The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Title: Math Tutoring

A/N: Hey y’all, my first little story. Enjoy and feel free to send feedback! :)

Kelly breathed a sigh of relief as she unlocked the apartment door. Her business 304 class was engaging, but took all her energy to follow, and since she’d forgotten to put her phone on the charger last night, Kelly couldn’t even listen to music on the bus ride home. Her back ached from the weight of the books and she was fed up with the bullshit amount of homework assigned—how could she read three chapters in a week if she had two essays due in her political science class? That didn’t even count her math homework…

Swearing, Kelly shouldered her bag onto the floor and plugged in her phone. At the very least, it could have some charge when she left. With all the work for class clouding her mind, Kelly had forgotten her tutoring lessons with her new math tutor. She glanced at the clock: 3:50. Only an hour to be there, not enough for a shower. Hopefully extra deodorant and some perfume would be enough—it was all she had time for.

The door to the bedroom opened. “Evening, princess.” Thomas said, confidently striding out in far too little clothing.

Kelly blushed slightly, though Thomas picked up on it right away. He stepped right up to her, toe to toe, his bare chest pressed against her. Thomas’s dark, broad shoulders drew her eyes for a brief second, until his midnight eyes caught hers. Come on, girl, we got stuff to do, don’t let him distract you.

With a gentle tug, Thomas wrapped his arms, skinny but defined, around her head in a pleasant embrace. He peppered her hair with kisses before giving her another tight squeeze. “I hope classes were alright today?” Thomas asked with a skeptical look.

“Fan-frickin’—tastic.” groaned Kelly, pressing her head into his chest. Had he just showered? He smelled amazing.

Thomas pulled back a little, concern on his face. He gave Kelly’s short curls a vigorous brush with his hand before taking her hand and pulling her gently towards their room. “Think I might have a ’lil pick-me-up for you.”

“I don’t know, love,” Kelly said, “I have a math tutoring sesh at the library at 5.”

He turned sharply. However, only sweet understanding came through in his tone. “Babe, you just got here and you been at campus all day. You seem like you’re going too hard.”

Kelly waved gently with her free hand. “Not the campus one, the public one down the road. It’s not far and it’s only for an hour.”

Thomas exhaled firmly, letting her hand go on the bed. He pulled over a small round chair, sitting square with Kelly. After fiddling in his pockets for a few seconds, Thomas went back to the kitchen. A moment later, he reappeared, a coin tied with a string in hand. “I-I-I worry bout you,” Thomas stammered, sitting once more, “and don’t want you overdoing yourself, or stuff.”

“This is another hypnosis attempt, huh? I told you, I don’t think I’m a very good subject.” Kelly said.

Thomas grinned his toothy grin, prompting her to laugh again. “But if I get you good, ain’t nobody who I won’t be able to hypnotize. I think this one got real merit, too; I even got this kickass lil’ guy.”

“This is what, attempt four?” Kelly made a show of counting on her fingers. “The candle in the moonlight, the incense- which, by the way, our room STILL smells like, the blindfold—”

“You gotta admit, that last one worked out pretty sweet though,” he interjected, “at least, that’s what our neighbors said day after.”

She thwacked him with a pillow. “Shut your dirty mouth!” Kelly cried, mock indignant. Thomas pushed the pillow aside, then pounced on her, pinning her to the bed. Her breath caught as his beautiful eyes stared down at her. With passion only Thomas could muster, his lips met hers. Immediately some tension in her body eased, and Kelly pressed against him. God, he knew how to drive her crazy. This hypnotism kick of his was endearing and she loved being his test subject, but Thomas never needed any help when it came to making her need him.

Unfortunately, he pulled away all too quick, his eyes still closed as he sat again. “With the coin, I think I could make some stress disappear, y’know? I been reading day in and day out trying to get this right and I think I got it right, babe.”

Breathing normally again, Kelly nodded. She repositioned on the bed, still able to see Thomas unobstructed but with her head on the pillow. “Alright, how you doing it this time?”

With a roll of his shoulders, Thomas climbed on top of her in bed. His knees straddled her stomach—her thighs were far too thick to straddle comfortably. 12 years of dance hardly disappeared overnight, even if she was quite out of practice. What time was it, anyways? Kelly had to get ready to go again, else she might miss the tutoring session. God, what a terrible way to make a first impression. Did she know where her math textbook was? What if the tutor cancelled on her? Hell, what was the tutor’s name again?

