Limit {Academic fiction}

Limit

“Can’t you show more enthusiasts?”

They were both graduated from the same high school, both currently studying in the same college, same pre-university academic program, and both now performing the same project. But somehow, he never talks to her, never before, and never now. Hence, she is annoyed, just like before, and still now.

“Dud, if you still ignore me like this, I’ll be very dismayed.” She put down her pen, wonders if he really heard her or he was just playing deaf. Likewise, those words truly have no effect on him, not even a slight peek, nor any evident reaction. His eyes focusing emptily on the hand-out instructions, as if he is trying to kill the precious time, never leave the sheet – Until she rips it off.

“Are you listening to me?”

Following a pattern of an upside down line of the absolute value graph, he raises his eyes, meeting hers and immediately lets them fall. In that instance, she feels intimidated when she sees the sort of look he has, similar as if he was laughing at her for being the unfortunate of a morbid cursed to work with him.

She sits down and faces him. She tries to explain the importance of his participation, but oddly, no word comes out. There were simply too many things she wants to say. So much that she can’t even see the beginning, nor the end. So how to start?

She just sits there, face to him, without moving or turning her sight in other direction than parallelly to his, until the end of the class. She watches him leaving his chair before her. Agitated, she rushes to the door and steps out before him. While she walks to her locker without looking back, he simply ignores her and goes to the opposite direction.

She sighed.

It isn’t the first time that they are paired to do an academic project. Last year, the topic was on hematopathology and she did the whole job – well, it wasn’t a difficult task – but she really did mind it. Aside from the fact that he didn’t corporate, he was smarter than she was. He used to be the best student in high school, while she was leading behind him. His ubiquitous title was known thought-out all the senior and the professors. Why she had to do everything while he can do it better? Despite how she worked hard and got a full percentage, the honor still went to him.

That goddamned kid, if I didn’t take competition that seriously, I would kill him, she says to herself as she walks along the soundless corridor.

Oh! She just realizes that she forgot to give his instruction sheet back. Too bad! She is so annoyed that she throws it hyperbolically in the garbage can – not even noticing the recycle bin beside. That irritated feeling she experiences every time she sees him, she is actually already accustomed to it. It was part of her daily life in high school, and now, in college. Her destiny is already foretold; she can't get rid of that, neither get rid of him. But what exactly does he have to do with her life anyway? He is only a random guy in her class during six year, who never talks to her and who barely pay attention to her. Although six years of classmate relationship might seems close, who know what would happen after college. Maybe they'll go in different University and they'll start a life on their own.

Thinking about the future, nobody might notice yet, but she always had a slender apprehension. She lives in a world full of impromptus and paradoxes. According to her experience, she can never predict correctly what is waiting her in the near future. Thus, she doesn’t know what God is planning to do with her and him.

Friends? She asks to herself. Why not? Having last year’s best student as a friend must be advantageous. After all, it isn’t odd since she was the top second. In truth, she already tried to become friend with him, but she gives up after failing three consecutive temptations. How can you ask someone to hang out when he doesn’t reply?

So she is friendly. No matter how many times he pissed her off in math and science classes, she was looking forward to become friends. The problem is him. Why he never talks to her? Why he always avoids her? Did she offend him in their previous life or what?

Enemies? Not quite. Even if competing was important to him, he doesn’t have to care about her; she is way too far to reach his level. Furthermore, competing has no major importance in her life. All she cares is to live easily with no pressure. At least, if he doesn’t perturb her life by stealing her money, killing her parents or destroying her house.

Murder-victim? Obviously, she absolutely doesn’t want to finish her life in jail – or by his hand. If he becomes her killer, he would probably use his intelligence to make an unsolvable case that would puzzle the entire planet’s detectives and… – she prefers not to think of it.

Employer-employee? That would definitely please her if she becomes his supervisor. She would have to power to fire him if he still refuses communicating. But seeing herself as his employer seems almost impossible. On the other hand, she doesn’t see him as a good supervisor. Nobody would enjoy working for someone like him.

Lovers? Insane idea! Regardless how near they look close, they practically don’t live on the same planet. No matter how near she is getting to him, she can never reach him – hopefully she won’t, if so, the planets will hit each other and explode.

Comparing people to planet, that is a strong argument. Indeed, but also an uncreditable one.

She arrives at an intersection, where she stops in front of a nearby window. Behind her, there was he, searching for his name on the list stapled on the announce board for his next chess tournament. She tried to stay unnoticed, focusing her thoughts on the trees and grass outside. When she finally turned her head back, he was no longer there.

Alone again, like she usually is, lost in a wing of the college campus, where she would rethink about her limit. Sometimes, she wonders what would happen their relationship was a constant function. Therefore, no matter where the domain is approaching to, she would always reach the same number, the limit itself. For now, all she can do in this motionless world is to follow her pursued. If motion never comes, she will live so on ad infinitum.

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Words: 1116
Time: two days

Aww! This is so bittersweet! <3
The math part with the absolute value is wired, but funny.

Interesting on how you manage to put this paradoxical theory into realism. Except the 'bunny and the turtle' I have no other idea to represent Zeno's theory.

The 'bunny and the turtle' XD
Actually, this idea came to me immediately after hearing my math teacher saying "no matter how close A gets, he can never reach B". And I just went on daydreaming about limits for the rest of the class. (Kind of paradoxical, isn't it? Because the teacher was talking about limits and I was daydreaming about limits. XD)