Chapter four: Let's Get to Work

Chapter four: Let’s Get to Work


After school, Matt came back to my dorm room with his math books and we got to work.
“Alright,” Matt said. “I think that I know your problem.”
“Sweet… what is it,” I responded.
“You’re so bored in class that you don’t even try to pay attention.”
“I pay attention!”
“Okay, making paper airplanes and throwing them at the teacher is paying attention?” he confronted me.
“Okay maybe I have a little paying attention problem....” He stared at me. “Okay I have a big paying attention problem. But that doesn’t matter because you’re here to help me with that. So let’s get started.”
Matt continued to explain to me how the problems worked and how to be a little more interested.
“Alright, now that I have taught you a lot about math, now it is time for your test,” Matt said.
“What!” I exclaimed. “You never told me that you had a test for me.”
“I know I didn’t… I don’t have too.”
“But…
“Hey, you asked me to help you, so you will do it my way, not your way, my way! Do you understand?”
“I guess, but…”
“My way!” he yelled. Matt gave me the hardest test that anyone could ever ask for. It took me two hours to finish it.
“Finally,” I said. “Here’s my test; I hope that it pleases you.” After fifteen minutes of correcting, Matt handed me the test back.
“D plus!?” I yelled. “Come on! I did better than that.”
“Hmm? Let me see,” Matt said. “Okay, that’s wrong, that’s wrong, that’s right.” He went on mumbling to himself correcting my paper again. “Yup, D plus,” he said. “You need more work.”
"Tomorrow is Friday," I said. "That is the day of the test!"
"That is why we need to start working," Matt said. So Matt went over the same information again trying to help me understand. I just don't know what it is about math. It seems to hate me. If I even see the word math I get a brain block. I did Matt's test again. It was a little better.
"C plus!" I exclaimed (just a little better).
"Hey, at least it was better than last time," Matt said. "We'll study one more time and I'll guarantee you a B plus."
Again, we studied and studied until my brain exploded. I finished the test for the third time and then handed it to Matt. I waited nervously watching him correct my paper. Finally, he looked up at me.
"I guess I was wrong about the B plus," Matt said. I shook with fear waiting for him to tell me my grade. "You got an A minus."
"WooHoo!" I yelled happily. "I'm gonna pass the test on Friday, and then I'm going to the MLB!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Matt interrupted. "Now I don't pay much attention to baseball, but don't you have to go through like three leagues or something before you get to the MLB?"
"Normally, yes, but my coach said that he talked to the coach of the "Chicago Cubs", and he said that he would pick me up right away because I am so good."
"Oh nice," Matt said. "You've got some skill."
"Yes I do, yes I do." Matt left my dorm room and I got to bed nice and early. Tomorrow... is a big day.