Thomas settling on her snapped Kelly back to reality. His weight felt comfortable on her stomach, and once again she relaxed a little. “I don’t think I gotta tell you to focus on the coin.” Thomas smirked, “but keep ya eyes on the bling, ’kay?”

Kelly snorted softly, but did as he said. She practiced the box breathing she’d learned in yoga, feeling her tense shoulders relax a little. 4 seconds, inhale. Thomas fiddled with the string and coin for a second, struggling to make a perfect arc. 4 seconds, wait. Finally, he got the arc right. Gently but firmly, Thomas scooted backwards a little while pushing Kelly upwards so that her head was propped up on the pillow. 4 seconds, exhale. This time, Thomas began swinging the coin with a perfect arc, the light in the middle pulsing with each period. 4 seconds, wait.

In a whisper, Thomas began speaking, though the coin continued to arc perfectly in time. To Kelly, the light no longer appeared to pulse but instead drew the coin’s arc in a U-shape. Her muscles relaxed further, until all she thought about was Thomas’s body on hers, his abs tugging at the edges of her vision. Come on, girl, keep it together. She focused more intently on the coin.

After a few minutes, Kelly exhaled. To be fair, she WAS more relaxed—just not hypnotized. Probably. Would she even know if she was? Doubt it, she thought. Her eyes drifted to the clock hanging on the wall, just over Thomas’s shoulder. 4:30.

“Shit!” Kelly shouted in surprise, in turn startling Thomas right off the bed. She winced as he hit the floor. “Sorry, sweetie. You okay?”

A muffled groan assured her that he was, in fact, okay. “I’m so sorry, babe. My tutoring session is in 30 minutes and I don’t even got time for showering. I did feel more relaxed, though. You’re getting there!”

Thomas rolled face-up, and his dejected look told Kelly that he did not feel particularly accomplished. He did look quite attractive in his playful, sexy way, lying there like a kicked puppy. Kelly made a note to ask for some more hypnosis later tonight. He’d find her especially willing.

Hastily emptying her backpack, then repacking it with her math notes and textbook, Kelly kneeled over to give Thomas a peck on the cheek. He took her face in his hand and gave her a more passionate kiss, guiding her lips to his. Kelly breathed him in, then swatted him away. “Do NOT make me horny before math! I need to pass this class, babe, not sit blank-eyed for ninety minutes.”

“I’d like that…” Kelly heard Thomas mumble as the apartment door shut behind her. She rolled her eyes, reflexively. He was so infuriating sometimes and Kelly loved him for it.

It was 4:56 when Kelly finally found the room she was supposed to meet her tutor at. Six minutes late. She grimaced. Not the best first impression. Even the time she’d made up by running from the bus had slipped away. Kelly had been all around the library, and yet somehow it still took her several minutes to find this room, out of the way as it was. She glanced around, not seeing anyone around. Was this even the right room? Maybe she wasn’t that late after all, or so Kelly hoped.

Kelly opened the door to the room hesitantly. Usually the library study rooms had windows, but this one seemed more like a supply closet. At least it would be out of the way. Inside, the room was cramped, barely containing the two wooden chairs and the cheap-looking table. At the chair across from the door sat… Sam?

Her supposed tutor had electric blue hair and a hoodie, both feet propped up on the table. Kelly almost wondered if the person was also here to be tutored; surely they couldn’t be the math tutor. The blue-haired delinquent flashed Kelly a wide grin. “Kelly, yeah? For the tutoring and what-not?”

Kelly’s doubts subsided, though they did not entirely disappear. “Sam, right? Yeah, I’m Kelly. Nice to meet you.”

“Sammy,” they corrected, “is what I prefer, thanks. A pleasure. I’m no fan of chit-chat and I’m sure you want your money’s worth, so let’s dive in.”

Kelly nodded, a little bothered by her tutor’s directness. She had hoped for someone she could befriend, especially if she planned on seeing this person 3 hours a week until god knows when. Well, maybe it was for the best: this way, Kelly would have no choice but to study. Pulling out a chair and working her way into the tight space, she pulled out her math notes under the tutor’s watchful eye.

“Did you watch the review videos I sent you?” Sammy asked, rocking in their chair.

