But Mom,” whined Erica over breakfast, “I don’t see why Spencer gets a ride to school while the rest of us have to take the bus.” “It’s about last night,” Holly guessed. “What Spencer did at the ice cream social.” Spencer stared at his soggy frosted flakes and tried to pretend that he wasn’t in the room. His sister’s words were painfully true. Mom was taking him to see the principal. “We’ve got to go now or I’ll be late for work,” Alice said. It was, after all, her first day at Quick ’n’ Speedy. “Just dump your cereal in the sink. I’ll be waiting in the car.” Spencer climbed into the station wagon and tossed his backpack next to the car seat behind him. Max had already been dropped off at the day care, and all that was left of him were a few fragments of Cheerios on the seat. They drove in silence. Spencer thought his mother seemed like a force to be reckoned with.
