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

math skills are incredible. Did you really only learn this as

the entire event unfold, silently nodding

apart. In that respect, Sammy was at a definite disadvantage. Jen

"Absolutely, fair

senior researcher and math whiz, was normal, but losing to Roseanne, an undergraduate? Sammy had never expected

patted him on

some, lose

get her next time.

let's not

dinner for

the real

But Roseanne, how did you

thought his method was fast, but she

shared her technique generously, enlightening

an epiphany, "I had no idea you could do

catch makes a good

something

the burning question, "Are you sure

his gaze and shook her

a child, she

faster than her peers, offering solutions in