Wracking her brain, Kelly tried to remember if she had or not. The review videos sounded familiar, but she couldn’t recall anything specific from them. “Yes, but they’re kinda fuzzy,” she replied truthfully.

Sammy smiled again, this time a lopsided grin, and… was that a sneer? “Good, good. That should make this first bit easier then. I do have some ground rules, though, before we get started.”

First bit? Kelly wondered. “What kind of rules?” she asked.

“One, don’t interrupt me. I hate repeating myself. If you have a question, raise your hand.”

Kelly bit her lip. She was liking this new tutor less and less. After all, Kelly was not a kindergarten student. Raising her hand was stupid and she resented being told what to do. Even so, she already paid for this session, and she’d be damned if she didn’t get her money’s worth out of it. “Okay,” Kelly nodded.

“Two, don’t argue with me. I wouldn’t be a math tutor if I made mistakes. What I say is right, and you’ll just have to trust me on that.”

Kelly nodded again, even more distrusting. How arrogant could one person be? Sammy stood up and walked over to Kelly, standing over her shoulder.

“Alright, let’s get started then.”

They began with quadratic functions, which Kelly hated—not that there was math Kelly didn’t hate. Sam—Sammy, Kelly thought, not Sam—seemed more than happy to be there. Before Kelly even finished flipping to a blank page, Sammy was off.

“First thing to know about quadratics is that they’re not too bad, long as you can keep your quadratic formula and a-squared plus bx plus c notation all together in your head. I’ve already got a few example problems set out, but we’ll begin with a brief history of quadratic functions. In order to get there, though—”

“Woah! I don’t need an entire-OW!” Kelly’s interruption was cut off by the sharp slap of a meter stick against the table. She had no clue where Sammy had procured THAT instrument.

“First. Rule.” Sammy said, speaking through a forced smile, “No interruptions.”

Kelly flushed with anger. Before she could retort, Sammy was talking again, faster than before. Her indignance faded to confusion. Sammy seemed entirely unaware of their faux pas. Kelly was unsure for a moment, then proceeded to start jotting down notes.

Time went on, faster than Kelly had expected. Sammy’s lecturing was nearly impossible to keep up with; Kelly had given up on note-taking after a few futile minutes. Kelly tried to keep her focus on the topics Sammy brought up. That too, was a struggle—Sammy had a surprisingly pleasant voice.

Kelly’s efforts were in vain. After a long day of classes, and now having to sit through Sammy’s long-winded teaching, Kelly couldn’t help but become more and more distracted. If not for Sammy, she could fall right asleep.

She began to daydream of a restful nap in one of the library’s study rooms. Math wasn’t all that important, right? Sammy’s voice felt more and more distant, and Kelly felt ever drowsier. Even so, sleep felt impossibly far. Instead, Kelly just felt more and more exhaustion sweep over her. The gentle tap of the meter stick was so soothing, so rhythmic. Each thought was honey-covered. Her mind crawled along, barely aware.

“So!” Sammy emphasized with a slap of the meter stick against the table, “let’s begin the practice problems!”

The thwack of the meter stick jolted Kelly out of her little daydream. She hadn’t actually been asleep, or so she hoped. There was good money Kelly couldn’t afford to waste on this tutor; she needed to make the best of it.

Sammy came back around, sitting on the armrest of Kelly’s chair. “You caught all that, yeah? I don’t see any notes.”

Embarrassed, Kelly nodded. With some luck, she could improvise—not that she had much luck.

“Perfect, kiddo. Here’s the first one. Just use the methods I gave ya, and it should be a cinch, okay?”

Kelly looked at the problem before her, helpless. Not knowing where to start, she just started writing, if only to look productive.

After a second Sammy clicked their tongue. “I’m glad you were paying some attention, but your work is distracted. Let me guide you. Trust me, I’ll help you understand what to do.”

Kelly nodded, still rather drowsy. She had come to Sammy for guidance.

Sammy placed a hand on Kelly’s shoulder, firm, and leaned down next to her ear. “Whenever you start a math problem, Kelly, the first question is: what do you want?”

It was distracting, Sammy’s hand on her shoulder, but Kelly tried to focus on the question. What did she want? “I want… um, I want to solve the problem, right?”

She shook her head, the fog her in mind clearing a little. Why was she so tired?

