Teenage Millionaire

Chapter 43: Studying

I leave his house only after he's asleep. When I get home, my parents immediately approach me.

"Todd? Where did you go? Did anything happen?"

"I went to a friend's house. They had a problem."

"A school problem?"

"Yeah, with their project. I went to help them, and we just finished." I don't know why I'm using neutral pronouns, I only have one friend.

"Alright. Are you sure everything's okay, sweetie?" my mom asks.

I nod. "Everything's okay now."

My parents share a look, and I'm immediately concerned.

"What is it?"

My dad starts in a hesitant tone. "Todd, we're just a bit... worried. With how much you're hanging out with your friend. Are you still... studying?"

I blink. "Yes. Why? Did I get a bad grade?"

"No, of course not," my mom immediately reassures me. "You're doing great, sweetie. We're just concerned that you're spending so much time with your friend, that you might not have enough time left for yourself."

"And when you talk about having time for myself, you really mean studying," I say, narrowing my eyes.

"Studying is very important," my dad says. "It's the key to school. There's no shortcut, just paying attention in class and studying."

"I know. And I am studying. My grades are still 100%," I say, trying to sound like I'm agreeing with them instead of arguing.

"But your... new habits, could, over time, deplete your understanding of the concepts to a point where you do begin to receive lower grades. And what happens if all those little gaps in understanding don't get filled in before your diplomas?"

"There aren't any gaps in my understanding. I'm still studying. I'm just not studying here."

My dad presses his lips together, and I know I've crossed some sort of line. Something in my tone? Did I not sound agreeable enough and too much like I was protesting? I didn't immediately agree to start religiously studying all day, every day, maybe?

"Todd, we haven't wanted to do something like this, and we haven't had to, because this hasn't been a problem before."

He looks at my mom, and she gives me an apologetic, but firm look. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but we're making it a rule that you come right home after school and study until dinner."

What? I stare at them, sure that they can't be serious. I'm 18; they can't force me to come home immediately after school and study until dinner- which is when they get home. "You want to force me to study for six hours every single day."

"You're exaggerating-"

"I'm not exaggerating! Dinner is six hours after I get home from school! Six hours!"

"If it keeps your grades up-"

"My grades are up! They are all 100%! I am at the top of every single class, I haven't scored anything lower than triple digits this entire year! Nothing has changed!"

"It could!" my dad yells back at me, and I recoil a little. "Do you know how hard your mother and I work every single day to put food on the table for you? We want you to be able to have a better life than this when you grow up, we don't want you to have to work like a dog for the rest of your life! Studying for six hours a day is nothing, compared to the sixteen hours that we work!"