Chapter 14: Kurt
I got to watch "Beauty and the Beast" when I got home just like Mr. Lumberjack promised. I really wasn't watching it though. I was too busy thinking about everything.
I still couldn't believe he had gotten that window to break just by hitting on it! It looked like something a superhero could do.I wish that my mom was really dating a superhero. Then maybe he could fly us away to a place that wasn't so mean and bad. That would sure be nice. But Mr. Lumberjack wasn't a superhero. He was just another one of the bad guys. The thing was, I was starting to think I was wrong about him. I hate being wrong.
"Are you finished with the movie?" Burt asked.
I looked up at the screen to see that the movie had ended and I hadn't even noticed. That's too bad. The ending is always my favorite part.
"I'm done with it. I have homework though, can you help me?"
I know what anyone must be thinking and no, I did not want to ask Mr. Sesame Street for help. He was just my only choice, okay?
"You have homework? But you're only in preschool!" Mr. Sesame Street said sounding shocked.
"I don't have homework for school. Follow me, I'll get it," I said.
I walked into Mom's office and grabbed some papers out of the file that said "Kurt." I then walked to the kitchen table and patted the seat next to me for Mr. Sesame Street to sit down. He walked over slowly and sat down.
"Like I said, this homework isn't from school," I explained, "but Mom thinks I'm really smart so she wants me to do homework that the other kids don't have to. She says it's like sports for your brain so it can get strong and know more stuff."
Burt's eyes widened when he looked at the papers.
"I definitely didn't learn about this stuff when I was four," he said, taking off his baseball cap and running a hand over his short hair.
"I'm almost five. I'll be five on May 27th," I announced.
Burt laughed a little. "That's in two months kid. You're still only four."
He went back to looking at all the math problems. I was searching my mind for a good thing to say back at Mr. Lumberjack.
"I'm four and a half!" I corrected.
Burt looked up from the papers. "Do you even know what that means? The one half part I mean."
I shifted a little in my seat. I didn't know. I hate not knowing what things mean. So I didn't answer him and instead grabbed my worksheet back and started on the problems. The first ones were really easy but then I got that to one that confused me.
13-7=
I didn't know the answer. I tried the tricks Mom taught me but I couldn't remember.
"Mr. Ses- I mean Burt? Can you help me with this problem?" I asked.
He looked at the problem and sighed but I didn't think he didn't know it. Mom always knew the answers.
Burt got up quickly and went to one of the cupboards where Mom keeps the candy that I wasn't supposed to eat without asking first. He counted out some of the candy and brought it back to table.
"Okay, I'll try to explain this," Burt started, spreading the candy over the table. "Let's say you have 13 pieces of candy and I asked you for seven and you gave them to me-"
"As if I'd ever my candy to you," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
Burt sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Alright then, you give seven pieces to your mom. How many do you have now?"
"I have three," I said.
I knew that was wrong, I had counted out the pieces of candy and knew the answer was seven. I just thought I'd have some fun.
"No, Kurt," Burt said, "that's not right. The answer is six."
"I know but I ate one and gave Max and Sarah each one," I said.
Burt chuckled. "You really are a smart little kid aren't you," he said.
I sat up a little straighter. "Mom said that probably could have skipped two whole grades but she wanted me to be around kids my age."
Burt nodded. "She's smart, just like you."
I smiled at Burt. I heard the garage door open and I knew that Mom was home. I ran to meet her. She looked really tried, just like she always did after a long time at work.
"Hi, mommy," I said, wrapping Mom up in a big hug.
"Hey, sweetie. How was your day?" Mom asked.
"Great. It was really exciting because a window in Burt's car broke and we had to go and get it fixed." Mom looked worried when I said that but I kept talking. "And when I had to wait, I got to watch 'Beauty and the Beast.' Then we got home and he helped me with homework."
"That's great, honey," she said but she didn't seem to really be looking at me.
She got up and walked quickly into the kitchen. I followed her because she never just left me waiting in the middle of the hallway. I stopped before I went into the kitchen and watched them from the hallway.
"Burt, are you okay? Kurt said a window in your car broke?"
I hadn't heard my mom sound that scared since I broke my arm falling off the monkey bars at the playground.
"Hey, it's fine," Burt said, "I was picking up Kurt and he- Well, long story short the windshield ended up getting pretty badly cracked. So I went to the shop and got Jake, you know the other grease monkey, to replace it."
I heard my mom sigh, I'm pretty sure it was one of those that people do when they aren't worried or scared anymore which was pretty good.
"Thank God. When Kurt said it broke though, I don't know, I just thought the worst. That you had gotten hurt or something," Mom said.
"I'm fine and Kurt's fine," Burt said.
Mom looked up at Burt and then kissed him. I turned around and ran up to my room because adults kissing is gross.
I dove into bed and curled up under the covers. Burt didn't tell Mom that I didn't wear my seatbelt. I could tell he was about to, but he didn't. Mom would have been so, so mad. I don't even want to think about how mad she would be.
I don't have to think about it though because Burt kept it a secret. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
Peace, Love, Glee
Julez