Leni isn't known for her brain, but what she lacks in intelligence she makes up in kindness. This made it easy for her to make new friends. This doesn't help her with her grades though. No matter how hard she tries she never is able to pass her tests. She doesn't know what is wrong with her. As much as she tries to read the material it will never make sense to her. Math was her worst enemy though. She could understand English and history well enough to pass because her sister Lisa could simplify it to make it easier for her to understand. You can't do this with math though. Math doesn't have stories or characters. It just has numbers. If Leni made a list of her least favorite things numbers and math would be up their with spiders and clashing outfits. She already got held back because of her low grade in math once (she is a freshman and is suppose to be a sophomore) and she didn't want it to happen again. Leni was determined to pass her math class this year no matter what it takes.

The first math test of the school year was almost here and Leni wasn't prepared at all. She tried studying, but the numbers always become a giant blur on the page whenever she tried. After school one day (which was Monday and her test will be on Friday) she went to her room, through her backpack on the floor, and laid down in her bed. She let herself become lost in thought. She was thinking about a variety of different things including how she could pass the test, whether or not her sisters could help her, and her intelligence. Mostly the last one though.

Lori (who was in the middle of texting her boyfriend Bobby) looked up from her phone and saw Leni laying their with an obvious look of distress on her face.

Lori said "Hey Len. Is there anything wrong? You look upset about something".

Leni sighed and then replied "Yeah. I was just like thinking about this test that I have to take in my math class on Friday, but I don't get it. Whenever I try to read my book I just like get confused. The numbers all look the same."

Lori stared at her and said "Yeah. I've been there sis. Whenever I don't understand something I ask someone who knows it to help me. I would ask Lisa if I were you. She would know what to do".

Leni replied with a less gloomy expression "Yeah. I could like totally do that. Thanks Lori".

Lori said "Don't mention it" while turning her attention back to her phone.

Leni walked towards Lisa and Lily's room and knocked on the door.

Lisa opened the door and said "What do you want" with a blank expression on her face.

Leni said "I was wondering if you could like help me with my math homework. I don't understand it, but I totally want to be able to".

Lisa replied while adjusting her glasses "It would be quite the undertaking considering your below average intelligence, but I don't mind a challenge every once in a while".

"What?" Leni replied.

"Yes. I would be willing to assist you on your homework" replied Lisa.

"Oh. Thank you so much" Leni said with her voice full of joy.

Lisa opened the door even wider and let Leni enter the room. Leni put her backpack down on a table and took out the math homework she was working on.

"What problem do you need help with." Lisa said.

"I need help with number 1 and 2 and 3 and..." Leni said.

"Do you need help with all of your math homework?" Lisa asked.

"...Yeah..." Leni said.

"Okay, then I suppose we will have to start from the beginning of the chapter" Lisa said.

Lisa talked for about 2 hours while Leni tried her best to understand it. When Lisa felt like she taught Leni everything she needed to know she told her to go back to her room so she could continue working on one of her experiments.

Leni opened the bedroom door and was about to walk out, but she turned around and said "Thanks Lisa, I think I am totally ready for the test now."

"Don't thank me. I enjoy the experience of teaching" replied Lisa.

Leni walked out the door, closed it, and walked back to her room feeling like she was prepared for the test.

The day of the test finally arrived. Leni has been reviewing the problems on her homework and looking over the notes that Lisa helped her make (which were written in a way the she could understand easier) for a few days now. She was really confident in herself and thought she was prepared for anything the test had to throw at her. She was sitting in her desk with her hands folded as her teacher started to pass out the test.

"Okay class. The test will now begin. Please put your review materials away because you can't use them during the actual test. Answer all of the questions to the best of your ability and I wish you all good luck" said the teacher.

When Leni got her test she started writing instantly. After about an hour she finished the test and turned it in. The teacher said that he would grade the tests and return them to the students in 3 days. Leni left class that day feeling good about herself.

3 days later she retuned to her math class with a mixture of worry and excitement. About 10 minutes into the class period the teacher started giving students their test scores. Other students started talking about their scores while Leni awaited her results.

"What score did you get?"

"I got a B."

"Not bad, I got a C."

"Well, at least you passed."

The teacher walked to Leni's desk and handed her the graded test then continued walking down the aisle.

She hesitated for about 30 seconds before looking at her grade. She then took a deep breath and flipped over the paper.

F 56%.

She stared at the paper in shock for about 3 whole minutes. She knew that she did all the problems correctly. She did exactly what Lisa told her to do. Unless Lisa lied to her. No. Lisa would never do that. That means that this was...her fault.

A single tear fell from Leni's eye while she was still staring at her paper.

She tried so hard. She spent days working on problems to prepare herself for the test. She spent hours and hours going over the material to make sure she knew it. All of her hard work was pointless.

That tear was followed by another tear and then another until she was crying. She put her head down into her arms and sobbed.

After school was over that day Leni walked home slowly with her head down and tear streaks down her cheeks which ruined her makeup. She walked through the front door of the house, threw her backpack on the floor, and laid down on the couch while staring at the ceiling. Lori walks down the stairs while texting Bobby on her cell phone. She looks up and sees Leni lying on the couch and thought she looked like she was sad about something.

"Hey Len. What's wrong" Lori says while sitting next to Leni on the couch.

"I got my math test back today. I didn't do so good on it" Leni replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh. Well, even if you didn't pass at least you tried your best on it" Lori said trying to help her out by being positive.

"I guess so…" Leni said.

Neither of them said anything for about 2 minutes.

Leni then said "Lori, do you think that I'm dumb?"

Lori was shocked to hear a question like this. She had no idea how to answer her at first. She thought about it for about 30 seconds then she said "No Leni. I don't think that you are dumb."

Lori walked over the where Leni was and sat down next to her.

"Leni. Don't ever say stuff like that. Even if you aren't good at school there are still plenty of other things that you are good at. Your clothing designs are really well put together and you are good at making things from wood like that bed you made for me. Just because you aren't book smart doesn't make you dumb. Not at all."

Leni sat up and looked at her sister while wiping a tear away from her eye.

"Thanks Lori. I really needed to hear that"

"Don't mention it. If you ever have anything bothering you just tell me about it. I'll always be willing to listen."

Lori began to walk back up the stairs.

"Lori."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

Lori smiled.

"I love you too sis."

With that being said Lori walked up the stairs.

Leni looked back up at the ceiling.

"Yeah. I'll totally get the hang of this math thing eventually."

End.