Mrs. Bruen was dusting with a feather duster. As she went past me, she did this funny little dance, dusting behind her back, shaking the duster like a tambourine, using it as a microphone.

Sometimes Mrs. Bruen cracks me up.

I got up to go to my room. Halfway there, my stomach kind of clenched up.

Mrs. Bruen. What was going to happen to her?

Dad hired Mrs. Bruen because he's a slob (even he admits it). He didn't used to be so bad, but he got much worse after Mom left. Now Carol was moving in. Dad might be neater again. Carol's a good cleaner-upper herself.

We wouldn't need Mrs. Bruen anymore. Which means Dad would have to fire her.

Send her out into the street.

Ruin her whole life.

I would never see her again. And why? All because of Carol. Carol and her pukey furniture.

Why do men have to be married anyway? Dad and Mom used to fight all the time. Dad and Carol fight. It doesn't make sense. I mean, if you want to fight, you can just do it with your friends. Then you can go home and chill and not have to kiss and make up.

I tried not to think of this stuff. I started reading My Teacher Is an Alien, which was scary and funny. That got my mind off everything. But each time I heard Mrs. Bruen, I felt sad again.

Soon I saw Carol's red Miata pull up into the driveway. She and Dad got out, all smiley and laughing. A minute later I heard Mrs. Bruen greet them at the door. She sounded happy, too.

Little did she know she was going to be betrayed.

I heard the thumping of footsteps, then a knock at my door.

"Little pig, little pig, let me in!" Dad said.

Ugh. He has been doing that since I was a baby! Usually I try to rank on him. I say, "Use the chimney," or "I gave at the trough," or something else stupid.

This time I just said, "Yeah."

Dad turned the knob and came in. "Hey, buddy, you all right?"

"Yeah."