Clarence was teaching Stella how to park in the parking lot. We wanted a good seat so we scrambled up to sit on the cinder-block wall. “They’ll be here any minute,” I said. Foodland’s parking lot was about half full. There were lots of spaces Stella could pull into, and some were the kind you had to back into. “So what did Benny do after lunch?” Maya asked. Julio snorted. “Ate a scorpion.” Maya’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.” “Nope. We saw it.” “That’s just sick.” Willy elbowed me. “Here they come.” Clarence’s big, clean pink-and-black car bounced into the parking lot a little too fast. Stella was driving. Clarence sat in the passenger seat looking calm. How could he do that? Wasn’t he worried about his car? When Stella saw us sitting on the wall she hit the brakes. The car jerked to a stop. She stuck her head out the window. “What are you doing here? Go home! I don’t want you watching me.” “Free country,” I said. Stella narrowed her eyes.
