The Equation| Sandy Hiss He sat next to her in Algebra. The quiet one, she rarely spoke a word unless asked a question. The only thing that moved were her eyes. Dark spheres that resembled ink blots dripping mystery. He liked her shape, more pear than apple. Studied her silhouette beneath the stretch of her cotton tee. She was wearing a different bra today; the strap teased him with cherry satin. Words didn't calculate well for him. He could tell her she was X + Y=Z or divide her AB by his A but he couldn't draw hearts, only squares and crooked circles. The teacher set the clock for the exam. He completed it before anyone else but she never raised her head. He turned in his paper then sat quietly at his desk. It was all too easy. Except for her, she was an equation he couldn't quite figure out.