Lone Star Family Values

Chapter 8

The Bad with the Good

"Did you figure out that statistics question?" TK asked looking over at the teen from the kitchen.

Bailey was slumped over the dining room table slaving over a statistics book. School wasn't due to start for another month but she'd mentioned that she wasn't all too confident in her mathematical abilities and she needed to complete the Senior statistics course in order to graduate. TK, in all of his non-mathematical ability, had said that he'd help out where he could and that the rest of the 126 had also stepped up to the plate.

"I just don't get it. Qualitative, quantitative," Bailey groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "Data is data, I don't care what the hell this stupid book says."

Bailey sat back in the chair, shutting the book and pushing it away.

"Hey now, what'd that book ever do to you?" TK said.

"It was written." Bailey grumbled.

TK laughed and shook his head walking around the kitchen island and behind her. He pulled the book back and opened it again, moving the pencil that she'd left inside onto the table.

"Okay, let's look at this together," He said, pulling a chair up and sitting down. He held the pencil out for her and Bailey looked at him for a moment. TK didn't know if it was shock in her eyes or thanks but either way he was going to help her. Bailey nodded and took the pencil. "Alright, qualitative data is descriptive, it's non-numerical so something like gender or name, citizenship, stuff like that."

"So like hair color?" Bailey asked.

TK smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, exactly like hair color. And quantitative data is numerical, it can be measured in numbers. So the number of students in a class or the amount of money you have." TK continued.

"Or height, weight, and age." Bailey added.

"That's right. Okay so," TK said, pointing to the textbook. "Number six; a student's work sample with comments from their teacher."

Bailey bit the inside of her cheek and pressed the eraser of her pencil into her forehead as she thought. TK opened his mouth to give her more direction but then closed it again. She could do this.

"It's not numerical, it's descriptive," Bailey said, going through a mental checklist. "So that makes it qualitative."

"Yes!" TK said, holding his arms up in victory.

Bailey laughed.

"You did it!" TK said.

"I did it." Bailey laughed.

"See I told you could do it," TK said. "Do you think you can get a jump on the next couple while I get the lasagna in the oven?"

Bailey nodded. TK pushed himself up from the chair and picked up his phone sending a quick text to Carlos before picking up the unbaked lasagna from the counter to put it into the oven. He balanced the pan in one hand as he opened the oven and as he did the front door blew.

✵✵✵

Carlos' phone vibrated in his pocket as he sat down at his desk to finish a report. He pulled it out and saw that TK had sent him a text.

TK: Remind me to take a crash course in statistics before the start of the school year, we've officially hit the limit of my knowledge.

Carlos laughed before typing out a reply. TK sucked at math, but he had been adamant about wanting to help Bailey get ahead so he'd stayed up for a week before the custody transfer to get a jump start on it. He'd joked that he'd felt like he was back in high school, though Carlos had snipped that the 126 was like high school (he'd received a pillow to the head for that quip).