Little Seth sat in the back of the room while his 3rd grade teacher,
Mr. Cannon talked. Seth, unlike a few other people, was trying to pay
attention. He wanted to learn how to multiply numbers so he can grow up and
be like his dad. He is unaware that lawyers don't use that much math. But
he listens anyway, when he's not to busy thinking. Seth always thinks about
everything. About his life, about Newport and about everyone. He thinks
about how Summer feeds that skinny squirrel because the fat squirrel eats
his food. He smiles at that thought.
"Seth come up to the board and solve three of these problems," Mr. Cannon said. This was it! His chance to impress Summer! He went up to the board and looked at the four problems: 3x3, 5x2, 4x1 and 8x2. He knew all the answers. "Can I answer all of them?" Seth asked. "Go ahead," his teacher said. Seth answered everyone correctly. 9,10,4 and 16 were his answers. "Good job Seth. Now I'm going to write down four harder ones. Can you answer them?" The teacher asked. He looked at Summer. "I'll try," he said. The teacher put up four problems: 8x8, 7x9, 6x8 and 8x9. Seth thought for a moment. He put up these answers in order: 64, 63, 48 and 72. "Excellent job. See me after class. I need to ask you a favor," Mr. Cannon said. Did he do something wrong?
After class, when everyone was gone, he went up to Mr. Cannon. "Am I in trouble?" Seth asked. "No! Of course not. I need you to do me a favor," he said. "What is it?" Seth asked. "Well, we're getting a new student. He's starting tomorrow, but I asked him to come. He'll be here in a few minutes. I need you to catch him up in Math. He's a little behind in it," Mr. Cannon said. "I'm not that smart," Seth said. Mr. Cannon bent down to reach his height. "You answered problems we didn't learn yet. You can handle tutoring," he said.
About 5 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Mr. Cannon said. The door opened. In stepped a little kid. "Where are your parents?" Mr. Cannon asked. "They couldn't make it," the kid said. He looked at the other kid. "Are you new also?" He asked. "No," Seth said. "This is your tutor for math. He's a really intelligent kid. Why don't you two get to know each other? I'll be right back," Mr. Cannon said. "Hi. I'm Seth Cohen," Seth said. The kid stared at him. "I'm Ryan Atwood." Seth stared at him. "So where are you from?" he asked. "Chino. Ever hear of it?" Ryan asked. Seth nodded. "We had to do a report on any place in California other than Newport, and I did Chino," Seth said. Ryan looked at him. "You did?" He asked. Seth nodded. "Why did you do Chino? It sucks there," Ryan said. "It was a small little place no one ever heard of. I got an A+ on it for being so creative," Seth said. "You like to talk don't you?" Ryan asked. Seth nodded. "And proud of it," he said. Ryan knew that he was going to like Seth and Seth knew he was going to like Ryan. "I guess having a tutor won't be so bad," Ryan said.
"Seth come up to the board and solve three of these problems," Mr. Cannon said. This was it! His chance to impress Summer! He went up to the board and looked at the four problems: 3x3, 5x2, 4x1 and 8x2. He knew all the answers. "Can I answer all of them?" Seth asked. "Go ahead," his teacher said. Seth answered everyone correctly. 9,10,4 and 16 were his answers. "Good job Seth. Now I'm going to write down four harder ones. Can you answer them?" The teacher asked. He looked at Summer. "I'll try," he said. The teacher put up four problems: 8x8, 7x9, 6x8 and 8x9. Seth thought for a moment. He put up these answers in order: 64, 63, 48 and 72. "Excellent job. See me after class. I need to ask you a favor," Mr. Cannon said. Did he do something wrong?
After class, when everyone was gone, he went up to Mr. Cannon. "Am I in trouble?" Seth asked. "No! Of course not. I need you to do me a favor," he said. "What is it?" Seth asked. "Well, we're getting a new student. He's starting tomorrow, but I asked him to come. He'll be here in a few minutes. I need you to catch him up in Math. He's a little behind in it," Mr. Cannon said. "I'm not that smart," Seth said. Mr. Cannon bent down to reach his height. "You answered problems we didn't learn yet. You can handle tutoring," he said.
About 5 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Mr. Cannon said. The door opened. In stepped a little kid. "Where are your parents?" Mr. Cannon asked. "They couldn't make it," the kid said. He looked at the other kid. "Are you new also?" He asked. "No," Seth said. "This is your tutor for math. He's a really intelligent kid. Why don't you two get to know each other? I'll be right back," Mr. Cannon said. "Hi. I'm Seth Cohen," Seth said. The kid stared at him. "I'm Ryan Atwood." Seth stared at him. "So where are you from?" he asked. "Chino. Ever hear of it?" Ryan asked. Seth nodded. "We had to do a report on any place in California other than Newport, and I did Chino," Seth said. Ryan looked at him. "You did?" He asked. Seth nodded. "Why did you do Chino? It sucks there," Ryan said. "It was a small little place no one ever heard of. I got an A+ on it for being so creative," Seth said. "You like to talk don't you?" Ryan asked. Seth nodded. "And proud of it," he said. Ryan knew that he was going to like Seth and Seth knew he was going to like Ryan. "I guess having a tutor won't be so bad," Ryan said.