Chapter 40
A/N Trouble
Will had been living in his perfect sister's shadow his whole life. She was the perfect child and could do no wrong. He on the other hand could do nothing right.
He didn't excel at sports like her. He could ride, but could take it or leave it.
His grades were just passing and not straight A's like her. He did however enjoy fly fishing and his Dad had been teaching him how since the weather was starting to warm up.
"Are you ready for a lesson in casting Son?" his Dad asked.
He had been perfecting his casting, but still caught it in the trees or didn't throw it far enough to land it where he wanted it.
The one thing he always appreciated about his Dad was no matter how many times he messed up a cast or didn't get it positioned right, he never lost his temper or patience with him. His Dad was the most patient person he knew.
"Who taught you how to fish?" Will asked Benjamin.
"My Dad. We would go to the cabin in the Catskills my whole life and when I was about 5 he took me out for the first time. Like you, I got frustrated when I didn't do it right or tangled the line. My Dad was super patient and never put me down or told me to give up. In fact, I tried to give up and he would not let me. He always encouraged me to keep trying and that I would get it. I did and now look how good I am. You will get there just keep trying and don't get discouraged," Benjamin told him.
They fished most of the morning and Will finally landed his cast perfect and with patience caught a fish. Benjamin moved to him and used his net to scoop it up. Will reached in and picked it up and proudly held it up. They walked over to the bank and Benjamin retrieved his camera to take a picture.
Benjamin asked him if he wanted to keep it and clean it for dinner or release it back. "You catch it, you have to clean it."
Will looked at his Dad with disgust at the thought of cleaning the fish and laid it back in the water to release.
They decided to call it a day and gathered their gear and headed back to the house.
They stored their gear in the garage and walked through to the kitchen. Suzanne was at the stove cooking. Benjamin walked up to hug her and she put her hand on his chest.
"Oh no mister, you clean up before you come near me. You smell fishy and I don't want you anywhere near me with that smell on you," she told him.
"Oh come on Baby, you are telling me you don't want me loving on you?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
"I will love on you all you want, once you don't smell like a fish," she told him as she turned him towards the stairs. She smacked his butt and sent him upstairs to shower and clean up.
Lunch was a loud and boisterous affair with Will and Benjamin regaling everyone with their morning at the river. Benjamin proudly told everyone how Will had caught a huge fish.
Suzanne beamed with pride and squeezed his shoulder.
Benjamin and Suzanne both worried about Will. He never seemed to find anything that would hold his attention very long or that he excelled at. Maybe fishing would finally be it.
He needed to really work on his school work and Suzanne decided if his grades didn't improve they would look into getting him a tutor. They were going to talk to him about it after dinner. Lizzie was having a sleepover with Isabelle.
"Will, your Dad and I are concerned about your grades. You seem to be struggling and not getting any better from year to year. We don't want you to fall behind. What can we do to support you or help you?" Suzanne asked him.
"Mom, school is boring and I hate it. The teachers are teaching stuff that doesn't interest me," Will said with a whining in his voice.
"Son, we understand that, but you have to study and make good grades. If you want we will get you a tutor to help you. Dad can work on your math with you and I can help with your science. A tutor can help with the other stuff," she explained to him.
"Mom, do I have to?" he asked.
"Yes, son you do?" Benjamin answered before she could.
"Fine" he said as he stomped off up to his room.
"Sweetheart, he will buckle down and we will help him. I don't want to make it a punishment or he will push back even harder. Mom and Dad went through the same thing with my sister Joan. Then she started 6th grade and a teacher got her attention and turned her around," Benjamin told her.
"Ok, I just don't want him to fall too far behind," she said, snuggling into him.
They would wait a while and see if he came around or continued to struggle.