Fixed Focus

"Hey! Look where you're going!" Ben said. His older brother was driving him to school and had let the car drift over the yellow line. Dakota quickly jerked the steering wheel to the right, and Ben drew a deep breath. "What if another car had been coming?" Ben asked.

"Sorry," Dakota said. "That was dumb. I know better than to mess with the radio when I'm driving."

"Yeah," Ben muttered. "From now on, please keep your eyes on the road!"

They drove in silence for a while. Then Dakota spoke. "Know what? What happened here fits in with what you were just telling me about the guys at school who've been picking on that new kid--Mason, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but how does your fumbling around with the radio have anything to do with that?" Ben asked.

"Well, you said those guys seem to expect you to join them, and if you don't, you're afraid they'll pick on you too. I think you're focusing on the wrong thing," Dakota explained. "That's kind of like me taking my eyes off of the road, don't you