The Tutor

5 - 3.14159, This is Pi, Followed by...

The next week is uneventful until one of the tutoring sessions is scheduled for. Jacob finds Sam at lunch a few times, so he would join him and mess with the kid for a little while before inevitably being shooed away to his own table.

Eventually, though, Thursday rolls around. The tutoring sessions are on Thursday and Friday.
Jacob anxiously paces back and forth in the living room, waiting for the doorbell to ring or for a knock on the door. His mother sits on the couch, watching this quietly. She is quite a small woman, with the same caramel brown, messy hair as Jacob. Her eyes are hazel and filled with the same love and compassion that fill Jacob's eyes.
"Jakey, why are you so nervous for this kid to stop by?" She asks in a gentle tone, wanting to help her son calm down.

"He comes from a rich family. I'm afraid he will make a back-handed comment about you- Or how small the house is. And that's not an insult to you! I'm perfectly content in this house. He might find it small."

She smiles, shaking her head. "Don't worry about that. Worry about improving your grades. Are you sure that's all that's bothering you? Is this boy...?"
Jacob's face heats up as his cheeks turn a rosy pink. "No! Just because I came out doesn't mean I like every guy I meet! I just... wouldn't mind holding hands with some boys at school- But I don't want that with girls. I think..."
His mother raises her hands up defensively, not pushing that any further. "Alright. I wanted to ask just in case."

After she's done saying that, the doorbell can be heard. Jacob sprints towards the door and opens it, not wanting to keep Sam waiting too long.
Sam stands outside the doorway with a bright smile, some tall man in a black suit standing next to him. The young boy looks up at the man. "You can go now."
"As you wish." The man bows before retreating to the car Sam came in.
He then looks back to Jacob with that same bright smile. "Is this your vacation home or something?"
No, he cannot comprehend that some people can't afford a mansion.

"No... This is my home... Before you come inside, I need to tell you my mother has a medical condition. Please do not comment on it. If you have questions, you can ask me, but don't be rude about it, please-"
"When am I ever rude?"
Jacob sighs. "Whatever, just come in. And take your shoes off by the door."

Sam nods, doing just that. He steps inside before kneeling down to untie his shoes and take them off. When he stands up, he notices Jacob's mother getting up from the couch to greet them. "Is that your sister?" Sam asks.
"That's my mother-"
"Is the medical condition that she's a child?"

The mother walks over to join the two, smiling sweetly. "No, sweetie, it's called dwarfism. This just means I'm a small person~" She stands no taller than 4 feet. Jacob is at least 4'2" currently, taller than his mother.
"Ooohhhhh... I think I read about that before. Cool! Is Jacob going to be like you too?"
Jacob sighs and nods. "This is probably as tall as I'm going to get..."
"That's unfortunate. I'm going to be big like my dad!"
"Yeah, way to rub it in... You're never rude..."
The mother smiles at the two. "Well, I'm going to leave you two to it. I wanted to be able to tell you boys that there are snacks prepared in the kitchen an-"
"Snacks?" Sam's eyes light up.
"Yes~ And I will be downstairs in the basement if you need me for anything."

Jacob nods, giving his mother a quick hug. "Thank you. We'll try not to bother you." He says before she now heads downstairs to the basement. Sam looks up at Jacob.
"She's a sweet lady~ Where are we studying?"
"In my room. That way, we can't be 'tempted' by the TV~ Follow me." He offers Sam his hand without thinking about it. The blond takes it without hesitation. A blush spreads across his Jacob's.
Maybe his mother was right...
Nope! This kid is two years younger than him; that's weird. Well... How large does the age gap have to be for it to be weird? He's heard of seniors in high school dating sophomores... Is that the word? Sophomore? How do you pronounce that? Whatever, maybe... Maybe the age gap isn't too weird...
Doesn't matter. That's not why Sam is here. Sam is here to teach, and he doubts that the kid has any other intentions. So, he brings Sam down a hall to his bedroom, opens the door, and steps inside.

Sam lets go of the brunette's hand once inside the new room, looking around with wonder in his bright green eyes. He spins around a few times to get a good look at all the posters hung on the walls. All posters of bands that Jacob looks up to, including a poster of his father. A poster he couldn't bare to take down, even after... The fight... Sam's gaze soon lands on the guitar case next to Jacob's bed, and he kneels down, reaching out to touch it.

Jacob is quick to pull Sam away. "No no, no touching that."
"Do you know how to play?" He asks in a very excited tone as he turns around to look at Jacob. "Can you play a song for me?"
Fudge.
How can he say no to that face? Sam looks so pure, a pleading glint in his eyes, joined with genuine curiosity.
"My father taught me how to play, but... No, I..." Sam looks like a kicked puppy. "We shouldn't be wasting our time with that! I need help understanding how photosynthesis works. There's a quiz on it tomorrow."
"I'll stay an extra half hour, free of charge!"
Jacob goes quiet for a few moments, trying his best to resist Sam's sad puppy eyes, but he can't. He can't say no! "Fine... But only one song! Then you need to actually help me."

Sam cheers up immediately, jumping up and down in place with joy. He may not speak like a child very often, but he certainly acts like one. "What songs do you know?"
"What song do you want?" Jacob kneels down to open the guitar case carefully.
"The pi song!"
Jacob stops to give Sam a weird look. "The what?"
"You know... 3.14159, this is pi, followed by 2653589, circumference over di-ameter..." He actually sings that. Well, not trying to sing, he can't help but follow the song's tune.

This is the kind of music Sam listens to?

Then Sam gasps, practically having a light bulb appear over his head. "We can do both! What if we made up a song about photosynthesis? Then during the quiz, all you would need is to have the tune in your head, and you would remember it!"

Jacob laughs, not expecting to ever hear an idea like that, from anyone. But, he should've known Sam would suggest something like that. It doesn't sound like a half-bad idea, though. "Sure~ Let's write a song about photosynthesis~" He takes the guitar out of the case, sitting down at the edge of the bed with it in his arms.

Sam beams with happiness, looking around quickly for some paper and a pencil or something to write with. "Alright. I'll explain how photosynthesis works, then you translate it into lyrics!"

"Sounds like a plan~"