“Not a bad guess, darling, not at all. Still, though, not right either.”

The hand began to tap lightly on Kelly’s shoulder. Kelly almost gasped—Sammy’s touch sent shivers down her spine. “Focus, Kelly, focus on me.”

Kelly tried to look up at Sammy, but they quickly pressed her head back down. “Focus on my voice. Look at the problem. Tell me what you want.”

Sammy’s voice was only barely a whisper, yet Kelly felt it fill the tiny room. She didn’t know what she wanted. She racked her brain for an answer. It felt as though it were filled with cobwebs, empty save for Sammy’s voice. “The square?” Kelly said meekly.

“Yes, that is what we want, Kelly.” Sammy purred. Kelly’s blush returned, though not in anger this time. Somehow, she’d managed to get the answer right. The praise eased Kelly’s worries. Sammy was a good math tutor and Kelly wanted more of their approval.

The hand was now tapping a steady rhythm. A small part of Kelly’s brain recognized the rhythm of the meter stick. However, most of Kelly’s attention stayed on the page and Sammy’s voice. “Now, Kelly. You want the screw. The screw of what?”

Suddenly, Kelly felt as if she knew. “The screw of i.”

“Very good, Kelly! You’re great at this. You might not even need a tutor.” Sammy said, their voice resonating in Kelly’s head.

Kelly paused. She’d been wondering about the screw of i—wasn’t it the square of a? If Sammy said it was right, though, Kelly wasn’t about to argue. After all, Sammy was always right. The thought of not needing a tutor was very worrying, though, for reasons Kelly didn’t understand. “No, Sammy!” Kelly cried, far more desperate than she intended.

She took a moment to collect herself, then continued. “I mean, Sammy, I do still need more tutoring! I barely understand anything so far. But your explanations just make so much sense and…”

Trailing off, Kelly tried to actually remember any of the explanations. Something was very off.

“No worries, doll. We’re making great progress; you’ll understand this in no time.”

Sammy’s hand began firmly massaging Kelly’s shoulder. Her whole body shuddered in anticipation. Tommy had gotten her so very horny, and all this touching was not helping. At the same time, Kelly’s head was spinning. Hard as she tried, Kelly couldn’t keep writing. “Tell me what to do next. Please.”

She hadn’t meant to sound so whiny, but her mind was cotton. With every press of Sammy’s hand, Kelly let out a little groan. Sammy remained silent. “Pleaseeeee, Sammy, please. Tell me what to do.” Kelly begged.

“All you need to do, doll, is say what you want. What do you need?”

“I need to do what you say, I need to follow your guidance, I need to listen to you.” Kelly said breathlessly.

“Very good. Now, to solve this problem, you may think you need a-squared, but in fact you need 2b-screwed.”

Kelly moaned. The problem made sense now, with Sammy’s direction. In order to solve the problem, she needed to be screwed. “Yes, Sammy. I need to be screwed.” Kelly repeated, her mind focused solely on the wetness emanating from her jeans.

For a moment, though, Kelly scrunched her eyebrows. “How do I find ‘to be screwed’”?

Sammy rolled their eyes, not that Kelly could appreciate the gesture. Without breaking its rhythm, Sammy’s hand made its way between Kelly’s legs. Kelly gasped, bit her lip and moaned loudly. “Doll,” Sammy commanded, “undo your jeans, wouldja?”

“Yes Sammy,” Kelly smiled, eager. Her pussy was so wet now, from all the focusing. Kelly did what Sammy told her to do. Doing what she was told made her horny, but that was just what made Sammy a good math tutor. Following Sammy’s guidance earned her praise, praise that was now throbbing in her clit; what kind of bliss would obeying Sammy bring?

Though her jeans were unbuckled, Sammy’s hand stayed where it was, gently teasing Kelly through the thick denim. At this point, Kelly’s breathing was heavy and erratic. She had such a good tutor. Better, probably, than any other tutor. She was so lucky to have Sammy. Their lips brushed against Kelly’s ear, and Kelly let out a desperate whimper. “Beg. Tell me what you need.”

“I need to be screwed. I need to be screwed. I need to be screwed.” Kelly whined quietly, her hips grinding against Sammy’s hand.

“What do we do to be screwed?” Sammy whispered, fueling Kelly’s desperate lust.

