Addicted

NUMBERS

*AFTER SCHOOL*

"I don't get it! Let's face it, I never will!" Melanie yells.

"It's simple math. You just have to focus on the numbers on the paper, not the words in your brain that's telling you that you can't do this," I say, pointing at the equation. 

"Or maybe you should stick to teaching me English, Shakespeare!" She walks off angrily. I sigh as she starts walking up the stairs.

"But you're like nine-years-old! You don't take English!" I reply.

"Exactly!" She yells all the way from her room. I sit down on the couch and try to calm myself down before I go upstairs to calm her down.

-

The door is surprisingly unlocked. I let myself in with the worksheet she despises and her favorite snack; gummy bears. I just stare at her and wait for her to crack.

"I'm sorry that I can't get grades that aren't good as yours," Melanie speaks.

"Today, I ran to the bathroom and cried because I didn't know the answer to the easiest science question. It was so easy, you can even answer it," I admit. She laughs, but her face soon forms back to the way it was when I entered her room.

"Why do we even need school anyway?" She asks.

"Well after elementary, we go to middle school, and then high school. Then the final step, which is college." 

"So you're saying we go to school just to go to more school?" She questions. I let out a chuckle.

"You didn't let me finish. We do all of that so we can get a well-paying job that'll build you a house and get you food for you and your future family," I explain. Well, at least try to.

"Would mom stay in my house or yours?" She asks seriously.

"Well...if you don't do this worksheet or every other worksheet you get, I can happily say that mom will stay in my house," I smirk. She keeps her arms crossed and everything silent for a while.

"Okay, fine!" She groans in defeat. She grabs the gummy bears and almost bites the head off of the red one. 

"Wait!" I yell. "This isn't to win back your effort in learning. This is your reward for every equation you try to solve," I say. She looks at me with a stare that could possibly turn my brown chocolate eyes into chocolate milk. 

"Hey, I said try to solve. I didn't say you had to get it correct," I pointed out. She giggles and we get back to focusing on the numbers on the paper. Well, at least she does. I stare at her and see dad's eyes taunting me.