WHEN LOOP GOT HOME, his mom said, “How did your audition go?”

“Fine.”

“Did you have fun?”

“I guess.”

She said, “Good. Now it’s time to get to work. I want you to read the first chapter of a book I left by your door.”

Loop saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am,” because his probation was more like a boot camp, even though in a real boot camp, soldiers did marching drills, push-ups, and obstacle courses. They fired guns and learned military strategy. They did not read books.

When he got to his room, he found a copy of Frankenstein propped against the door. At least his mom had respected the crime scene tape. Loop picked up the paperback and flipped through the pages. No pictures? Was she kidding? There were dozens of comic books about Frankenstein, but his mom got the version with no pictures.

He went to the kitchen, where she was chopping veggies for dinner. He waved the book in front of her face.

She said, “Oh, good. You found it. You’ve been drawing stitches on your body and painting your fingernails black.”

“So?”

“So it reminded me of Frankenstein. That’s why I want you to read that book.”

“I already know the story, Mom. There’s movies and everything.”

“And movies are never as good as books.”

He put Frankenstein on the counter. “But I only read comic books. I’ve told you a hundred times.”

She put down the knife, placed her hands on her hips, and gave him the don’t-talk-back-to-me look. “Is that right?”

“Absolutely.” She looked at him a bit longer, and he looked at her. She didn’t blink, and he didn’t blink. She was a stone, not even breathing. She just kept staring at him, not blinking, and Loop tried to do the same, but it took all his concentration. Soon he was fidgeting. Couldn’t help it. Over a minute had passed—a minute that felt longer than an hour. “Fine!” he said, giving in.

She picked up the knife again. “Since it doesn’t have any pictures,” she said over the sound of her chopping, “I want you to illustrate every chapter.”

“Are you kidding?”

“You’re the one who says you only read comic books. So turn this into a comic book.”

He opened his mouth, but then shut it before getting into deeper trouble. The best choice was to head back to his room. He’d give anything to be at the magic shop, where he wouldn’t have to think about books or his mom trying to teach him a lesson.

Loop removed the crime scene tape from his door and stepped in. He took off his shoes and dumped them in the corner. Then he plopped on his bed to read, but he fell asleep before the second page. He couldn’t tell how long he had slept before he heard knocking.

Loop sat up, shook himself awake, and used his horror-film voice. “Enter at your own risk.”

Rubén stepped in. “What’s up?”

Loop said, “Not much. Just reading this stupid book as part of my penance.”

“Hand it over. Let me see.” Loop gave it to him, and Rubén studied the cover. “I read this a long time ago. It’s a good book.”

Loop shrugged. “If you say so.”

Rubén stood there awhile, looking around the room like he’d never seen it before. Finally, he said, “So anything interesting happen today?”

Lots of interesting stuff happened, but no way was Loop telling Rubén. If that man could keep secrets about important stuff like I’m not your real father, then Loop could keep secrets about important stuff, too. So he said, “Just a normal day.”

“How about watching the game later?”

If their favorite team, the San Antonio Spurs, won tonight, they’d be in the finals. Loop said, “Maybe,” but he intentionally made the “maybe” sound like a “no.” He lifted the book. “Gotta read. Mom’s orders.”

“Okay,” Rubén said. He started to head out, but before leaving, he said, “Let me know if there’s anything you need.”

Loop remembered the magic contest. “Actually, I do need something.”

Rubén seemed happy to hear this. Loop had to take advantage, so he showed him the form from Mr. Garza and explained all about the contest, how he’d be really, really happy, and how he was bound to learn the value of hard work if he was going to get good enough to perform in front of a bunch of people. And besides, his friends were entering, too, and they needed him for their team.

“We’ll have to stay in Houston for a few days,” Loop explained.

Rubén said, “I like going to Houston.”

“So I can enter?”

“Of course. I’m going to check out the website and talk to Mr. Garza first, but I think it’s a great idea.”

Rubén was smiling, and Loop was smiling back. For a moment, he forgot the past few months. He almost hugged Rubén, but then he remembered. Rubén was not his dad, and no way was Loop hugging someone who wasn’t blood. Besides, he was still mad. You weren’t supposed to be nice to someone if you were mad, because then they’d think it was okay to hurt you. You had to be careful. You had to resist them. Or else they’d turn around and hurt you again.

Before it got too awkward, Loop picked up the book. “Better get back to reading,” he said.

Rubén nodded. Then he left, gently closing the door behind him. Soon, Loop could hear Rubén and his mom talking, but with his door closed, he didn’t know what they were saying.

He got back to the book. His eyes went over the words, but who knew what was happening. Something about a ship and the Arctic. Who cared? He was too busy imagining the contest and the moment when they announced that he and his friends had won. It had to be them. He’d already had a year of bad news, so something had to go right.

Something had to go right. But not today, because now his mom and Rubén were fighting, and their voices were loud enough for Loop to understand.

She said, “I can’t believe you gave him permission for that contest without talking to me first.”

And Rubén said, “What’s the problem? It’s going to be fun.”

She said, “But you’re spoiling him.”

And he said, “No, I’m not.”

And then she said, “You buy him everything he asks for. Ever since he found out, you’ve been trying to buy his love.”

Loop hated how they talked behind his back. Even his cousins, aunts, and uncles did this. And they all laughed at him. Of course they did, he thought, because I was a fool who couldn’t see the truth when it was staring me in the face. He hated this whole situation, the way his mom had done this sneaky transposition of fathers as easily as a magician trades cards in a trick. Loop didn’t even know his real dad’s name. His mom wouldn’t tell him. She just said, “I was stupid. I made a mistake.”

So, yeah, maybe Rubén was spoiling him, but Loop deserved to be spoiled after being humiliated in front of his whole family. Didn’t people go to court to sue for emotional distress? Well, Loop was more distressed than the stray, flea-bitten dogs yapping at the pound. Who could blame him for wanting to make his mom and Rubén pay?