Sam felt a lot less confident about his new work detail when it came time to explain it to his family.

“It’s throwing your life away,” Mom said as she reviewed their homework assignments before they headed to school the next morning. “Try this problem again, Kali.”

“It’s fine,” Kali said. “The teacher just wants us to try them. She goes over the right answers in class.”

“It’s not fine,” Mom said. “You know you’re supposed to have Sam check your work and explain things you don’t understand.”

“Yeah, well, if he weren’t off messing around with Eleanor Mackey and getting his hair all shaved off, maybe I could have.”

Mom jerked her head up from her tablet. “What’s thi...

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