“Listen to Sammy. Obey Sammy. Never question SaAaAAMMY!” Her last words dissolved into a moan as Sammy finally shoved their way into Kelly’s jeans. Their hand found her clit in a heartbeat and Kelly’s head rolled back involuntarily. Sammy’s hand moved in perfect little circles, around and around.

“I’m so glad my student is such a good listener,” Sammy’s tongue caressed Kelly’s neck, “and you listened so well to my lecture too!”

At last, Kelly remembered Sammy’s lecture. She had been paying such good attention, even though she’d doubted herself. After all, she had to be a good student for her tutor. Good students obeyed. Every throb of her clit emptied Kelly’s head a little more. She needed Sammy so bad. She needed to be screwed.

“Good sluts turn their brain off when teacher speaks.”

Kelly could only focus on how horny she felt and how perfect Sammy was. Sammy had such nimble fingers, and Kelly could already imagine those fingers entering her sopping pussy, filling her insides, fucking her to orgasm.

“Good sluts listen and obey their teacher.”

Every time Sammy spoke, Kelly’s body coursed with pleasure. She let out low moans in time with Sammy’s perfect strokes. Kelly wanted to—no, NEEDED to—be told what to do.

“Good sluts feel pleasure when they obey teacher. You’re going to obey.” Sammy posed it as a command more than a question, but Kelly answered anyways.

“Yes! Yes! I obey teacher! I’m a good slut for teacher!” she cried, desperate.

“Lose the shirt and bra, slut.” Sammy ordered.

Sammy’s hand remained between her legs, but Kelly did her best to remove her top as fast as possible. As soon as her bra hit the floor, a wave of pleasure washed over Kelly once more. Her nipples were already erect, but her tits needed more. Sammy gave them a pinch with their free hand and Kelly moaned again as her tits bounced.

“You have some big tits here. Every time your nipples are touched, the pleasure between your legs will double.” Kelly eagerly kneaded her chest and was rewarded with an almost immediate orgasm.

“SammySammySammy YEEEEEEEEES!” she panted. Kelly’s breasts bounced, almost hypnotically. Their swaying was all Kelly could focus on, their rhythm in perfect sync with Sammy’s clit fucking. Every few sways, Sammy gave her nipples another yank, and Kelly moaned at Sammy’s roughness.

“Good sluts can cum as many times as teacher says, whenever teacher says.”

Kelly’s orgasm brought her no relief. If anything, she needed to be fucked more than ever, to do whatever teacher commanded, if only to orgasm again. Sammy’s hand moved, without pausing, from circling her clit to penetrating her waiting pussy. “Oh yes oh yes I wanna cum again.” Kelly cried, fucking herself on Sammy’s fingers harder than she’d ever been fucked before. Her hips were beyond control; she just wanted more of the pleasure.

“Cum for me.”

Kelly came again, and the rest of her willpower leaked out between her legs. She belonged to Sammy. Obeying Sammy felt so good. Being owned by her teacher felt so right.

She didn’t expect it, so when Sammy thrust the dildo into her, Kelly gasped in shock. The sudden blast of pleasure as her sopping wet pussy was filled pushed her over again, and she climaxed, spasming around the dildo inside of her.

Sammy turned and sat in Kelly’s lap. Kelly, for a brief moment, was distracted by Sammy’s round ass in their tight jeans. She wanted the pants out of the way, and free access to worship teacher’s ass. Sammy wiggled in Kelly’s lap, and all Kelly could do was watch Sammy’s ass bounce as she was once again penetrated with the dildo. Kelly gave herself to the pleasure. The dildo came in and out of her in perfect concert with Sammy’s bouncing.

“Like what you see?” Sammy asked seductively, pressing their perfect butt against Kelly, “Each time my ass jiggles, feel the dildo in your own ass, doll.”

Kelly gasped and her eyes rolled back. She enjoyed anal play, but nothing could have prepared her for the sensation of being double fucked so perfectly. Sammy’s delicious ass bounced down, and the phantom dildo in her ass went up, right on time with the dildo in her pussy. She was fuller than she’d ever been before. “Mhm, yes, teacher! Fuck my brains out! Thank you for filling this slut’s ass like I deserve!”

