Rebound

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.

After Charlie has played video games for a while, Skinny arrives and warns Charlie that the truant officers are coming for him; the boys run.

Charlie reflects on his friendship with Skinny, who is good at roller skating but unskilled at basketball despite a big ego. Skinny, Charlie, and CJ started calling themselves the “Three Amigos” at age 10. Skinny lives in the basement of his aunt’s house with his mother, as his father is unhoused and living with PTSD after serving in Vietnam.

Charlie and Skinny talk once they have escaped the police. Skinny asks if Charlie is skipping school, which he confirms. Skinny has taken his cousin’s sneakers, and Charlie lies to Skinny, telling him his mother said she would buy him the same kind (Jordans): Then they can both be like Michael Jordan.

Charlie wonders why his mother does not understand that buying him a pair of Jordans will make him feel better.

Skinny and Charlie continue talking, wondering if Skinny can dunk in his Jordans, commenting on Skinny’s Michael Jackson jacket, and getting excited about an upcoming skating contest. Skinny accidentally comments on CJ’s father’s coolness and then apologizes when Charlie responds to this mention of fathers with silence. Skinny asks if Charlie has to get a job because of his father’s death, and Charlie tells him he does not. Skinny reveals that he accidentally left his allowance in the arcade, and Charlie tells him he is not a “smooth criminal,” alluding to Michael Jackson’s hit song from 1987.

Charlie and Skinny go to Skinny’s aunt and uncle’s house to spend the rest of the day. Skinny plays video games and Charlie reads, trying to break his 79-day streak of crying.

Charlie beats his mother home. When she returns, she asks him about school, and he pretends to do homework.

Charlie thinks about what he actually did that day, saying nothing about this or how he feels. He wonders if he needs to get a job and wonders who will teach him as he grows. His mother asks again about school as he silently wishes he could just stay in his room.

Later that night, Charlie watches music videos on TV, including “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (1988). His mother turns it off without asking, saying she does not want him to watch inappropriate material.

Charlie gets upset and tries to turn the TV back on, stopping when his mother starts getting upset. His mother shares that she is “concerned” about him. Charlie runs down the hallway, slamming the door in his mother’s face.

Charlie’s mother yells at him and grounds him. Charlie lashes out, comparing her to his father, who he says would not ground him; he says he wishes his father were here instead. His mother sends him to bed without video games, books, or a bath.

Charlie later overhears his mother on the phone with someone (later revealed to be Charlie’s paternal grandmother); she talks about how she worries for him. She explains that she wants to take Charlie on vacation but cannot afford it, and she wonders if she will be able to navigate her grief alongside Charlie’s.

Charlie gets lost in thought before falling asleep and wonders to whom his mother is talking and what he will do this summer without his father. He wonders if he will have to get a job to support his family and where his father is now.

The next day, Skinny, CJ, and Charlie have lunch together. CJ asks where the boys were yesterday, and even though she admits she would not have skipped school with them, she wishes they had asked her. The friends talk about an upcoming basketball game in gym class, and Charlie laughs at CJ’s joke about Skinny’s poor skills as a player.

Charlie remembers when he met CJ in preschool: She would knock down his blocks to spell words, some of which even their teachers didn’t know. She spelled “friends” with the blocks and pointed at Charlie, and they have been friends ever since.

Charlie gets lost in thought during gym class, wondering why there is not air conditioning and whether CJ likes Skinny. He hopes the teacher won’t pick him to play.

During gym, Charlie gets picked to play. He feels uncomfortable.

In another comic-style spread, Charlie fantasizes about being Air Jordan. He imagines dunking the ball and being a basketball hero.

The fire alarm goes off, and the students go outside.

As he hears the sirens, Charlie sweats, shivers, and feels nauseous—feelings he also had the night his father experienced a medical episode.

Charlie’s friends notice his discomfort, and Charlie throws up on the sidewalk.

Charlie’s friends take him to the nurse. While Skinny tries to blame Charlie’s vomiting on chocolate milk, CJ infers that Charlie is upset about his father, stating that science has shown the brain and stomach to be closely linked. Skinny tells her she is “not supposed to talk about” what happened (66), and she apologizes to Charlie.

