Calvin asks Hobbes for help with homework. He asks what 6 + 3 is. Hobbes calls the answer "Y", as in why do I care. He says "Y" might be a square number, so he draws a square. He makes one side 6, the other 3. Then, he measures the diagonal. Calvin doesn't remember the teacher explaining it like that. Hobbes suggests she might not know higher math. Calvin says the diagonal is just a little under 2. Hobbes offers to draw the square bigger.

Mom tells Calvin he can't read comic books until he's finished his homework. Calvin says he is finished. Mom asks if he did a good job, since it didn't take very long. Calvin tells her that when you're as far ahead of the class as he is, it doesn't take long. Mom says she'll see about that when she gets back from her parent-teacher conference with Miss Wormwood. Shocked, Calvin says she doesn't need to bother going. He says Miss Wormwood said he was so good, she didn't have to go.

Calvin is horrified that Mom is going to the parent-teacher conference. He figures he's as good as dead, and that Miss Wormwood will tell Mom all sorts of horror stories about him. Hobbes asks about the horror stories. Calvin says it's all a question of perspective, but he thinks he should be allowed to have a lawyer present at the meeting. Hobbes asks what he's going to say when Mom gets back. Calvin says nothing. He pulls out a suitcase and tells Hobbes he's crazy if he thinks Calvin is even going to be there when she returns.

Dad asks Mom how the meeting went with Calvin's teacher. Mom saw that all the kids had drawn self-portraits in art class. The pictures were left on their desks so parents would recognize their child's seat. Dad asks if Mom found Calvin's picture. She says she saw one picture with a green kid with fangs, six eyes, and a finger up his nose. She says the meeting went downhill from there.

Mom opens Calvin's bedroom door. He is startled and says he didn't finish packing. He says everything Miss Wormwood said about him is a lie. He says she hates little boys. Calvin asks if she told her about the noodles. He says it wasn't him. No one saw him. He was framed. Mom asks what noodles. Calvin says she must have heard wrong, he didn't say noodles.

Dad wants to check over Calvin's math homework. Calvin doesn't want to. Dad says his teacher said he needed to spend more time on it. Calvin complains he's already spent ten whole minutes on it. Dad sees an answer Calvin wrote, 8 + 4 = 7. Dad says Calvin knows that's not right. Calvin says he was off a bit, sue him. Dad says you can't add things and come out with less than you started with. Calvin protests that he can do that, it's a free country and he has his rights.

Dad tries to explain that when you add something, you increase what you have. Calvin says he doesn't want to learn this. It's irrelevant to his life. Dad says everyone needs to know this. Calvin insists he doesn't. He can get along without math. Dad asks what he wants to be when he grows up. Every job requires some math. Calvin says he's going to be a caveman. Dad counters that isn't really a job.

Dad tries to show Calvin. He has eight pennies and asks for four more. Calvin tells him he's the one with the steady paycheck. Dad tells him to give him four pennies and asks how much he has now. Calvin asks about investments and all. Dad only cares about the money on the table. Calvin replies eight cents. Dad tells him eight plus four is twelve. Calvin protests those four pennies are his.

Mom asks how the math lesson is going. Dad thinks pretty well. Dad explains that he took pennies and showed how adding or subtracting them changed how much money he had. Mom hopes Calvin will do better in class now. Dad thinks he will. He says Calvin was having fun with it by the end. Calvin tells Hobbes to give him another five cents and they'll see what he has.

Smiling at his desk, Calvin feels he knows math cold. He hopes the teacher calls on him. He hopes he gets to do a problem at the board. He'll impress everyone. Miss Wormwood hands Susie some papers and asks her to take one and pass the rest down. She asks what it is. Miss Wormwood says it's a math quiz. Enthused, Calvin says "Hot dog".

Susie warns Calvin not to try to copy her answers. Calvin replies that he'll probably get a better score than she will. Calvin bets her 25 cents. Calvin suggests she give him the quarter now to avoid the humiliation later. Susie suggests they raise the wager. Calvin offers to double the bet, to 35 cents.

Calvin is excited that not only will he ace the quiz, he'll win a quarter from Susie when he gets a better score. He reads the first problem, 6 + 5 =. He thinks about it. Spaceman Spiff approaches the sixth planet of the Mysterio system.

Spiff commands the red spacecraft breaking through the clouds of Planet 6. He reflects on his unusual mission, to somehow crash Planets 6 and 5 together.

Spaceman Spiff drops an anchor onto the Planet 6 surface. Spiff downshifts and guns the motor. The planet slowly moves, towed by our hero. It breaks orbit and speeds toward Planet 5.

Planet 6 is about to collide with Planet 5. Our hero cuts loose the anchor and flies to safety. The planets grind and shatter with awful force. Planet 5, being smaller, is crunched to dust. Only Planet 6 remains. Calvin answers the problem....6 + 5 = 6. The teacher calls time. Calvin is horrified. He's only answered the first problem.

Calvin wonders how time can be up. He hurriedly writes random numbers on the paper. He hopes for some to be right by sheer luck. Calvin hands in the paper. Susie reminds him they have a bet on who has the higher grade. Calvin says the bet's off, he doesn't gamble.

Susie got a perfect score on the quiz. Susie asks Calvin if he missed any. Calvin complains he would have gotten a perfect paper if he had a few more minutes. Calvin says it's biological. Girls mature faster than boys. He says she got a better grade because she's a girl. Susie tells Calvin to pay up. Calvin offers that maybe it's opposite day. Maybe all his X's mean those are correct. Maybe Susie's "A" is really an "F". Calvin says he wins the bet.

Hobbes asks Calvin how he did on his math quiz. Calvin tells him he flunked it, but only because he ran out of time. He says the worst part was that Susie won their bet on who'd get the better score. He had to pay her 25 cents. Calvin laughs that he cheated her, though. He only gave her three dimes. Hobbes says Calvin better study harder. Calvin tells Hobbes not to start on him.