Dear Daniel,
As you would imagine, i think that out of all the letters you get today, mine would probably be the most difficult to advice on. I'm just a typical teenager, i have friends, i dont study much, i havent done anything out of the ordinary, so please tell me why i have to face so many troublesome roadblocks in my life?
See, i have this friend, Z, and i've known her for 3 years now, and as long as i could remember, i had always helped her out with her tuition homework. At first it was nothing much, just a small cloze passage which would usually only take 5 minutes or so to complete. But then as i got to know her better, i realised that the amount of work she was asking me for help with gradually increased. From that one cloze passage to sometimes even an entire essay, piled up with more vocabulary/grammar exercises. I now find that i am doing more of her work than even she herself is doing on her own. I am not 'helping' her anymore, instead 'doing' her work for her.
Occasionally she would bring some food or sweets to 'reward' me for doing her work, and i didnt really mind if she didnt because she was my friend and i didnt really mind doing all that work. But for the past year i've hidden the fact that i actually really am against doing her work.
Sometimes if i refuse to do it for her, she would get upset and ignore me, sometimes even for a week until i eventually comply, not wanting to feel guilty about it.
The starting of this year, her best friend left school, leaving her (almost) alone. She started sticking to me, following me during lunch breaks, whenever school begins and school ends. I could no longer spend any time with my own friends because she kept pulling me away and every time i wanted to go to them, she would just give me the upset look and walk away, leaving me feeling guilty again.
This has gone on for a month now, and frankly, i am starting to get tired of it. It's like she expects me to be at her beck and call 24-hours a day. If she hasnt done her homework, she would ask me to do it for her and give some excuse like "I went home late last night and was so tired" This happened not to long ago. Honestly though, i stay up until 2am just trying to finish my homework and when i get to school, the first thing she asks me is to do her homework for her. I am just as tired as her but even I will deprive myself of sleep just to get my work done. What does she do all day? Watch TV, go online, and sleep, not even sparing a thought for homework until the very next day where she expects other people to do it for her.
I am really tired of this. I cant help her with her work anymore because for one it seems more like I am doing it for here more than helping her to do it. And isnt it enough that I have to deal with my own homework?
Now she is in one of her ignoring moods again, and this one will probably last long. It wont take long, though, until she asks for my help again. Please help me, Daniel. I really dont know what else to do.