I woke up with a big headache, and my head felt like it was burning. But I knew Jane was having a big party the weekend after this, and I knew she’d invite me if I saw her in school. So I was ready for school no matter how I felt.

My mother said that I had a temperature of 101 and that I should go back to bed. I told her I would have a big Spanish test I couldn’t miss. I also explained that I was working on a project in social studies and that I had to give a report today. But she said that I sounded not just sick, but crazy, and that I had better go back to bed.