Home is where the heart is

Part 28- Algebra

Ruby's POV

I was sitting on my bed in my bedroom, in front of my laptop, bored out my mind. I'd started online school today, and it was awful! As much as I hated normal school in general, at least you got the help face to face then, but with online school, that wasn't the case; and that was the thing I was really struggling with.

I was in the middle of maths work, one of my all time worst subjects. Algebra was killing my brain and it wouldn't function at all.

I was just finishing the last question of the list, and like all the others, it said it was wrong.

I groaned loudly.

I tried all the questions again, yet I still couldn't get any of them right.

"Why won't my stupid brain just work?!" I groaned louder than ever.

Just then, my bedroom door opened and in walked Joe.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing!" I groaned.

"Well all this groaning tells me otherwise" he said, not giving up.

I groaned again and Joe walked over, sitting on my bed.

"You can tell me, you know" he said.

I figured that I wasn't going to get anywhere with the work on my own, so I might as well of at least tried to get help from him. Why not?

"I can't do it" I mumbled.

"Can't do what?" he asked.

"Algebra" I mumbled, looking down.

Joe moved and sat right next to me.

"You got any paper?" he asked.

I got up, got my paper pad and a pen and sat back down.

"I'm gonna show you an easy way to do algebra" he said, taking the paper and pen from me. "Then, once you know the basics, you're sorted"

I nodded slowly and listened, eager to get the work done.

"So, it's like this" he said.

Joe began to show me how to do it, using a practice question. He went through it a few times, step by step.

"Ok" he said. "Now you try question one"

I started typing stuff on my laptop and finally the answer. But, once again I got it wrong.

"This is impossible" I groaned.

"Ok, you seemed to be getting it more when we were writing it" Joe said. "So, let's go through that question again step by step, but this time on paper, ok?"

I nodded slowly and we began the question.

After a while, with Joe guiding me through it-but making sure to not tell me the answer- I finished my workings out and typed my answer in on my laptop.

The answer pinged, signalling that I got it right.

"Thank god" I sighed in relief.

"See, you got it!" he smiled.

I weakly smiled in return.

"Right, let's try the rest of them" he smiled.

Joe and I went through the rest of the questions, and I continued to get them right.

"All correct" he smiled. "Good job!"

I finished my work and put my laptop away once I was done.

Although I wasn't Joe's number one fan, I really owed him. I couldn't have done that work without him. He didn't have to help me, but I gave him credit to do so. He did good. He really proved that he cared. And that even made me feel good. I really felt like we started to bond whilst doing the work. It wasn't so bad to spend time with him.

"Thanks for this" I smiled weakly at him. "For helping"

"Anytime" he smiled.

There was a minutes or so silence.

"Order in dinner? Think we deserved it" he chuckled.

I smiled a bit more.

"Ok" I smiled.

Joe went on his phone and we looked at the menu.

Joe and I were really starting to get on. Although it was a weird feeling, I may have actually been beginning to like the feeling.

End of part 28

A/N:

Hi guys. Although this part may seem like a filler chapter, I honestly think it's a breakthrough for Joe and Ruby. Love you all! Well, until next time!

Rachel x