Integers

A Story by Chaoscaine

In 7th grade, I had to do a math project on Integers. As my blood calls me to do, a wrote a story about it. Thus I present my writing in youth.

Have you ever imagined a magical school? Have you ever daydreamed that a ghost haunted your school? Lucky for you it’s only a dream. Destin Conman isn’t so lucky. You see, a ghost named Z haunts his math teacher’s room.

A week ago Destin was having problems with integers and there was a test on Friday. He only had four days to study. Big problem, huh? Let’s begin this story on Monday, the day Destin was informed on the test.

Monday- Math Class

The bell rang its usual shrill cry that could be heard all over campus. In Mrs. Fred’s classroom, everyone watched the teacher as she waited for all students to take their seat. She was tall, a bit round in the center with blond hair like a yellow rose, and brown eyes like an oak tree. She wore simple clothes, jeans, sandals, and, of course, a green shirt. Destin loved the way she looked, and complimented her shirt every day.

“Hey Kids, nice to see you on this fine sunny day!” She said in a wonderful singsong voice.

“But Mrs. Fred, it’s raining.” Said a voice by the door. Z, a math teacher (and comedian) from about 100 years ago stood at the doorway. Z was pale as death, all color drained from his body and clothes. Z could make himself as solid as a human, as transparent as a ghost, or disappear completely. Legend has it that Z (or Zeek Zachariah as he was once known) was murdered in his own classroom. Anyone could still see the knife wound on his neck in his ghostly body if they looked closely.

“Ahh, Zachariah.” Mrs. Fred said to Z. “Nice of you to join us mortals.”

“My pleasure Mrs. F.” Z said with a bow.

“Right. Now silence yourself.”

“Mrs. F, you should learn to respect your elders.”

“When the elder is you there is not a bit of respect left.”

“Will you get on with the lesson Mrs. F?” Mrs. F answered with a grumble and began her lesson, unknowing that Z was copying her every move.

“Today we begin integers.” Her voice nearly putting the class to sleep, “An integer is a number that is before or after 0. Numbers that are before 0 are negative numbers, like so,” She wrote –1 on the board, “And numbers after zero are positive numbers. They can have a symbol or be by themselves.” She said writing +1 and 1 on the board. “On Friday we are going to have a test on- Z!!!! Why did you- quit mocking me! ” Mrs. Fred yelled, trying to hit Z with her piece of chalk, unfortunately it was going right through him.

“I told you to respect your elders Mrs. F.” Z said laughing with the class when it went right through him. “Mrs. F, that tickles…” He said between breaths.

Tuesday- Math Class

Destin took his seat quickly, though he was extremely tired. He had spent the entire night studying for his English test. ‘Mice and Men’ was read 15 times, at least! So he was ready, but too tired to pay attention in math. When Mrs. Fred began the lesson, he began to daydream.

Destin found himself in a desert, staring at a large pyramid. A large sign said ‘Reality’ just above the door. He had to get out before Mrs. Fred found him sleeping! Destin ran to the door and slammed both fists on it. No use. ‘Don’t panic.’ He thought, walking away. ‘Just analyze the problem, and solve it. I have all the time in the world…’ He took a deep breath and looked at the door. There was a lock with two problems on it. Both were integers. –1+(-2)= was the first and the second was 3+(-4)=.

“Oh Heaven have mercy on me! Somebody help! Z!!!!” Destin yelled, staring at the problems.

“You called?” Z asked, appearing next to Destin.

“Can you explain these problems so I can get out of here? Mrs. Fred will send me to the office for sleeping in class!” Destin said in a panic.

“Dest, calm down. Panic solves nothing. Now, lets look at those problems.” Z walked to the pyramid and studied the problems cut into the sandstone lock. “Destin, these are integers. Didn’t you study the lesson last night?” Z asked, turning toward him.

“Sorry Z, but I didn’t have time. I had to study for an English test…plus, I didn’t get it anyhow.” Destin said with a pleading look in his large brown eyes. Z sighed, and shook his head.

“You brunettes…worse than blonds if you ask me…right, ok I’ll help. Lets take a look at this. –1+(-2)= and 3+(-4)=… ok, well take the first lock because its quicker to deal with.” Z walked over to a pile of sand and picked a stick up. He moved the stick in across the sand, making a line. From there he pulling the stick downward a bit in the center, then drawing a ‘0’ in the sand. “This is called a Number Line. Number lines are used to determine how far the integer number is from the center of all numbers, 0.” Z moved to the right and wrote –1 and –2 next to the 0, all farther to the right than the lesser number. “When both numbers are negative (or positive) they merely add the numbers together and keep the sign it originally had. So 2+4 is 6 and –3+(-6) is –9. So –1+(-2) equals…”

“Umm… -3?”

