It was a nice Monday morning on Sesame Street. And in the Furry Arms hotel, Lexi was in her bedroom waking up to start the day.

"Is it morning already?" Lexi said to herself. "Wow, that was a quick night."

She grabbed her teddy bear and said to it, "Morning Teddy. Let's go see if my mother's awake. Come on."

She then said in her teddy bear voice, "Okay Lexi."

Lexi left her room and went into her mother's room to see if she was awake. But her mother wasn't in there.

"Mother?" said Lexi, looking around for her mother. "Where are you?"

She then went into the living room and found her mother on the phone with someone.

"Yes," said her mother. "Yes. Uh huh. Okay. See you in a bit. Alright bye."

Her mother hung up the phone.

"Oh, good morning, Lexi," said her mother.

"Morning mother," said Lexi. "Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"That was Mr. Sherlock Hemlock," said her mother. "Him and I were talking about you."

"Why me?" asked Lexi.

"Because since you haven't been to school since we moved here to Sesame Street," said her mother, "I suggested to Mr. Hemlock that he should come to our suite five days a week Monday through Friday for a few hours to homeschool you."

"What's homeschool?" asked Lexi.

"Homeschooling is when you don't go to school in public," said her mother. "Yet you have someone to teach you and give you schoolwork at home."

"That doesn't sound like fun," said Lexi, folding her arms while frowning. "I rather go outside and play all day with my friends."

"But I bet they're in school right now," said her mother. "Your friend, Elmo goes to preschool in Sunny Days School. And Abby Cadabby goes to Flying Fairy School."

"Really?" said Lexi. "They go to school, too?"

"They sure do," said her mother. "Every kid has to go to school. It's the law. So will you be good for Mr. Hemlock when he starts teaching you?"

"Okay mother," said Lexi, sighing.

Just then, the door knocked.

"That must be Mr. Hemlock now," said her mother.

She walked to the door, opened it, and saw Sherlock Hemlock holding a few school supplies.

"Hello there, Mr. Hemlock," said Lexi's mother. "I'm glad you can make it. Please come in."

"Thanks Joyce," said Sherlock, stepping into the room. "Is Lexi here?"

"Yep," said Lexi's mother. "I'll go get her."

Lexi's mother walked to Lexi as she saw her daughter playing with her teddy bear.

"Come here, Lexi," said her mother, grabbing her hand. "Mr. Hemlock is here to homeschool you."

"But mother," said Lexi, with a frown, "I don't want to do any work. It's not fun."

"Lexi," said her mother, looking straight at her.

"Oooooookaaaaaay," said Lexi.

"Hi there, Lexi," said Sherlock. "It's nice to see you."

"Hi Sherlock," said Lexi. "Can we not do work today?"

"No Lexi," said Sherlock, shaking his head. "Your mother said that you need help with vocabulary words, math, and spelling. So we have to do that today."

"But Sherlock," said Lexi.

"No buts, Lexi," said Sherlock, picking her up. "Now come on, let's sit down at the dining room table and start."

Lexi stood quitely and folded her arms as Sherlock sat her down on a chair at the dining room table.

"Now I'm going to give you a list of words to help you with your vocabulary," said Sherlock. "And I want you to read them and learn them, okay?"

"Sure," said Lexi, placing her head down on the table.

"Head up," said Sherlock, raising her head up. "There's no time for napping."

"Uuuuuuugh," said Lexi.

"Stop it," said Sherlock.

Lexi didn't another word.

"Okay," said Sherlock, giving her a flash card with the word 'predicament'. "What is this word?"

"Uuuuuhhh..." said Lexi, looking up at the ceiling.

"Look at the word, Lexi," said Sherlock.

"Uhhhh..." said Lexi, looking at the word. "Per-die-ka-mint?"

"Nope," said Sherlock. "It's pronounced predicament."

"What does that mean?" asked Lexi.

"It's a difficult and very big problem," said Sherlock, then pulling out another flash card that said 'exasperated'. "Now what is this word?"

"Excess-per-a-ted?" said Lexi.

"You're close," said Sherlock. "But it's exasperated, not excessperated."

"I'm not good at this," said Lexi, with a frown.

"Don't worry, Lexi," said Sherlock. "It's only your first time. Things just don't happen overnight."

"So I have to know these words by tonight?" asked Lexi.

"What I mean is that learning new things can't happen right away," said Sherlock. "It takes time as long as you study."

"But I can't do this work by myself," said Lexi.

