Lets Get This Over With

We had been working on math for almost two hours and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I could do math and I could teach math. It was something I easily understood and I had already been through Algebra 1 so that was easy enough for me. The basic understanding of math wasn’t the hardest thing I had to deal with, though.

The biggest problem was Joe. It wasn't that he was incapable of learning the material. He was actually pretty smart and picked up on most of what I was trying to tell him. It was more a problem of...focusing. Mainly, Joe didn't. His mind was always wondering and he just couldn’t concentrate. I could see why he wasn’t doing too great in this class.

"Joe!" I yelled for what seemed like the millionth time that afternoon. He looked up from the doodle that he was drawing. "Do you know the answer to this next question or don’t you?"

He looked down at the problem I was pointing to in the book. "Uh..."

"Did you even hear a word I just said?" I asked. “Or anything about this topic?”

"I don't think so." He laughed nervously.

"Joe," I sighed, throwing down the math book in frustration. With this frustration my sarcastic side started coming out. “You have to listen in order to learn. That’s a basic concept of education.”

"Sorry. Math is just so boring to me. I don’t know how you can like the subject when my brain just goes elsewhere at the mere mention of it. How do you expect me to concentrate when that is happening? Anyways, we've been doing this for so long. It’s been almost two hours. That makes it even harder."

"Maybe if you actually paid attention to what I was trying to tell you instead of doodling all the time we would already be done." I sighed. "But I guess we could stop working for today. We’re practically finished anyways and I probably should be going home."

A knock came from the other side of his bedroom door as I was picking up all my stuff.

"Yeah?" Joe called.

Mrs. Jonas walked in. "Hey guys. I was just wondering how the studying was going."

"Oh just great," Joe replied sarcastically. "We are having so much fun."

I laughed. "We were actually just finishing up, Mrs. Jonas. I was going to get going."

"Well, I was just going to start making dinner and wondered if you would like to stay and eat with us, Lizzie?"

I was startled by her question for a second. I couldn’t understand how Mrs. Jonas could be so nice. I hadn't known her for more than two hours and she was already asking me to stay for dinner with her family. My own mom didn’t even want to eat dinner with me.

"Um..." I started.

I looked towards Joe. How would he feel about me staying? I'm really was just here for tutoring and that was it. It was not like we were friends or anything. In fact, Joe should probably not like me based on how his friends felt about me. This entire time he was most likely just being nice so we could get through this whole thing.

"Yeah, Lizzie, you should stay,” Joe piped up.

Okay, I guess I was wrong and Joe wouldn’t have a problem with it.

"Sure, I'd love to stay for dinner with you guys. I just have to call my mom real fast."

"Of course, sweetie, go ahead,” Mrs. Jonas said while leaving the room. "Dinner will be ready in about half an hour just so you know.”

I took out my cell phone and called my mom. It started ringing. After four times, it went to voice mail. I don't know why I even try to call her anymore when I want to do something. It's not like she cares what I do with my time or ever answers my calls. She's always too busy in meetings and with work.

"Hey, mom. It’s your lovely daughter calling you. I just wanted to let you know I'm staying at a friend's house for dinner tonight so if you do get home before me that is where I am. I won't be back that late. See you later. Bye."

I closed the phone and slid it back in the pocket of my jeans. Turning around I saw Joe staring at me.

"Yes?" I asked him “Is there something wrong?”

"Don't you have to actually ask your mom, not just leave her a message with what you plan to do? It seems like a good way to get in trouble."

I laughed. "Like my mom ever cares what I’m doing. She's rarely home for dinner anyways. She's too busy working so this will be an excellent change from ordering pizza or having a microwaveable dinner."

"Oh,” Joe replied, looking like he didn’t know what to say for a second. He quickly got over whatever confusion he felt though, continuing, “Well, that’s good then. We now have half an hour for you to start teaching me piano."

What? What was Joe talking about? Oh yeah, I was supposed to teach him a few things on the piano, but I wasn’t the only one with a responsibility. He was going to teach me how to play guitar, as well.

"No no no, I have been a teacher to you for the past two hours. I’m tired and it's now your turn." I walked over and grabbed the guitar. "So, how do you play this thing?"

"Careful! Don't break it." Joe shouted as he grabbed the guitar from my hands. “You can’t just go grabbing things.”

"Okay, okay. Jeez, I didn't even do anything to it. And I will have to hold it sometime if you're going to teach me how to play. I just can’t stare at it."

"Fine, but hold it like this...and be careful," Joe said as he showed me how to correctly hold the instrument.