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There was silence, during which time Susan helped herself to a final swig of her smoothie. The cup empty, she set it back on the tabletop. Finally, she spoke. “To be perfectly frank, Charlotte cooled her friendship with Ruby because Ruby is a loudmouth who yells in her ear and won’t let her play with her other friends, and Charlotte couldn’t take it anymore.”

As chilling as Susan’s response to Karen’s confession had been, it barely registered compared to the criticism Susan had just voiced of her daughter. “Interesting reading of the situation,” Karen replied, “because Ruby’s version is that Charlotte lures in new friends, then turns on them to make herself feel important.” Ruby hadn’t actually said this, but no matter.

“Thank you for sharing that,” said Susan.

“My pleasure,” said Karen, unable to stop herself. “Oh, and for the record, I regret transferring my daughter to Mather. The computers may be nicer. And her old school may have had more troubled kids in the classroom. But at least the place wasn’t filled with stuck-up mean girls like your daughter.” Had she really said that?

“Well, then, it sounds like your family ought to transfer back to your old school as soon as possible,” said Susan, smiling tightly.

Karen knew she’d set herself up for it. But now that it had been said, it was clear to her that this was exactly what she intended. “I’m planning to do that very thing for the fall,” she told her.

“Neither you nor your daughter will be missed,” Susan declared as she walked away from the table.

“Same here!” Karen called after her. Though it was unclear whether Susan heard her or not. By then, the president of the Parent Teacher Association of Edward G. Mather Elementary was nearing the front door, her tote hooked snugly over her right shoulder.



As it happened, Ruby was at home for two full weeks recovering. By the time she was ready to return to third grade, there was less than a month left of school. But that was still almost thirty days, and Karen realized she couldn’t stomach even a single encounter with the Embroidered Tunic Moms. Surely Susan Bordwell had told all eight members of the Mather PTA executive board what Karen had done. Among Karen’s intimates, it was now only Matt—who was sleeping on the sofa until further notice—who didn’t know that part of the story. But she didn’t know how much longer she could stall.

When Matt got home from work one evening, Karen told him a version of the same tale she’d told Susan, admittedly playing up the redistribution angle. They were on opposite sides of the kitchen island. Matt had a bottle opener in hand and was busy prying off the top of a Corona Light. Ruby was in the other room doing the homework that, at Karen’s request, Ms. Millburn had e-mailed her. When Karen finished speaking, Matt was silent. Then he said, “So you’re telling me that, in addition to being a liar and a cheater, you’re also a thief.”

“If that’s how you want to put it,” mumbled Karen.

“If you’ve murdered someone too, now is the time to tell me,” said Matt.

“I’ve murdered no one.”

“Well, that’s something—I guess.”

“I was thinking that, maybe instead of sending Ruby back to Mather,” Karen went on, “she could start again at Betts. I’m not sure the administration even realizes she left.”

“Fine with me,” said Matt, shrugging. “But you better run it by Ruby.”

“I will,” she said.

And she did.

“Sweetie—there’s something I have to tell you,” Karen said as she was tucking in Ruby that night. “Daddy and I changed our minds and decided you’d get a better education at your old school.”

To Karen’s relief, Ruby seemed more perplexed than pissed. “I’m going back to Betts?” she asked, nose wrinkled.

“Yes,” said Karen.

“But why? I thought you said I’d get a better education at Mather.”

“I did,” said Karen, improvising, “but the truth is that I let fear steer us down a road we didn’t need to go down. But now we’re pointed in the right direction again.”

“But where were we going?” asked Ruby, her brow knit.

“That’s a very good question,” said Karen. “I haven’t quite figured that out myself. Until I do, I just want to say that I’m really proud of how you’ve handled everything. I know you haven’t had the easiest third grade.”

“Oh—thanks,” said Ruby, pausing as if she were trying to make sense of her mother’s words. But when she spoke again, it was on a new topic. “Well, I just hope that when Chahrazad sees my cast, she doesn’t try to write sexy on it,” she went on. “It’s her favorite word. That would be so embarrassing.”

“I agree, and I hope so too,” said Karen, thankful for Ruby’s digression.

If anyone at Betts should ask about Ruby’s absence, Karen had decided, she’d simply point to Ruby’s cast and say she’d had a bad accident. It wouldn’t even be a lie.

The only person whom Karen felt compelled to contact before Ruby reappeared in Room 303 was Lou. After Ruby was asleep, Karen called her on the phone. “It’s Karen,” she said.

“Oh—hey,” said Lou, neither warm nor cold.