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close in my entire life.”
    â€œIn other words, you’re nowhere near done,” he said.
    â€œProgress is being made,” I said, “but I’m going to need to stop in a while because I do have this other important meeting in the basement on my other assignment.”
    â€œHank, the only meeting you’re going to attend is the one where you introduce your butt to your desk chair, where it will remain until you’re finished. Now go in your room and put your mind in gear.”
    When my dad gets in a mood like that, there’s no arguing with him. I sighed loudly to see if I could make him feel bad. That didn’t work, either. He didn’t take his eyes off the TV. The sigh was a little for myself, too, because I knew that no matter how long I sat at my desk, I was never going to understand fractions. I have trouble with whole things, let alone bits and pieces of stuff.
    I went back into my room and plopped down on my desk chair. After another minute of staring at the paper, I found myself opening my desk drawer and staring at the green plastic organizer I keep my supplies in. Oh, no! All my paper clips had moved from the round compartment where I keep them into the long compartment where I keep my pencils. I couldn’t have that. I may not be a fast learner, but I like organization. It makes me feel good when my pencils are sharpened and my paper-clip holder is full and my rubber bands are all together in their plastic baggy.
    â€œHank,” my mom said, opening the door a crack and sticking her head in.
    Phew. I pushed the drawer closed just in time so she couldn’t see that I wasn’t concentrating. Actually, I was concentrating, just not on what I was supposed to be concentrating on. Why doesn’t that count?
    â€œHey, Mom,” I said. “What’s up?”
    â€œDinner is up,” she said. “And it’s on the table.”
    â€œPlease, Mom, I can’t come to the table tonight. I only have a little while left to finish this math homework, and I have to meet Frankie and Ashley at seven.”
    â€œI’ll bring your plate in here, honey,” she said, which will tell you just how great a mom she is.
    â€œThanks, Mom. I really appreciate that.”
    She returned in a minute with a plate of brown rice and tofu with some broccoli trees mixed in.
    â€œThis will help you with your homework,” she said. “Everything on that plate is brain food.”
    It certainly wasn’t mouth and tongue food, I can tell you that. So now I had math problems I couldn’t solve and food I couldn’t eat. What else could possibly go wrong?
    Clink. My digital clock now said six fifty-one.
    The phone rang and I picked it up.
    â€œHey, Zip,” Frankie said. “Ashweena and I are finished with our homework, so we’re going down to the basement a little early. Can you meet us?”
    â€œI’m almost done,” I said. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
    I don’t know why I just didn’t tell Frankie the truth—that I was stuck on my math homework and making no progress. Actually, I do know why. Because I’m always the last to finish everything, and it gets really old being the slow one.
    â€œOkay,” Frankie said. “And don’t be late. We lugged the books home, but you’ve got to do some of the research. It’s only fair.”
    â€œOf course I’m going to be there,” I said, wanting to bite my tongue before the words were even out of my mouth. “Research is my middle name.”
    â€œReally, dude? I thought your middle name was Daniel.”
    Ordinarily, I would have laughed at Frankie’s little joke, but I was already starting to feel bad that I hadn’t told him what was really happening.
    â€œHey, the longer we talk, the longer it’s going to take me,” I said to him. “So bye.”
    â€œSee you in five, Zip.”
    I know what you’re