Page 36 of Hard Rock Love

We got our meals and dug in immediately. It wasn’t until half the food was devoured that the conversation started up again.

“Did you have fun with the kids today?” I asked.

“A lot of fun, actually,” Seth said. “Those kids are great. They’ve been doing this rock band thing for a while now, and they’re actually really good. Almost as good as I was at that age. And I was pretty damn good, let me tell you. What about you? Did you have fun?”

“I did,” I replied. “It wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be.”

“Were you afraid of the pre-teens?” Seth teased.

“I was more worried than anything,” I said. “I’ve never been around children much and I didn’t know what to expect. But they were polite and relatively quiet. One of them was working on a short story for English class and needed help coming up with some good ideas, so we had a small brainstorming session. That was fun. And another one was doing a book report on The Hobbit, so I had a great time helping with that.”

“So it’s not just Harry Potter,” Seth said. “You’re a fantasy nerd through and through.”

“Speaking of Harry Potter…” I started.

Seth winced.

“I had hoped you wouldn’t bring that up,” he said.

“Still not finished reading?” I asked.

“Not even close,” he said mournfully. “There’s been so much stuff going on lately. I’m trying to fit in the time to read, but it’s hard, especially with so many books, and with them being so big to carry around. I don’t want the others asking why I’ve always got my face buried in a kids’ book.”

“Have you thought of getting an e-reader?” I asked. “You can load up all the books and carry it around in your pocket. No one will know what you’re reading.”

“That’s a brilliant idea,” Seth said. “Do you use one?”

“I'm more of a tactile person,” I said. “I like the feel of paper between my fingers. But if you don’t have any sort of nostalgia for that, an e-reader is the way to go.”

“I’ll have to go out and get one,” Seth said, and for the first time, he sounded excited about reading.

“Glad I could help.”

“So we’re still on for our tutoring sessions?” he asked hopefully.

“If you still want me to,” I replied.

“I do.” He nodded vigorously. “I’m going to pass this class or die trying.”

“I don’t think you need to go that far,” I said. “But I will make you work hard.”

“I’ll try to be a star student,” Seth said. “Got any good study tips? What did you do in high school to get such good grades?”

Go without friends, dating or any sort of social life whatsoever.

Probably not the most helpful answer.

“I put studying before everything else,” I said. “It had to be my number one priority.”

“Didn't you miss out on a lot?” Seth asked.

“I suppose,” I said. “But it got me where I am today.”

“I don’t know if I can dedicate that much of myself to anything other than music,” Seth said.

“You don’t have to go as far as I did,” I told him. “Just make studying an important part of your routine. Sneak in some reading when you’re brushing your teeth or read for a half an hour before you go to bed. It all adds up.”

“So you’re telling me I don’t have to give up the partying and the drinking?” he said.