Bystander

Soon after the ketchup boy leaves, three boys and a girl arrive on bicycles—obviously in pursuit. A boy with wavy hair, whom Eric describes as “pretty,” asks if he has seen anyone come by. A boy with buck teeth adds that the person they are looking for resembles a french fry. Eric doesn’t mention the ketchup boy.

The pretty boy, Griffin Connelly, asks Eric for his basketball. Eric passes the ball, despite feeling threatened. He doesn’t like Cody, the boy with buck teeth whom he refers to as a weasel, in particular. However, Griffin’s charisma impresses Eric.

Griffin asks Eric if he can keep the basketball as a “souvenir.” Eric doesn’t want to give up his ball but feels outnumbered.

Eric tells Griffin that he does mind if the group keeps the basketball, but that they are welcome to play with it. Griffin backs off and tells Eric that he was joking.

Again, Griffin asks Eric if he saw anything. Eric denies seeing the ketchup boy but senses that Griffin doubts his word. Griffin proposes that Eric take a shot from the foul line. If he makes it, he can keep his ball. However, if he misses, Griffin and his friends will take it. The one girl in the group, Mary O’Malley, bets a dollar that Eric will make the shot.

Eric takes the shot and misses. Griffin grabs the ball but returns it to Eric. The four ride away. However, Griffin soon returns by himself, telling Eric that he was joking about taking his ball; Eric says he suspected as much.

Griffin tells Eric that he makes a good friend but “a lousy enemy.” He adds that Mary thinks Eric is cute.

This chapter provides background information on Eric’s family. The family’s move from Ohio to Long Island occurred after Eric’s father abandoned the family. Eric’s mother regards the move to her hometown as a fresh start, but Eric is more skeptical about it.

Eric notes that his father stopped working, became dysfunctional, and then left. Eric’s father occasionally sends classic rock CDs to his son, but Eric still misses him: “It was like his father was a great bird that had flown away, and all Eric could do was watch that bird drift into the distance, smaller, smaller, until it seemed to vanish completely, lost in the clouds” (24).

Eric arrives at Belmont Central Middle School for his first day of classes (his favorite subjects being English and Social Studies). The students don’t appear much different from his old classmates in Ohio—bar their trendier clothes and cell phones.

As Eric heads to his home base class, he hears someone slamming a boy against a locker. A voice yells “Body check!,” while another says, “Hallenback, [...] watch where you’re going, buddy. You’re gonna be late for class” (30). Eric ignores the incident, despite recognizing Griffin’s voice.

In his home base class, Eric sees Griffin’s female friend Mary and the rest of the group. David Hallenback, the ketchup boy, is also present. Eric describes Hallenback as having a “pale, freckled face” with a “wounded, wary expression” (33). Eric nods at Hallenback, who gives him a hostile look. Eric assumes Hallenback is wary of him because he witnessed his embarrassment at the pet cemetery.

Mary warns Eric to stay away from Hallenback: “If you are nice to him even once, you’ll never get rid of him. It’s like feeding a stray dog” (34). She asks Eric if he uses instant message. Eric does not want to admit that his mother won’t let him use IM, so he says he does not use IM much. Mary asks for his email address instead.