Autobiography of My Dead Brother Chapter 11 Summary

  • Jesse has arrived at the club where Rise is hanging out. It smells like incense and Jesse hates it on sight; it's filled with some sinister-looking characters.
  • Rise is getting a manicure in the back room and wants to know if Jesse brought the book he's been working on.
  • Jesse lays the book out for Rise to check out. The manicurist is super impressed. After she finishes her work, Rise pays her, and she leaves.
  • Rise tells Jesse that the Diablos won't be coming around anymore—he was the one who arranged the drive-by shooting.
  • The boys go through Jesse's drawings while Jesse silently freaks out about the information he just heard from Rise.
  • Jesse wants to know if all this drive-by stuff has Rise worried at all, and Rise says it worries him a little, but that just part of it.
  • Jesse wonders who all the unsavory characters in the club are; Rise explains that they are bodyguards, more or less—this is Rise's territory now.
  • Rise tells Jesse not to tell anyone what he's told him.
  • There's a knock on the door. It's Tania. Rise says that Tania can be Jesse's girlfriend.
  • Rise needs to do some work, so he tells Jesse to go hang out with Tania. They leave.
  • Tania tells Reese she's fourteen. Reese thinks she's cute, but he also senses that she's a lot more mature than he is.
  • Tania has a lot of cash, so they head to a Chinese restaurant, where they eat and chat.
  • Jesse shows Tania some of his drawings and she's totally impressed.
  • Tania tells Jesse that she dropped out of school; she didn't feel like she had much of a future there.
  • Jesse asks her what she's doing with herself, and Tania gets a little emotional. They pay the bill and head back to her place so Jesse can draw her.
  • Tania's place is super sketchy. Or at least the building is—her apartment is pretty nice.
  • They go to Tania's room, where she asks Jesse if she should take her clothes off. He says no.
  • Tania wants to know if Jesse's going to hit on her. He feels like a total idiot: He thought he was just there to draw.
  • Tania says that's fine, but that she's going to tell Rise they had sex. So it seems pretty clear (to Shmoop, if not to Jesse) that Tania is a prostitute.
  • Jesse starts to draw. He says he doesn't try to be photorealistic; instead he tries to get at some deeper truth.
  • Jesse finishes. Tania is happy with it, and she kisses Jesse and asks if he wants to go further. He says no, but he's a little mad at himself.
  • Tania walks Jesse to the door. They kiss again, and Tania says maybe she could be Jesse's girlfriend if he doesn't mind that she has to take care of business sometimes.
  • Jesse doesn't know what she means—dude still doesn't realize that Tania is a prostitute.
  • Jesse goes home and tells his mom where he's been. He washes up for supper and thinks some more about how much Rise has changed.