After school, Charlie sees a note from his mother telling him she has to work late. He takes this as an invitation to play instead of doing the tasks his mother left him to do.

Charlie tries to call Skinny, who is playing basketball, and CJ, who is away interviewing for a summer camp at Columbia. He decides to read comics to pass the time.

Skinny shows up at Charlie’s front door with his cousin, Ivan. They invite Charlie to go to the store, bribing him with candy. They ask him if he can run fast in his shoes, and he confirms he can.

Ivan has a past in “juvie” (a juvenile detention center) and has started smoking and hanging out with people who get in trouble.

On the way to the Quik-Mart, Ivan tries to convince Skinny and Charlie to steal bottles from Old Lady Wilson’s house. She puts them on her porch for someone to collect for recycling and receives $.10 per bottle. Ivan insists that all “old people” nap before dinner and assures the boys they will not get caught. Charlie refuses.

Ignoring Charlie, Ivan and Skinny grab the bottles, screaming at Charlie to run.

The three boys cash in the bottles at the Quik-Mart and buy junk food. Charlie takes a different route home to avoid Old Lady Wilson’s house.

Skinny calls Charlie after they are both home, telling him that he found the stealing fun and informing Charlie that he got an in-school suspension for bouncing his ball in the hallway. Charlie continues reading his comics.

Charlie falls asleep reading comics, noting that he does not feel like himself anymore.

Charlie’s mother wakes him up. She is furious because she has found junk food wrappers in the trash.

Charlie’s mother asks him where he got the money for the junk food, and she catches him in a lie when he tells her he got the food from school: She sent him with a lunch that day, and she knows he had no extra money. 

Although Charlie’s father used to spank him, his mother has never done more than raise her voice. Now she tries to slap his face for lying.

Charlie admits that he stole bottles from Old Lady Wilson and apologizes, saying he will not ever do it again. His mother tells him to get dressed.

Charlie gets dressed and reflects on how angry his mother looks. He wonders what his punishment will be.

Charlie thinks about how early in the morning it is (five o’clock) and realizes that his mother is taking him to Old Lady Wilson’s house.

Charlie knocks on the door. As it opens, he fears that Old Lady Wilson will appear with a shotgun.

A large dog greets Charlie at the door. Old Lady Wilson looks harmless with her crooked wig and dentures.

Charlie thinks about how Old Lady Wilson’s house smells musty.

Charlie thinks about how large the dog is and realizes it is female. He apologizes to Old Lady Wilson for stealing her bottles.

Mrs. Wilson tells Charlie the bottles do not mean anything to her but that she could use some help around the house. Charlie’s mother says Charlie could walk her dog, Woodrow Wilson, which Mrs. Wilson accepts.

Charlie gets lost in thought on the way home, wondering why a woman would name a female dog after a male president and questioning whether Skinny is in trouble. He cannot believe his mother would make him walk a dog as punishment when she knows he is afraid of dogs. He thinks about how different this summer will be without his father.

Charlie and his mother silently walk home, and then she “detonates.” 

Charlie’s mother screams at him. She worries he is going down the wrong path and asks if he wants to go to jail. Charlie says someone else stole the bottles.

Charlie refuses to reveal that stealing the bottles was Skinny’s idea.

Charlie’s mother wonders aloud whether she can give him the help he needs; she worries that his behavior is worsening and becoming a pattern. He tells his mother that he needs to get far away from her, and his mother cries and shuts herself in her room. Charlie interprets this as her giving up on him.

Charlie returns to school, but neither of his friends is there. He thinks about how angry his mother is.

When he gets home, Charlie sees his mother has left a note telling him she went to bed early. She tells him he needs to pack his suitcases with summer clothes but does not tell him where he is going. She reminds him to set his alarm earlier for walking Woodrow Wilson.

Charlie recalls the moment when he stopped liking dogs. He was riding his bike with his father, who taught him how to do tricks, and he crashed when a dog startled him.

In the morning, Charlie goes to walk Woodrow Wilson. Old Lady Wilson teaches him how to pet Woodrow Wilson, who is blind in one eye but still needs exercise.

