Unfolding

Chapter 12

Babysitting

"When you face difficult times, know that challenges are not sent to destroy you. They are sent to promote, increase, and strengthen you." - Joel Osteen

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In all of my past eleven years of academia, I have never hated a class more than I hate Calculus. I hate it with a burning passion.

In fact, I'm pretty sure Satan himself came up with this subject.

I remember when math used to make sense; you add two plus two and it would give you four. Now? Limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. What the actual fuck?

After another 20 minutes of just staring at a limit problem, I finally bit my pride and texted the devil himself.

Natalie: What are you doing?

Aiden: Listening to Lucas be a dumbass. What's up?

Natalie: I need you to teach me math. If I stare at another limits problem without understanding it, I won't be responsible for my actions...

Aiden: Well we can't have that, now can we? ;)

Natalie: Shut up! Will you help me or not?

Aiden: Come over.

I didn't need to be told twice.

Pulling up into the driveway of Aiden's massive house, I got out of my car and made my way towards the door. Ringing the doorbell, I waited for the dark wooden front door to be opened. Finally, Lucas swung the front door open and led me into the grand entryway. "Buttercup! You've come to join the party!"

"Leave her alone Lucas." Aiden said coming towards me. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"And leave you two kids alone to get your freak on?" Lucas laughed while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Get your perverted head out of your ass." I snorted.

"I see how it is. I know when I'm not wanted." Lucas feigned hurt and dramatically wiped an invisible tear away.

Before Lucas could say or do anything else, Aiden had already pushed him out the door. He turned to me, "So, Princess. It's just you and me."

"Yeah," I snorted. "You, me, and the eight edition of McGraw Hill's Calculus textbook. How romantic!"

"Feisty! I like it" Aiden said, walking backwards into the dining room. By now, I've been in enough rooms in this house to know they were all designed by an interior designer. However, it didn't stop me from being awestruck by the beautiful designs. A large glass table stood in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by maroon velvet chairs. Just above the table, a 72" gold Arcachon rectangular chandelier lit up the room.

It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful this home is. Aiden snapped me out of my thoughts. "Let me help you, you're drooling." He made a motion to wipe the invisible drool from my chin but I dodged him.

"Let's just get this over with." I said plopping down into one of the velvet chairs, taking out my calculus book, notebook, and TI-84 calculator.

I looked up at him expectedly.

"You're no fun, Princess" He pouted but proceeded to take a seat next to me.

............

Two hours. Three hours?