Strange as IT Seems

Chapter 38: Introduction to Literature

Jane slams her head and arms onto the table in frustration. The table jolts a little harder than expected due to her powers. Why can't she get this dumb sentence right? It didn't help that she had less sleep, meaning her moodiness was more extreme. She hadn't meant to use her powers, it just happened, fortunately, Mia didn't suspect anything.

Geometry had been easy enough; Math seemed to come naturally to El and she was able to find the areas of triangles within twenty minutes of Mia explaining it. However, Grammar was a completely different story. There were so many rules for grammar and how to properly write a sentence that even when she thought she got it right, her tutor found something wrong. It was a vicious cycle that she was getting sick of very quickly.

A little startled by the sudden shift, but not scared, Mia can understand the girl's frustration. Grammar can be hard. The English language was tricky with all the rules, so all her emotions were justified.

"It's okay Jane, not everyone gets it right the first time around. Grammar takes time and practice."

Jane keeps her head down, wishing the lesson was over.

Mia tosses another peanut cluster into her mouth before pulling her hair into a ponytail. Maybe that was enough Grammar for today. She decides to go to the last part of her lesson.

She pulls out the used copy of The Tempest from the library.

"Hey, Jane? How about we move on to the last thing for today? We'll work on this on another day."

Eleven slowly raises her head from the table, trying to mask her tears of frustration. She sits up and swallows her emotions to put on a brave face. She eyes the book in her tutor's hand and nods in agreement.

"Have you ever heard of Shakespeare?"

"Shakes...peare?"

"I'm guessing you haven't, William Shakespeare..." Mia opens her book to a famous picture of the playwright. "Is one of the greatest writers of all time. His plays have lasted for over 400 years."

Eleven's eyes go wide in amazement. "Wow."

"Yeah wow, anyways he wrote many poems and plays."

"Plays?"

"Have you seen a play before?"

"No."

Mia turns a few pages until she finds the setting of a stage. "A play is almost like a show, but people perform imaginary events in front of a group of people. It happens on a raised platform known as a stage, with curtains on each side like this..." She points to the stage.

"Like TV?"

"Exactly, or a movie, most of it is imaginary, but it's done in front of people who pay money to see it. It makes them seem more cultured if they see a live performance."

"Cultured?"

"It makes you look smarter and that you have more depth than other people."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. My mom took me to a few plays when I was younger, and said I would become smarter."

"Does it work?" Eleven asks.

Mia smirks. "you tell me? Can a genius do this?"

She does another trick with the peanut cluster, allowing El to smile once more.

"I don't know," the young teen admits.

"Me neither, so it probably didn't work. Anyways, I loved watching the plays. They are a fun experience. So, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in his lifetime, and they were all performed on stage because nobody had tv or even lights back then. Everything was performed in candlelight."