Charlie walks Woodrow Wilson around the block once, noting that she acts as if they are best friends. He walks by the neighboring Millers’ house and recalls the last time he was there with his father.

In a comic-book style section, Charlie remembers playing two-on-two with his dad against a neighboring father-and-son team. Charlie’s father has large muscles and is shown jumping to block Mr. Miller, who is drawn with a larger stomach.

On the last day of school, Charlie rides the bus with Skinny and CJ. Charlie stays quiet. When CJ asks him if he is tired, Charlie explains that he got in trouble and now has to get up early to walk Old Lady Wilson’s dog. The friends are shocked, as Old Lady Wilson has a reputation for being scary and menacing.

Charlie tells his friends he made a terrible decision and now has to walk Old Lady Wilson’s dog to make up for it. Skinny panics and asks if anyone else got in trouble, but Charlie tells him that he owned up to his mistake.

Charlie tells his friends about Woodrow Wilson. Skinny is more interested in Old Lady Wilson and if the rumors about her are true.

The friends wonder why Old Lady Wilson named the dog after a male president who supported slavery. CJ offers to help Charlie walk Woodrow Wilson.

At school, Charlie reads during the class parties. Skinny talks to him, wishing his mother had more money and apologizing for getting Charlie into trouble. He also wonders if CJ likes Charlie as more than a friend.

Charlie and his mother have a silent breakfast. Charlie thinks about talking but does not know what to say. He reflects on how he and his mother are drifting apart. He stands to get ready to walk Woodrow Wilson.

Charlie’s mother tells him that they both need a change and that she has decided to take him to visit his grandparents (his father’s parents) for the entire summer. She tells him that they will leave in a week.

Charlie is about to get upset when CJ comes to the door.

CJ informs Mrs. Bell that the skating competition is on Friday, and Mrs. Bell informs CJ that Charlie will not be able to participate. CJ tells Charlie’s mother that Skinny’s mother is allowing Skinny to skate even though he is grounded for bad grades, and Mrs. Bell says she’ll reconsider. CJ and Charlie leave to walk Woodrow Wilson.

On their walk to Old Lady Wilson’s, Charlie tells CJ that he is being sent away for the summer. CJ asks Charlie if he is hurting and tells him he can talk to her about his father if he wants to, as bottling his feelings inside is not healthy. She also recommends that Charlie start writing in a journal. Charlie brushes the suggestion off, and they continue on.

After collecting Woodrow Wilson for the walk, CJ renames the dog “Harriet” after Harriet Tubman. CJ tells Charlie that she is going to miss him this summer.

For the next five days, CJ and Charlie walk and play with Harriet. Mrs. Wilson makes them chocolate chip cookies, but when she accidentally burns them, she gives them $3 to buy snacks at the Quick Mart instead.

CJ and Charlie walk around the block twice on their last day together.

Charlie and CJ discuss their final report cards, and CJ offers him a Now and Later. He refuses, telling her that he has already had eight today and that nine is unlucky because of his father (who died on March 9). As Charlie prepares to leave, CJ asks if he will give “a kiss first” (132), which Charlie misinterprets as a request to kiss CJ. Seeing his incredulousness, she tells him he should kiss Harriet goodbye.

On Saturday, the three friends participate in a skating competition.

As Skinny, Charlie, and CJ prepare to execute their “big move,” Skinny falls, ruining the routine because he forgot to tie his shoelaces.

After the performance, Skinny apologizes. CJ assures him and Charlie that there is another competition later in the summer. Charlie says that he will not be able to join because he will be at his grandparents’, four hours away.

Before the friends take their skates off, an LL Cool J song plays, and CJ takes Charlie to the rink to skate.

While skating, CJ talks a lot about the differences between boys and girls and tells Charlie she is nervous, implying that it’s because of his presence. She asks if they can write to each other over the summer, but Charlie does not commit. She kisses him on the cheek as she says goodbye, and Charlie’s heart races.

The next day, Charlie loads the car with his suitcases and reads outside while waiting for his mom. He feels like his mother is ruining his life.

Skinny stops by on his way to play basketball. He apologizes again for getting Charlie into trouble and for ruining the contest, promising that he is going to make a change this summer. Skinny trips on his way off after the boys wish one another a great summer.