solutions (roots) in the complex number system," I explained.

"A polynomial is an expression composed of variables and coefficients, where the variables are raised to non-negative integer powers. The roots of a polynomial are the values of \( x \) that make the polynomial equal to zero, meaning \( P(x) = 0 \). Along with Polynomials are Complex Numbers. The inclusion of complex roots means that even if a polynomial has real coefficients, its roots can be complex numbers (numbers in the form \( a + bi \), where \( a \) and \( b \) are real numbers, and \( i \) is the imaginary unit). For example, for the polynomial \( x^2 + 1 = 0 \), the roots are \( x = i \) and \( x = -i \). " Luca explained.

"And then, there is Multiplicity. When a root is repeated (for example, \( (x - 2)^3 \) has the root \( x = 2 \) with a multiplicity of 3), it counts towards the total number of roots according to its multiplicity. So, in this case, the polynomial of degree 3 has 3 roots, all contributing to fulfilling the theorem," Lila concluded the explanation.

The room felt warm as we settled into our reading. I decided to pull my hair into a messy bun. While doing this, I noticed Luca looking at me. His face showed surprise and something else that made my stomach flutter. Could it be admiration?

"Why are you staring, Luca?" I joked, not expecting how fast he snapped out of it.

"You... You just have really soft hair," he stammered, his cheeks turning pink.

I raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile. "Really? After all these years of being friends, my hair still surprises you?"

He shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Sometimes, it's just baffling, okay?"

I laughed, my voice filling the room. "Alright, fair enough. But come on!"

"Lila, don't you find it intriguing?" he asked, looking to her for support.

"Honestly, Kayla, I do!" she replied, shaking her head. "We use the same products, but somehow, it just works for you!"

I laughed again. "Okay, okay, enough about my hair! Let's get back to reading," I said, pretending to be serious.

After about an hour of reading and joking, I looked at the clock. I wanted to head home before Fiona arrived. I wanted some quiet time before she got there.

I heard the doorbell ring about twenty minutes after I got home, and my heart skipped a beat-Fiona had arrived!

"Welcome! Come in!" I said, smiling and inviting her inside.

"Thanks!" she replied as she stepped inside.

"How are you?" I asked, wanting to know how she was doing.

"They're good, thanks for asking!" she said, her eyes shining with warmth.

"Great! Let's start our study session," I suggested, eager to get going.

Then Fiona asked, "Do you like books?"

"Oh, I love books!" I exclaimed, feeling excited. "What have you read?"

She lit up and named a bunch of books. "The Percy Jackson series, Harry Potter series, Twilight series, and more!"

"No way! Me too! Right now, I'm really into Pride and Prejudice..."

"I know, right? Reading is my life! Well, except for textbooks," she laughed, her excitement contagious. "What books do you have on your nightstand?"

"I'm a Potterhead, so I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series," I told her.

"Same! How about we read it together?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

I paused, feeling a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

"What do you think?" she asked, hopeful.

"Maybe?" I replied, unsure.

"I'll take that as a 'yes!' I'm so excited!" she squealed, and I couldn't help but laugh nervously at her energy.

We dedicated the rest of our time to studying, and I couldn’t help but notice how much Fiona had improved. Before, she struggled with some concepts, but now she grasped them with surprising ease.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for yesterday. Honestly, having you as my partner has made schoolwork feel a lot more manageable. I really appreciate it,” she said with a smile.

“No problem at all! I usually end up carrying the whole workload on my own, so it’s a relief to share the responsibilities with you,” I replied, feeling an unexpected sense of camaraderie.

“Speaking of teamwork, would you be okay starting our reading sessions tonight?” she proposed.

“How about we kick things off tomorrow during lunch instead?” I suggested, wanting to give us both a little breather.

“Sounds good! Tomorrow it is,” she agreed enthusiastically.

“Let me grab my keys; I’ll drive you home since it’s getting pretty dark,” I offered, wanting to be a good friend.

“Thanks again! You’re the best,” she said, her gratitude warming the atmosphere between us.

“Anytime!” I replied, feeling genuinely happy about whatever this was.

When I finally walked through the door, Mum was already there, her warm smile brightening the room.

"Hey, Ma," I greeted her.

"Hello, dear!" she replied, her voice full of happiness.

"No night shifts today?" I asked, feeling a bit relieved.

"Nope! I picked up pizza and ice cream sundaes for us. How does that sound?" she exclaimed, her excitement infectious.

"That sounds amazing! But first, I need to take a bath," I said, eager to unwind a bit.

"Alright, dear! Take your time!" she called after me, her enthusiasm echoing down the hallway.

Mum and I shared a unique bond—a silent understanding wrapped in layers of unspoken words. There were so many things we still didn’t know about each other. Despite our love for each other, years of limited communication had created an invisible wall between us, one that a few movie nights and sweet treats couldn’t easily break down.

What we needed was time; time to dive deep into our feelings and discuss the resentments and love that lingered beneath the surface. I realized that throughout my life, those moments of heartfelt connection had been scarce, leaving me to wonder when, if ever, we would get the chance to truly share our lives with each other.