Rural

Chapter 39: Someone Help Me. I Think I Entered a Parallel Universe.

Chapter 39: Someone Help Me. I Think I Entered a Parallel Universe

       I thought Sawyer would have been concerned with me constantly hitting my head against the desk in our bedroom, but he said nothing about it. He just continued to put his laundry away, not even paying any attention to the pain I was putting myself through.

       I was starting to get a headache so instead, I leaned back in the seat and sighed heavily. Sawyer still paid no attention to me whatsoever, so I sighed even louder, so loud that it did not seem like a natural yawn.

       Sawyer stopped putting his clothes away as he looked at me. "What's up, Jamie?"

       "Well, since you asked..." I said. "I have my final exams coming up and I'm trying to study, but the information just isn't sticking. And if I don't pass, I won't be able to graduate. And if I don't graduate, I'll have to go to summer school. And if I go to summer school, I won't be able to go on tour. Then I'll have to send you nudes to satisfy my sexual desires."

       Sawyer closed the dresser drawer before standing up and walking over to me. "Aren't you doing well in school?" he asked, standing behind me as he looked over my shoulder to see exactly what I was studying. Or at least attempting to study.

       "The truth is... I haven't been doing too well in math," I said. "I don't know why but I just can't concentrate in that class."

       "What are you getting in that class?" Sawyer asked.

       I mumbled my answer, not wanting Sawyer to know what I was actually getting in my math class. It was a lot worse than he was probably thinking. In fact, he was probably thinking that I was being melodramatic like I was sometimes.

       This was not one of those times.

       "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Sawyer said. "C'mon, surely it can't be as bad as you think it is."

       I sighed. "I'm getting a fifty-two."

       "A fifty-two?" Sawyer asked. "As in... Five two?"

       "Yeah, I get it, I'm dumb," I said, closing my textbook. "You don't have to rub it in."

       "Jamie, I wasn't calling you dumb," Sawyer said. "I just... didn't expect your mark to be that low. Are you sure it's just not being able to concentrate in class?"

       "Well, I have missed some days when I wasn't feeling too well," I said. "And... I haven't always done my homework..."

       "Why not?" Sawyer asked.

       I hesitated, not wanting to admit it. I sighed heavily before saying, "Because I was too busy practicing for the cross-country competition." 

       "...What?" Sawyer asked.

       I groaned, placing my face in my hands. "I know, I know. It was stupid. I'm stupid. I should have done my homework first before practicing. I just really wanted to get onto the tour. I didn't think that I was going to be close to failing."

       Sawyer rubbed my back. "Hey, all you have to do is pass the exam and you'll be fine."

       "How will I pass the exam if I can't concentrate on studying?" I asked. "Even if I was able to concentrate, I just don't understand any of this." I placed my arms on my table and rested my head on top. "I'm going to fail." I lifted my head and looked at my textbook. "Like... What is a polynomial function? Why does it exist? Why are there letters in math? I thought math was just... numbers. Any chance you know what..." I pulled the textbook closer to me and peered at the page. "Cubic regression is?"