The classroom smelled of old floor wax and anticipation. On every desk sat the dreaded green-and-white booklet:
Vanya opened his book. The problems stared back, a chaotic dance of commas and long division. Next to him, Alice was already scribbling furiously. She was the kind of student who treated Ershov like a casual crossword puzzle. Vanya, however, felt like he was trying to defuse a bomb with a toothpick.
To many, it was just a math workbook. To Vanya, it was a gauntlet.