"I can help you anything I'm here," said Sherlock. "Don't be afraid to ask questions."

"But what if I get the words wrong again?" asked Lexi, frowning.

"That's why you ask for help," said Sherlock. "And I don't care how many times you ask the same question. I'll be pacient with you since you're autistic."

"Well...okay," said Lexi. "Thanks Sherlock."

"You're welcome, Lexi," said Sherlock, getting out a worksheet full of numbers. "Now let's do some math. What's 5 times 3?"

Lexi wasn't in her seat. She wandered into the kitchen since she was hungry.

"Lexi?" said Sherlock, walking over to her. "Let's come back over here and sit down."

"But I'm hungry," said Lexi, climbing onto the kitchen counter. "I want some chocolate chip cookies."

"Get down," said Sherlock, holding onto her and putting her down on the ground. "You shouldn't be up high on the counter. You could fall and hurt yourself."

"I'm sorry," said Lexi.

"It's okay," said Sherlock. "Now why don't you go sit back down in your chair while I get you something to eat."

"Okay Sherlock," said Lexi, sitting back down on the chair. "Give me some chocolate chip cookies with white milk."

"Say please," said Sherlock.

"Please?" said Lexi. "Please? Please?"

"Okay," said Sherlock, getting some chocolate chip cookies from the cookie jar.

He placed a few chocolate chip cookies on a plate as well as pouring some white milk in a small mug as he walked back to the table and set them in front of Lexi and himself.

"Here Lexi," said Sherlock. "Do you mind if you can share your cookies with me?"

"I don't mind," said Lexi.

"Thanks," said Sherlock, giving Lexi a pencil. "Now we're going to do some multipication problems."

"Awwwww," said Lexi, with a frown. "That's too hard."

"Not if you practice," said Sherlock.

"But I can only add and take away things," said Lexi. "It's easier."

"It's alright, Lexi," said Sherlock, then pointing to one of the questions. "Now...what's 5 times 3?"

Lexi looked at the paper and didn't say anything.

"You need help?" asked Sherlock.

"Uh huh," said Lexi. "I don't know the answer. Can you help me?"

"Sure," said Sherlock. "Even though I can't give you the answer, I can give you steps to solve it."

He grabbed Lexi's pencil for a second and said, "Now let's say you have 3 rows of apples with 5 in each row."

He drew some circles on the paper to help Lexi with the math problem.

"Can you count the total number of circles for me?" asked Sherlock.

"Ummm..." said Lexi, counting the drawn circles. "I see 15 circles. So I guess 5 times 3 is 15?"

She wrote down the number 15 next to the equal sign of the question.

"That's right, Lexi," said Sherlock. "Good job."

He then pointed to the next question and said to Lexi. "Okay Lexi. Let's try a hard one. What's 12 times 6?"

Lexi drew 12 circles in 6 rows and counted them.

"72," said Lexi.

"You're correct," said Sherlock. "Write that down."

Lexi wrote down the number 72 next to the multiplication problem.

After a few more hours of homeschooling, Lexi was done for the day.

"Now Lexi," said Sherlock. "We're done for today. But I want you to study multiplying those numbers with your mother. I'm going to give you a small math test on Friday."

"But I don't want to take a test," said Lexi, folding her arms. "I'll get all the answers wrong without your help."

"Don't think so negatively, Lexi," said Sherlock. "You'll do fine and long as you study hard and be positive."

"Ooooooooh oooooooookaaaaaay," said Lexi, sighing.

"Good girl," said Sherlock, rubbing her head. "Anyways, I have to go back to my apartment and see Watson. I'll see you tomorrow in the morning."

Sherlock got up from the chair and went out the door and out of the Furry Arms.

"I guess I should study for that test Sherlock wants me to take," said Lexi, walking into her bedroom and sitting down on her bed.

She then sighed and said to her teddy bear, "Oh Teddy. I really don't want to do anymore work today. I rather draw or go outside and play."

Lexi said in her teddy bear voice, "But Lexi, it's a good thing to study for a test. That way you can get a good grade and be smart."

"Are you calling me stupid?!" said Lexi, grabbing her pillow and smashing her teddy bear with it. "You think I'm not smart. You're so mean, Teddy! Be nice!"

She started to have a meltdown.

"Lexi!" said her mother, running into the bedroom. "What's the matter?!"

Lexi kept screaming as well as kicking the bed and hitting the walls.

Lexi's mother quickly grabbed her and pinned her down on the bed.

