Clearing His Mind

Laney Grey sits at the kitchen table trying to hammer algebra into Victor Ray's skull. Numbers fly past him like wild pitches. She traces an equation for the tenth time and he still blanks. Victor's on a scholarship, so one more bad test and the baseball team might drop him. When the words finally stop sticking, Laney calls a break. Vic rubs his temples and spills the real problem: stress. Pressure from coaches, classes, scouts—his head feels like a kicked beehive. Laney hates seeing him drown. A cookie break flashes through her mind, then something spicier. She slides her chair back, parts her legs, and lets the math textbook close on its own. Quiet sex upstairs is the quickest way to melt the knot in his chest. Her parent's TV drones downstairs, so they keep the moans soft. Victor finally gets a grip on something that doesn't come with numbers, and his brain clears right up.