Backstage of Adventures in squirt-land

Miss Teacher said no punishment if homework slips, but here she is, shifting on her heels with that smirk that always means trouble. Her tone hardens. I feel small, exposed. She says today we study geography—Squirtland, she calls it—and I have no idea what that means, only that my stomach knots and my skin already feels too warm. I promise myself I’ll take whatever comes, do anything, as long as she’s pleased.