"Lexi, calm down!" said her mother, holding onto Lexi's hands and sitting on her legs tightly. "It's alright!"

A few seconds later, Lexi took some deep breaths and calmed down.

"Are you sorry for having another meltdown?" asked her mother.

"I'm sorry," said Lexi. "I'm just upset because I have to take a math test on Friday. And I can't study by myself."

"Want me to help you?" asked her mother.

"Please mother," said Lexi.

"Of course," said her mother, sitting on the bed with her daughter.

On Friday morning, after Sherlock came to the suite, him and Lexi sat down at the dining room table.

"Okay Lexi," said Sherlock, giving her a worksheet of the math test. "Are you ready for this test?"

"Since I studied a lot, yes I am," said Lexi.

"Good," said Sherlock. "Now listen, Lexi. This is a test. So I can't help you. You must do the best you can. Just don't take forever on one question, understand?"

"Yes sir," said Lexi.

"Okay then," said Sherlock. "You may begin."

Lexi grabbed her pencil and started to take the test. But Sherlock was watching her the whole time to make sure she wasn't cheating in any way.

After a few minutes of writing and counting, Lexi was finally finished with her test.

"Are you finished?" asked Sherlock.

"I think so," said Lexi, giving Sherlock her test.

"Thank you," said Sherlock. "Now why don't you go to your room and draw while I grade your test to see how you did."

"Okay Sherlock," said Lexi, walking into her bedroom and shutting the door.

So Sherlock spent a few minutes grading Lexi's test paper.

"Wow," said Sherlock, writing a 100% and a smiley face on the paper. "She's so smart."

He put down the pencil and called out, "Lexi!"

"Yes?!" said Lexi.

"Come here!" said Sherlock. "I need to tell you something!"

"Okay!" said Lexi, running to the dining room table and sat down.

"What did you draw?" asked Sherlock.

"Look Sherlock," said Lexi, holding up a drawing of Sherlock made out of crayons. "I drew a picture of you."

"Awwww," said Sherlock, with a smile. "That's really good and sweet."

"Thanks," said Lexi.

"Now as I was saying," said Sherlock, giving Lexi her test paper, "you did really well on your math test."

"What that's weird symbol next to the number 100?" asked Lexi.

"That's a percentage sign," said Sherlock. "When you get a 100% percent, it means to got everything right."

"I did?" asked Lexi, all surprised.

"You sure did," said Sherlock, with a smile.

"Mother!" said Lexi, running to her mother. "Mother look! I got a 100% on my math test that I studied for!"

"Wow Lexi!" said her mother, happily. "That's great! I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks mother," said Lexi, with a smile. "I guess studying makes you do good on schoolwork."

"That's right, Lexi," said her mother, giving her a hug.

Lexi gave her mother a hug back.

"Hey Lexi," said Sherlock, walking into the room where Lexi and her mother were.

"Oh hi, Sherlock," said Lexi.

"Lexi, since you did a really good job on the test," said Sherlock, getting out his wallet from his trenchcoat pocket, "wanna go get some ice cream at the ice cream stand?"

"Yes please, Sherlock!" said Lexi, all excited. "I love ice cream!"

"Great!" said Sherlock, grabbing her hand then saying to Lexi's mother, "Say, do you want to get some ice cream with us, Joyce?"

"Sure Mr. Hemlock," said Lexi's mother. "I would love to. Just let me get my wallet."

"Naaaaah," said Sherlock, with a chuckle. "The cost is all on me."

"Well, that's very nice of you to pay for our ice cream," said Lexi's mother.

"Let's go get some ice cream!" said Lexi, grabbing her mother's hands. "Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!"

"Okay Lexi," said her mother, with a small laugh. "Let's go."

So Lexi, her mother, and Sherlock went out of the Furry Arms, into the street, and went to the ice cream stand. Sherlock ordered three ice cream cones as he paid for them. Sherlock got a rocky road ice cream cone, Lexi's mother got a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, and Lexi got her favorite, chocolate chip ice cream on a cone.

"Thanks Sherlock," said Lexi, licking her ice cream. "Ice cream is tasty. Yummy yum yum!"

"You're very welcome, my dear Lexi," said Sherlock, as he licked his ice cream cone. "Delicious."

The three enjoyed the rest of their ice cream as they took a walk around Sesame Street. Lexi was happy that she got a good grade on her math test. And that she had her friend and mentor, Sherlock Hemlock to be her teacher and help her anytime. Maybe being homeschooled wasn't such a bad thing for little Lexi after all.

THE END