Why do I have to take math?
The answer the adults won't tell you is basically that you'll grow up stupid if you don't. Everything else is nice words phrased in a positive, supportive manner (adult talk), but that's really it. Or, in a competitive sense, the more the people around you get smarter, the dumber you get by comparison. You have to keep up.
The reason you have to take math is because math is a building block for a bunch of other stuff, both in school and in life. You need math to understand pretty much everything. If you can't count money, how do you know if you're getting the right change back when you buy something? If you don't understand interest rates, is the car dealer giving you a good or bad deal? If you don't understand averages and you're looking at swapping out a weapon in a video game, how do you know whether the new weapon is better or not? If you can't multiply, how do you know how many calories you're getting from that packet of crisps? (only x calories per serving, but 8 servings per bag)
The reason you have to take math is because it's a fundamental skill. It's not some weird skill that isn't very useful now (how to read morse code, how to read semaphores, etc.). It's a fundamental skill like walking or talking. That's how important math is.