Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Jen asked, "Who do you think will win?"

Stoddard replied, "At this point, Sammy seems to have the upper hand."

Jen didn't say anything, but it was clear she agreed.

By the fifth minute, Roseanne had finished four problems and was starting on the fifth.

Sammy got stuck on the fourth problem for a few seconds, putting him slightly behind.

Roseanne managed to pull ahead, though her lead was slim.

By the sixth minute, both were stuck on the last problem.

...

With only ten seconds to spare before the seventh minute, Roseanne wrote down her answer, finishing the challenge.

Sammy's forehead was slick with a thin layer of sweat when he finally exclaimed, "Done!"

Unfortunately, he was ten seconds too late compared to Roseanne.

He took a deep breath, wiped off his sweat, and said with a smile, "It's alright. Speed isn't everything; accuracy counts too, and I'm confident in that." However, when the results were announced, Roseanne got everything right, while he missed one.

Sammy was flabbergasted, feeling like he'd been hit by a tornado!

he had

mental math skills are incredible. Did you really only learn

watched the entire event unfold, silently nodding

composure under pressure was what really set her apart. In that respect, Sammy was at a definite disadvantage. Jen teased, "Sammy, you've got

conceded, "Absolutely,

normal, but losing to Roseanne, an undergraduate? Sammy had

him on the

"Win some,

her

let's not

for

was the real point

But Roseanne,

was fast, but she had

technique generously,

had no idea you could do it like

catch

learned something

"Are you sure you've never systematically

and shook her head,

child, she discovered

peers, offering solutions in