This was a true request after the autism awareness oneshot by a very kind individual named ImAPotatoTomatoBwa (love your username)!
Okay so my friend has ADHD and I had to tutor them in maths but they can't focus and always get distracted by little things :x They're adorable.
STORYTIME!
Patton loathed math with a burning passion. Whenever he looked at the problem he just saw the letters and numbers jumble on the paper and his mind wanders elsewhere. He never can focus on most things, but math is the one thing he cannot focus on most of all. Patton dug his fingers into his scalp and let his glasses slip off his nose as he stared at the empty homework sheet.
He was an entire year behind in his math studies, and his boyfriend offered to tutor him. He left Patton alone to test what he already knows, but he hasn't even started. It's not that he didn't know it! Well, he kinda didn't. It's just every time he tried to factor a perfect cube and remember the formula it's just here's a llama there's a llama and another little llama fuzzy llama funny llama llama llama duck.
Patton tried to scribbled down Whatever the formula was. Something with an a and a b and a double a and an ab and a double b. Or was it not double a and b? Was It a squared and b squared? Math is stupid. Patton groaned and scooted back in his chair. He needs help. He needs Logan.
"Patton? How have you- oh dear. I had forgotten you have a tampered attention span. I shouldn't have left you alone for thirty minutes. Do you want me to walk you through the paper?"
"Yes please."
Logan sighed, not liking that he made a mistake. Patton asked for help because he couldn't concentrate, and Logan told him to do exactly what he needed help with on his own. It was quite idiotic. Logan took his personal tea and sat down at the table adjacent to Patton, seeing as the first question was on the difference of cubes. A simple subject learned in Algebra II. All you need to do is follow a simple formula. It's all okay.
"Patton, you've recognized this as a difference of cubes problem. Do you recall the formula for the difference of cubes?"
"No..."
"It's quite alright, no reason to be ashamed. Teachers neglect the obvious need to have it on their formula charts. Since this is an addition binomial, our equation is (a + b)(a^2 - ab +b^2). However, if it wore a subtraction binomial then the first two signs would swap, making the formula (a - b)(a^2 + ab + b^2). The b^2 is always added, never subtracted."
"B^2 is always added..."
Pretty much the only thing Patton remembered is the b squared was always added. And the first thing you put in the front to do the factoring thing is the cubic root of the equation above. Other than that, he retained no knowledge. He wrote down what he knew, the cubic root and the added b squared in parenthesis. He froze, not knowing what to do next at all. Uhhh...
No no no! Don't lose faith in him! Patton has got this! He's gonna show Logan he can focus for an entire problem and be a big boy! Patton made the mistake of glancing out of the corner of his eye towards the window, hoping to give his brain a rest from staring at the same old boring math paper. He saw a SQUIRREL!! Patton gasped, getting all excited and happy. He loved squirrels! They were so cute with their bushy tails!
"Logan a squirrel! We have a squirrel in our yard! What should we name him? I think Sir Fluffytail Cottonbottom!"
"Patton, Darling, it's time to focus. Please finish filling in the equation. More likely than not, just filling in the formula leads to your answer. Sometimes you have to simplify, but that is not often. Remember the coefficient, the number next to x, is your a value. The constant, the number after the operation, the plus in this case, is your b value. All you have to do is plug it in and clean it up. Can you do that?"
"Yeah I guess so..."
Okay so the number in front of the x is a. Does that include x?
"Yes, the a value does include the value of x itself. Since we already used a singular x in the first factor, we have to have x^2 in the second factor. That means we multiply that value we used before in your previous factor by itself once to match the exponent. I suppose I worded that quite oddly. Do you need me to try explaining it again?"
"No no no I'm fine I got this! I understand if I promise!"
Okay okay okay okay! Patton has Definately got this! He took the a value and multiplied it by itself. Okay! That's it! He already has the b^2 value ready to be added! Uhhh, what goes in the middle? Right! ab! Wait, that means he has to multiply a times b doesn't he? Ewwwwww that's icky! Okay, the numbers are small and only one has an x. This should be fine....
There! Done! Uhhhh, that still looks kinda icky. He rose an eyebrow. I mean, there were no more exponents in the parenthesis so maybe he did it right? Well, that's one equation down. He has sooooo much more to do! Patton didn't want to do any more. Math is boring! Math is stupid! He could be playing on his DSi by now! In knee high socks! Patton liks playing animal crossing in knee high socks. Which pair will he wear with his pajamas tonight?
"Congradulations Patton, we've completed one problem. We still have several more to-"
"Nooooooooooooo! I refuse! It's painful to sit here and stare at gibberish!"
"Patton you asked me to help you hone your focus. Therefore I will stick to my word and-"
"Logan I can't! It hurts my head to look at a paper for that long! Making me sit here and do one thing makes me wanna focus even less! I don't know what helps me not get headaches and not not focus, but I need a break. Maybe a tea break? With cuddles on the couch and a few funny YouTube compilations? Maybe we can think of a system where every time I get a problem right we watch a compilation? Pleeeeeeeease?"
Logan chuckled. Since when did Patton get smart enough to make bargains like this? Logan conceded, standing up and pushing his chair. Patton grinned and rushed over to the couch with newfound energy, gathering pillows and blankets galore. Logan might like this new system...
1111 Words
Yeah I'm sorry this was bad I haven't slept in a good few days and the workout on the first day back in the softball program was inhumane. I honestly wanted to die. I hate this I want out.
But yeah, Adapt Improvise Overcome And I'm tired.
Internet hugs and blow kisses
~Rem