Charlie misses the bus and decides not to call his mother to give him a ride. Instead, he chooses to skip school for the first time ever so that he will not have to interact with anyone or pretend things are normal. He describes what his interactions with Skinny and another friend, CJ, might be like. CJ would probably talk about science, while Skinny would sing Michael Jackson and try to get Charlie to debate who the best basketball player is.

Charlie decides to leave the house, passing by an old house on his block where “Old Lady Wilson” lives (27). He notes that she always has a box of empty glass bottles on her porch and describes her as a local pariah: She has numerous cats and is rumored to sit on her couch with a shotgun in case any young people step onto her land. He runs past her house in fear.

While skipping school, Charlie goes to an old arcade, “Flipper McGhees,” in a shopping mall. He used to play Pac-Man here with his dad.