Date: Mon, 05 Dec 2022 08:08:55 +0000 From: Enzo Matrice Subject: Math Tutor Chapter 1 Math Tutor 01 by EnzoMatrix [enzomatrice@protonmail(dot)com] (boy/teen first time) Please support the Nifty Archive Alliance so we have a place to share and enjoy our stories. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html As my idol Zachyboy once said. "Give a little something today, you frisky little cheapskate." Nifty Archive Alliance also participates in smile.amazon.com! If you shop at Amazon, please consider using amazonsmile and choose Nifty Archive Alliance Inc as your charity. They will donate to Nifty, at no cost to you. If you like this story and want to check out my other stories, search for enzomatrice in the Nifty search bar and they should all appear. All my stories start on AllTheFallen and propagate from there. Constructive feedback is always welcome :) enjoy, enzo =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Enzo is staring blankly down at his textbook. It just looks like a jumble of numbers someone threw on the page. While Enzo is by no means an idiot, math is just not his strong suit. Math is like a foreign language; he just doesn't get it. It's like when his mom is talking on the phone to relatives in Thailand. She could be talking about him and he would not even know it. "Hey Enzo, wanna play some Switch?" Claire, his twin sister, yells into the room. Enzo sighs, "sorry sis, I am just so stuck on this math. I just can't get it and I am so far behind. If I don't finish this assignment I may fail." Claire sympathizes, "I wish I could help you bro, but I can barely understand it myself." Claire is not completely truthful, she is actually getting a B+ in math, but doesn't have the patience to help her brother Enzo. She is good enough to pass, but not to teach her failing brother. "Why don't you ask mom and dad to get you a tutor or something?" Claire says. Enzo lightens up, "That's an awesome idea sis. I think you got the smart gene. I got the kick your sister's butt in Switch gene." Claire turns, "oh, it is on bro!" and runs off, followed closely by Enzo, to play video games. Enzo and Claire are 12-year-old twins. Their mother is from Thailand and their father is of German descent. Like a lot of Thai/German mix kids, they are absolutely adorable, with features from the best of both. While Enzo is a boy's boy, he could easily be mistaken for his sister in a different context. Of course, Enzo would flatly deny it and say "I ain't no girl!" Claire on the other hand is most definitely a girl. She wears a lot of pink and flowery dresses and just exudes pretty girl. She will definitely have a line of broken hearts when her parents finally allow her to start dating boys. The twins are super competitive, and watching them play Mario Kart is as much fun as the game itself. They sit side-by-side bumping into each other... "Eat it sis!" "What are you saying back there in my dust brah!" "I said buh-bye!" "Yeah to my hand as I burn past you!" They just continue on and on like that, giggling and yelling and bumping into each other. "YES! Like I said sis, I got the kick your sister's butt in Switch gene." "Yeah, you only beat me by like a millisecond...if my finger hadn't slipped..." "So, it's the finger this time? Sis, you need better excuses for me kicking your butt!" "OK, Mario Twins, time for dinner. Maybe we can get a little peace and quiet for an hour of our lives," their dad calls out to them. The twins playfully run to the kitchen table and sit down. "How was school kids?" their mom asks. Enzo replies, "good I guess, but I just can't get math. I try as hard as I can but just can't get it." Dad sympathizes, "yeah, I was never good at math either, but you can't just give up son." Mom adds, "you probably got that from me, I am terrible in math too. I wish I could help Enzo." "Claire, you have been doing well. Can you help your brother?" Dad suggests. Claire replies, "I am barely passing math myself. Maybe Enzo should get a proper math tutor?" "That's a great idea, I will call the school. I am sure they have a tutoring program." Mom says. Enzo is excited, "Really mom? You're gonna get a tutor for me, you're awesome! Thanks!" Enzo is just so relieved; he gets up and hugs his mother and then father. "Thanks sis. You're terrible at Mario Cart, but great at suggestions!" he sticks his tongue out. Claire just rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue at Enzo. Father speaks, "OK enough of that at dinner." The twins giggle, "sorry dad." They say in stereo. After they finish dinner, Enzo says, "I will clean the dishes tonight to thank you for the tutor..." Before he finishes, Claire says, "wait, it's already your turn to clean the dishes!" Enzo says, "darn, thought you wouldn't catch that..." Everyone laughs. =+=-=+=-=+= Enzo's mom calls the school the following day and finds out that they do in fact have a tutoring program. It's run by the guidance counselor at the twin's school. They have a couple of options but the counselor strongly suggests a 15-year-old named Dylan. The counselor tells Enzo's mom, "Dylan is very good at math and is very patient, we have had only great feedback." Enzo's mom discusses the details and it is settled. The counselor continues, "just one other thing; it's rare, but sometimes it's not a good match. We usually plan an initial meeting just so everyone gets to know each other. I have never had to reassign Dylan, but we just want everyone to be comfortable. It is very important to the learning environment." They agree to meet after school the next day, at Enzo's house, for the initial meeting. =+=-=+=-=+= The guidance counselor leaves his office and sees Dylan walking down the hall. He pulls him aside to ask him about the opportunity. Dylan says "definitely." The guidance counselor tells him to stop by his office later to get all the details about the boy he will be tutoring. Dylan is a wiz at math. He likes to help younger students that are struggling. Dylan can understand, solve, and then explain almost any math problem you can throw at him. He hopes to become a math teacher one day. He hopes this new opportunity brings him closer to his goals. =+=-=+=-=+= When Enzo got home from school, his mother told him the good news. He just leaped at her and gave her a big hug; it was like a huge burden was finally being lifted. He shed a few tears of joy. Quivering a little, he told his mom, "I can't wait to meet Dylan tomorrow!"