- It's time to leave for school and Sal comes along with her favorite stuffed animals, a bunch of stuffed whales that she calls the Drop Sisters. Each has her own snazzy name: Gumdrop, Dewdrop, Raindrop, Lemondrop, and Snowdrop. Oh, and Sal carries them around in a pillowcase.
- With all these whales, Billy has quite the gang heading with him to school. We've got Papa, Sal, and the Drop Sisters, plus Ned and his mom. Go team.
- On the walk, we learn that Ned calls Billy's dad Papa just like Billy does, since apparently Ned thought that Papa was Mr. Miller's first name when they were young, and it just kind of stuck. The whole thing reminds Billy that maybe he should start calling his own father Dad like all the other kids. He sure doesn't want to stand out as the weirdo in second grade.
- When Billy and Ned get to school, they head into Room 2, and just like that, there's officially no avoiding second grade.