Chapter 34

My dad always dropped me off at school on his way to work, and my mom picked me up. It was nice that she worked at home, or whatever the proper phrasing was these days, so that I didn’t have to walk or ride the bus. I felt like it was the next best thing to having my own driver’s license, which I wouldn’t get until after all of my friends were driving, thanks to my late birthday. Still, that would be next year. For now, I was content to be sitting in my mother’s minivan so long as she didn’t play any embarrassing music too loudly.

I didn’t say much of anything on the way home, only answered my mom’s usual questions like, “Did you have a nice day?” and, “What did you eat for lunch?” I did not mention Dr. Joplin, nor did I ask about Dr. Sanderson.

Turns out I didn’t need to. As we approached the house, I saw a rider-less motorcycle parked out front. It seems my mother had no problem letting this stra