“Good boy. Now scratch that number in the problem with the stick.” Destin nodded, going over to the lock and writing it with a stick nearby. Loud unlocking sounds came from the pyramid door, but it was still locked.

“Ok, Z, now how do I work out the next problem?” He asked after a couple minutes. Z erased the previous problems, leaving only the number line and the 0.

“If the signs are different like –1+1 or 2+(-2) then you must subtract the numbers. So –3+5 is 2 and 4+(-6) is –2. Oh, and you must keep the sign of the greater number!!!” Z said, writing the numbers in the sand again.

“So 3+(-4) is…4 subtracted by 3 is 1…so one is the answer?”

“No, keep the sign of the greater number.”

“Oh, so it’s –1?”

“Correct, so now return to reality before you lose your head!”

Wednesday- Math class

Destin staggered to his seat, eyes constantly trying to close. Once again he had studied the entire night before- this time it was science class. He could recite the periodic table of elements from memory and say who created it too. That was great for science, but once again, he began to daydream in math class.

Destin fought through the thick jungle vegetation. He came to a cave with a carving saying ‘Reality’. Not again! He ran up to the cave, finding it blocked off by two large vines. After hacking at the vines for a few minutes, Destin sat down, staring at the problems sitting on the vines. He struck the vines again, but sadly, his machete merely vibrated and the vine remained unharmed. 3-(-5)= and 7-(+4)=.

“Z…Help me!” He cried, fearful that he wouldn’t be able to escape this jungle of dreams. Z once again appeared, staring at Destin.

“You do know it was chocolate cake day in heaven… and Michael and me were playing chess… but a math student in need shall pull me away from anything. And if you didn’t study MATH yesterday night… I’ll call you a chipmunk with a cherry for a head.”

“Umm…sorry?”

“Chipmunk with a cherry for a head…”

“Z, please help me!”

“Fine.” Z pulled out a ghostly sword and walked over to the bark of a tree. “ Ok, change the sign of the second number, and change the problem to addition. So 9-(-8) is 9-8, then you change it to 9+8, then you follow the same rules as addition. The answer is 17.”

“So 3-(-5) changes to 3-(+5) and that changes to 3+5. 3+5 is 8, right?”

“Right.”

“And 7-(+4) is 7-(-4) that is 7+(-4) so that makes 3, right?”

“Right.” Destin nodded, cutting the answers into the vines, and the vine suddenly withered away.

Thursday-Math Class

Destin walked into the class, so tired from studying history. George Washington cut a cherry tree and never told a lie thing. Of course, Z who actually talked to him would say that different. George was almost sent to the HOT SPOT because he lied about eating a pecan pie. That said, today was the last day before the test, so he began to worry. Once again, he found himself in a daydream again. This time in Iceberg land.

He walked in the snow, looking for the door to reality. He found it, a large manhole covered with ice. In the ice were the two problems 5x(-3) and 5÷10. Joy. Destin opened his mouth to call Z, but Z’s ghostly figure already awaited him.

“Don’t say a thing, I know. So chipmunk with a cherry for a head, what is it this time? You dragged me away from limbo… It was heaven against the HOT SPOT. Of course, we won, like usual. That President Lincoln is one limber man.” Z said, going over to the ice. “Right, so now this is a bit harder. You must do it as if it wasn’t integers. Then you keep the symbol like so: if the symbols of the problem are different, you will have a negative. If they are the same, then the number is positive.”

“So 5 times 3 is 15, and the integers are different so it is –15. And 10 divided by 5 is 2, and the integers are the same, then it is positive 2.”

Friday-Math Class.

Destin sat down to his test, this time he had actually studying math this time. With Z’s help, he understood everything. He passed the test as if it were a piece of pie (pecan pie that is). Now can you figure out the problems he did?

9+(-11)=

-8+8=

-5+12=

5-(-10)=

-7-(+6)

9-(-11)

2 times –4=

-2 times –3=

-20÷5=

The calm night wind whistled outside of the house. Destin sat on the edge of the bed, reading a book (not Mice and Men. If Destin ever read that again, he swore he’d scream). His mom turned the kitchen light out, giving the impression that the house was empty.

“Lights out my math genius.” He mom said, turning the light of his room out. Destin lay back, closing his eyes. His mind was filled with his newfound knowledge of integers, and the reminder that he had a test next Friday. His dreams featured one person. Z.

“Well, you don’t have anymore doors to open, but you do have that history project.”

“No sweat.”

“You were assigned my time period. I want it to be a blast. Welcome to the past…”

TO BE CONTINUED…