History—Age Twelve—Mid-August
- After Charlie finishes the tree house, he starts to sleep up there. Vera wants to join him for a sleepover, but her dad is hesitant because Charlie's a boy, plus he's worried about Charlie's dad, who is unpredictable and abusive.
- Vera promises that there's nothing going on between her and Charlie, and that if she needs to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she'll come home instead of going to the Kahns' house.
- Her dad relents and Vera takes her sleeping bag up to the tree house. She and Charlie have an awesome time drinking soda, talking, and eating popcorn.
- At midnight though, they hear a car come up the path and Charlie sneaks out. He doesn't return until dawn.