“I’ll make you some soup, honey,” she said, giving him a knowing smile. “But I think the real cure for you might be a nice, long nap.”
Max, feeling confident, lay back in bed, knowing he was free. But the moment his head hit the pillow, he heard something strange: his mom had placed his school backpack right next to his bed. It was a trap. She knew. She knew he was faking it.
“Max,” she said from the other room, “you can stay home today… but I’m giving you the hardest homework ever: cleaning the garage. And then, you’ll need to write an essay about how amazing school is.”
Max’s eyes widened. This was not the break he had planned.
“I think… I feel much better now,” Max said quickly, leaping out of bed and running towards the door. He grabbed his backpack and said, “On second thought, school sounds great today! I’ve got to go! Can’t miss the lessons. Homework? What homework? I love school!” He dashed out the door before his mom could catch him.