David sat on the fainting couch wearing a frustrated expression. History had to be the worst subject ever! Try as he might, he'd never understand it; all of the confusing

dates and details that were required to obtain an above-average grade. How he normally managed to maintain straight A's, even in his worst subject, was baffling. But

he was certain that some of his intelligence had been inherited from his dad.

Other kids had fathers who were mechanics, lawyers and even computer programmers. But David's dad was a doctor-a psychiatrist, just like his Uncle Frasier and his

Grandma Hester (who died long before he was born but whom he felt like he knew just by all of the stories he had been told throughout his life). And that, in his

opinion, was the coolest job of all. Aside from having a really cool job, his dad was smart… really smart. His dad knew things that no one else knew and whenever

David had a question about anything at all, his dad could answer it, no matter how hard the question seemed.

Of course his mom was smart, too. She knew all about physical therapy, which is what she did, helping his grandpa's hip get better and helping other people too. But

she also knew about England. That knowledge came in handy when he was given a Geography assignment to research a foreign country. David had never been to

England, where his mom was born and where she used to live with his grandparents and his eight uncles (all of whom he rarely saw), but after learning so much about

England, he really wanted to go there.

Someday. His mom said, as she usually did when he brought up the subject. Someday.

With a sigh he tried again to concentrate on his History book. He was supposed to read Chapter Fourteen, but when he started reading, the words confused him. And

the fact that something like what he was reading could really happen… well, it had to be a mistake. Surely it belonged in another book… something other than History.

The pictures that went along with it were very different from any of the other pictures in the book, and that's what confused him the most. They looked like pictures

from a blockbuster action movie than something from real life. It just wasn't possible.

He wished that his dad were home so that he could ask him exactly what these words and pictures were supposed to mean. But it was still early. David had just

gotten home from school a little over an hour ago and his dad usually got home much later, as his mom was making dinner. So for the time being he was on his own.

He wasn't sure if his mom knew much about History anyway, given the fact that she was from England and probably didn't have to learn all of that stuff. He wished he

didn't have to learn it. But he was determined to try anyway. However, even after he read the words again and again he was starting to become even more frustrated,

until he felt like throwing the book across the room. But he would get in a huge amount of trouble for that little gesture.

There was only one thing that he could do, and that was to ask his mom for help. It was worth a try. He took a deep breath and put his hands around his mouth to

amplify his voice. "MOOOOOMMMM! MOM, COME HERE! NOW! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!"

Seconds later he heard footsteps racing down the stairs and then his mom was standing at the bottom, wearing the angriest expression he'd ever seen.

Uh oh…