Her tits bounced freely, and with nothing else for her hands to do, Kelly gripped her breasts, panting and sweating. As soon as her hands reached her chest, the pleasure in her ass and pussy intensified several times over. She gripped and squeezed her nipples as Sammy bounced away, fucking Kelly’s tight ass with each perfect jiggle of their ass. The sound of her sopping wet pussy pounding mixed with her moans in a pleasure-ridden harmony. Kelly’s third orgasm was imminent.

“My perfect little slut. You’re learning so well. What have we learned today?” Sammy said, the pace of the dildo slowing.

Kelly smiled, eyes glassy, her brain empty of any useless information. All that remained was what teacher taught—and the rewards for being a good little slut for teacher.

“No interruptions! Not even thoughts!” she beamed, panting.

“Good job. Cum.” Sammy thrust the dildo deep into Kelly. They repositioned onto the floor, in between Kelly’s legs, which were now soaked in Kelly’s juices. The dildo found its way to Kelly’s clit, making slow, tantalizing circles that drove Kelly mad. Even after cumming three times, she just needed more.

“Always focus on Sammy! Always obey Sammy!”

Sammy surprised Kelly by plunging the dildo straight into Kelly’s ass. It was well-lubricated by her pussy, but having her tight hole truly, actually filled was amazing. “Cum,” Sammy said, “and continue.”

Through her moan, Kelly went on, pounding up and down on the dildo fucking her ass. “I need to be screwed! I need a tutor to screw me!”

“Cum! Ain’t you a smart little doll? And lastly?”

Sammy’s fingers now fucked Kelly’s pussy vigorously while their thumb played with Kelly clit. After Sammy’s last command, Kelly’s body felt locked in a constant orgasm. Every time the dildo thrust in her ass, her pussy blossomed in pleasure; each time Sammy thumbed her clit, the dildo made its imprint in her ass. Even her breasts felt divine, bouncing wildly as Kelly was fucked, as if Sammy’s hands still groped her. It was all Kelly could do to stay in the chair as her body writhed in pleasure. Fortunately, her broken mind knew the answer, even if she could barely muster the strength to give it.

“My body belongs to Sammy! Sammy is my only tutor! I am always ready to be a good little slut for Sammy!” Kelly cried out, needing release even as her orgasm pulsed through her.

Sammy smiled. “You’re such a good student AND such a good slut! Get yourself ready, mkay?”

Kelly braced for the command, needing to cum again. Instead, Sammy pulled the dildo out of her ass and the fingers out of her pussy. Suddenly, Kelly felt so very empty but found herself unable to move, unable to release any of the pressure. She looked hungrily at Sammy, waiting for teacher to give her the release she craved. When whole seconds had gone by—eternities to Kelly’s lusty body—Kelly finally asked, “Prepare for—”

Sammy cut her off. “Braingasm.”

Kelly looked around, wondering if she’d been asleep. It didn’t seem like it—she had a whole page of solved problems in front of her, and Sammy was still standing over her shoulder. It felt a little bit hot in the small study room… was that sweat trailing down her back? With a small glance, Kelly managed to see the time in the corner of the room. 6:38.

“Oh god, I didn’t know it was so late already!” she cried, realizing it was a whole 38 minutes past the end of the tutoring session. Kelly could sort of remember working on problems with Sammy, but nothing stood out in her mind as something that would distract her so thoroughly. Had she really let time get away from her that easily, or was Sammy just that good of a tutor?

“No worries, doll, I won’t even charge ya extra. I look forward to seeing you next time, how bout?” Sammy purred, calmly taking the seat Kelly had vacated to pack her stuff up.

At ‘doll’, a wave of pleasure coursed through Kelly. She let out a small moan, then glanced at Sammy. They stared at her with a conspiratory smile. Kelly blushed, aroused that Sammy had caught her little pleasure. Had she really only JUST noticed how attractive her tutor was?

“Yeah, Sammy, I’ll see you next week, same place and time.” Kelly said, strapping on her back. “I really can’t thank you enough, I’ve been struggling like crazy in math.”

Sammy’s smile only grew. “No, you really can’t thank me enough. Just tell me how your test goes this week, okay?”

Kelly made it all the way to the bus stop before she realized that she hadn’t mentioned her test to Sammy. Maybe she’d just forgotten, or something—exhaustion weighed her down worse than most days. Even so, Kelly found herself rubbing between her legs as she thought about the next session. All of a sudden, math tutoring didn’t sound so bad.