Page 15 of Inferno

Chapter 5

Manning gazed out the classroom window as his precalculus teacher’s voice droned on and on, explaining complex mathematical theorems that failed to hold Manning’s attention. Since leaving the house that morning, he’d been unable to concentrate on anything other than the conversation—argument?—he’d had with his father.

Something was going on between his parents.

Something bad.

Last night when Manning crept downstairs to get a drink of water, he’d found his father sleeping on the living room sofa. And it wasn’t the first time, either. When it happened last month, his dad told him that he’d fallen asleep watching a late football game. But over breakfast that morning, Manning had sensed some tension between his parents. They’d hardly spoken to each other, and whenever their eyes met across the table, they couldn’t seem to look away fast enough.

So when Manning saw his father on the sofa last night, he knew something was wrong. His suspicions were confirmed when he caught his dad outright lying about his phone conversation.

Why did he lie about who he was talking to?Manning wondered apprehensively.What is he hiding?

Manning was afraid to find out, because he didn’t want to end up like his cousins Michael and Marcus, whose parents had recently gotten divorced. Poor Marcus hadn’t been the same ever since he’d caught his mother making out with another man. The last time Manning spoke to Mike on the phone, Mike told him that Marcus still had nightmares and often cried himself to sleep at night. Even though Mike tried to act all tough and brave, Manning knew that he was hurting just as much as Marcus. They missed their mom, and they didn’t understand how she could abandon them the way she’d done. Manning didn’t understand, either.

He loved his parents more than anything. He didn’t want to be forced to choose between them if they got divorced. If his dad returned to Atlanta, he wouldn’t want to be left behind, nor would his brothers. On the other hand, Manning couldn’t bear the thought of his mother living alone in that big ol’ house. She’d be sad and lonely, and Manning would miss the hell out of her.

“Am I boring you, Mr. Wolf?”

Snapped out of his reverie, Manning turned from the window to meet the reproachful glare of his teacher, a middle-aged white dude with shaggy brown hair that matched his corduroy slacks and Hush Puppies.

Manning eyed him blankly. “Huh?”

As his classmates snickered, Mr. Langenkamp frowned with displeasure. “I asked whether I was boring you, since you’d obviously rather daydream than pay attention to the lesson.”

“I wasn’t daydreaming,” Manning objected.

“No?” Mr. Langenkamp challenged, raising a bushy brow. “Then you heard my explanation for how to solve the equation on the board?”

Manning hesitated for a moment, darting a glance around the room. While most of his classmates gave himbetter-you-than-melooks, one bespectacled girl smiled encouragingly at him. Something about her smile tugged at Manning, and he stared at her until she blushed and dropped her eyes.

“Mr. Wolf?”

Glancing away from the girl, Manning met his teacher’s stern gaze. “Yeah, I heard your explanation.”

“Oh, really?”Mr. Langenkamp countered skeptically. “In that case, why don’t you tell us theanswer.”

“Sir?”

Mr. Langenkamp gestured to the chalkboard. “Prove that you were paying attention. Solve the problem.”

A hushed silence swept over the room. Manning could sense the other kids holding their collective breath, waiting to witness the outcome of this showdown between him and the teacher who struck fear in the hearts of every student unlucky enough to be assigned to his class.

Mr. Langenkamp smirked at Manning.“Any day now, Mr. Wolf.”

Taking a deep breath, Manning rose from his chair and walked to the front of the classroom. Lips pursed, eyes narrowed in concentration, he studied the quadratic equation scrawled across the chalkboard.

3x3= –13x2+ 10x

After several moments, he picked up a piece of chalk and went about solving the problem.

When he’d finished, he set the chalk down and turned to face Mr. Langenkamp.

Dude looked stunned.

“Sir?”Manning prompted. “Is this correct?”

Mr. Langenkamp blinked rapidly and glanced around at the shocked faces of his other students, then nodded grudgingly.