A House Full of Brothers

Chapter 29

  "This makes absolutely no sense!" I groaned and face palmed. Blake came over to tutor and as required Kyle was here. He was lounging on my bed, but fell asleep.

  "You're not even trying." Blake took the pencil out of my hand.

  "Bullshit! I'm trying harder than you are!" I got defensive quickly which caused Blake to raise his eyebrows at me.

  "Then how come you don't get it?" He was erasing all my hard work that had gone to waste after I ended up getting it wrong.

  I am seriously going to slap this boy.

  "You are here to tutor me because I don't get it. I pay attention, I take notes, I try. But math is a giant mess that makes no sense!"

  "It makes tons of sense." Does he seriously not realize that different people have different thinking patterns?

  "Did you understand Chemistry?" I folded my arms, thinking I had cornered him into admitting he didn't understand something that was 'so easy'.

  "I never went, babe." He smirked at me. Oh my god, I want to choke him. "However even if I did go, do you really think I would pay attention? Oh, or have you ever thought about the fact that I might not be a complete idiot?" His smirk didn't leave, he knew he was irritating me and he was enjoying it. I only glared at him and we stared at each other for a while, seeing who would break first.

  He did but played it off and began to explain the steps to me for hundredth time.

  "No, Brooklyn. This first." He pointed to a different spot on the page. "No, that's an exponent."

  "Okay, and?" I snapped.

  "I know you don't understand this, but I also know you're not a complete idiot. Don't get sassy because you're getting frustrated. You know how exponents work. I'm gonna give you hint: solve the exponents first." He glared at me, his hint sounded even more demeaning than he had meant for it to. "Oh look at that, a number! Maybe it'll be easier now." He muttered sarcastically.

  "You can stop being an ass." I said lowly while going through the equation.

  "You can stop being a brat - no, wrong spot." He retorted back before grabbing my pencil to erase yet another mistake.

  "I'm not being a brat. I don't understand any of this and you're only pissing me off more." I snatched the pencil back.

  "I know you're not stupid, Brooklyn. You knew you were supposed to solve the exponents first but you decided not to because you're frustrated. Then when I correct you, you ignore it. I can't help you if you don't try." He took the pencil and tossed it across my room so I'd have to look at him.

  "I'm trying, Blake." I grabbed the bin filled to the rim of crumpled paper that help all of my mistakes. "Yes I ignored the exponents! I'm annoyed, irritated, confused, and tired. You know what the exponents did? Annoyed, irritated, and confused me more! I just don't get it." I groaned. My eyes began to water due to all the irritation and desperation I began to feel.

  Blake began to see my eyes gloss over and sighed. Before simply lifting me up and setting me on his lap. He was just rubbing my back and resting his chin on my shoulder. He eventually pulled back so I'd look at him again.

  "We'll stop for the night okay? We'll try again some other time. You'll get it, at least enough to pass." He continued to rub my back. I nodded and then let my head fall onto his chest. He chuckled softly. "I know you like cuddling and all that but you're brothers would still kill me." I pulled back and wiped my damp cheeks before sliding off and onto my own seat. "You'll be fine, relax. I'll see you tomorrow, Brooklyn." He stood up and left a kiss on my forehead before leaving.

~~~~~

  I lightly slapped Kyle's arm after my brother's called out that it was time for dinner. I don't think he was supposed to stay over for dinner but I didn't want to wake him up. We always have extra leftovers anyways. He didn't budge so I slapped him a bit harder.

  "Mph, what?" His eyebrows furrowed but he didn't open his eyes.

  "It's time for dinner." I shook his shoulder.

  "What time is it?" Kyle sat up looking extremely confused. I glanced at the clock.

  "Uh, 8?" I laughed a bit.

  "Shit." He rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to wake himself up. "I slept for 4 hours?" I nodded with a small grin. After a few minutes of him trying to wake himself up we went downstairs.

  I sat in my usual seat and Kyle sat in the seat next to me which was basically his considering he was the only one to ever sit there.

  "Thanks for telling me we had a guest staying for dinner, Brooklyn." Alex grunted since he is the one that makes all the food as well as the one who gets the plates ready. I gave a sheepish smile and he gave me playful glare before walking back into the kitchen.

  After we were all seated, the conversations began.

  "How was tutoring?" Alex asked.

  "Horrible." I sub-consciously stabbed the pasta with the fork a bit too hard.

  "What did Blake do?" Jason asked. He and Blake had a difficult relationship, they were either best friends or enemies and because Blake and I have been hanging out, Jason did not favor him. I gave a glare to Jason and he shrugged.

  "Not everything is because of Blake, Jason." I stared at him for a bit longer before returning to my food. "Math just doesn't make any sense."

  "Yes it does." Jason shook his head at me.

  "Jason, we all know you're failing that class." Kyle stepped in, thankfully. Jason stuck his tongue out, not knowing a different way to show Kyle that he didn't want his opinion.

  "Did you learn anything from it yet? I know it's only been a day but there's always enough time for improvement, right?" Jackson asked after taking a drink of water.

  "I learned math makes me want to die." I said angrily. "And I learned very little, if at all." I sighed.

  "You'll get the hang of it." Justin offered the same positive input that Blake did. I faked a smile and continued dinner quietly while everyone talked about who-knows-what.

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