Palmer views the weeks after his ninth birthday as moving “like a parade” (33). The other boys in town always stop Palmer on the street to look at his Treatment bruise. He feels like a celebrity. But he realizes that Dorothy never asks to see his bruise, and in fact, she doesn’t talk to him anymore at all. Even though he pretends he doesn’t like her, her absence in his life bothers him. He goes to her house to show her his bruise, but she doesn’t care. She sarcastically says, “Thanks for inviting me to your party” (35). She’s clearly upset because he’s always invited her to his birthday parties. But he says he only invited boys this year.

The other boys make fun of Dorothy in the coming weeks, and Palmer doesn’t intervene. Dorothy doesn’t flinch when the boys mess with her, and Palmer wonders, “What kind of girl is this?” (36). Palmer’s initial elation eventually fades as he realizes that it’s time for Family Fest.

Palmer has always felt conflicted about Family Fest—the week-long festival culminating in a pigeon shooting contest. Palmer enjoys the rides and fried foods, but he loathes the pigeon shooting. He thinks back to when he first witnessed a pigeon being wounded during the shootout.