Pay It Forward

The telephone wakes Chris up but he doesn’t answer it. It rings again after he gets out of bed, and Matt is on the phone, yelling at Chris for the “’stupid news program”’ (201) that named Sidney G. a hero. Matt explains that Sidney G. didn’t think anything up. Chris explains how it was a set-up to get to the truth. Matt admits Sidney got the idea from Matt, which makes Chris skeptical, since he thinks Matt is going to take the credit. To his surprise, Matt says that he just saved Sidney G. from getting beaten up in Atascadero, a detail Chris never released, so he knows Matt is telling the truth. Matt goes on to tell Chris about Ida Greenberg.

Chris goes to Atascadero to sit outside Mrs. Greenberg’s son’s address. Chris sees Mrs. Greenberg’s son cutting the grass. Chris immediately doesn’t like him. He goes to talk to him and asks why Mrs. Greenberg didn’t leave Richard anything when she died, which Richard is surprised he knows and still angry about. Chris tries to ask Richard about the movement, but Richard doesn’t know anything about it. He is angry when Chris says she didn’t leave him the money because she didn’t think he’d use it well, and then complains that she got some kid to fix her garden for free, which he doesn’t believe.

Chris talks to Terri, who says she doesn’t know anything. He tells her where he’s staying if anything comes to mind.

Chris visits Mrs. Greenberg’s house, although he’s not sure why he bothers. He sees a neighbor come out across the street and stops her to ask questions, but she isn’t helpful. Chris feels defeated. We learn he is very in debt. Chris sees Trevor start working on Mrs. Greenberg’s garden and asks him why. Trevor asks if people watch others, after they die. Chris says he doesn’t know. They talk vaguely about Trevor’s relationship with Mrs. Greenberg, but Chris never realizes he is talking to the progenitor of the movement.

From The Diary of Trevor

Trevor is upset that his idea failed, although he believes that Mrs. Greenberg and Reuben both would have paid it forward if they could have.

Trevor goes to Reuben’s house to talk. Trevor asks Reuben to forgive Arlene as part of Pay It Forward. Reuben says he doesn’t think he can. Trevor is disappointed. He admits that Arlene threw Ricky out, which Reuben tries to talk about, but Trevor doesn’t want to, so Reuben drives him home.

When they get to Arlene’s house, they find her beating on the broken-down truck with a baseball bat. Trevor explains that Arlene is angry because her other car broke down, and the truck doesn’t work, but she still has to pay for it. Reuben asks if he should get her a new car or drive her to work, but Trevor wants Reuben to give her another chance. Reuben says he can’t, and Trevor says that Arlene thought the same thing. Reuben drives slowly past Arlene, who tries to tell him to wait, but he leaves anyway.

From Those Who Knew Trevor Speak

Reuben admits that Arlene called him a lot and that he never answered. He eventually tore the phone cord out of the wall.

Arlene calls Bonnie to vent about Ricky and Reuben, telling Bonnie she wants to drink. Arlene takes Ricky’s shotgun and goes to visit Cheryl and Ricky. She demands that Ricky give her his car, a GTO, pointing his gun at him when he refuses. Ricky signs over his GTO, and Cheryl gives Arlene the keys. She leaves, giving Cheryl the shotgun. When she gets in the car, Ricky points the shotgun at her, telling her to get out. Arlene tells him it’s not loaded.

Arlene drives by Reuben’s house three times and then goes home. She briefly worries about Ricky going to the cops, then remembers he has warrants. She calls Reuben but he doesn’t answer. She goes back to his house and knocks on his back door. Reuben asks her about the car, and she says it’s a long story. She tells him she loves him. Reuben replies that he finds it strange she never said that while they were together. She says that for a long time she didn’t think she had a chance. Reuben pulls her inside.

The next morning, Reuben tells her their night together was a mistake. She tries to hold him, and he tells her to go home. Reuben starts crying. Arlene leaves.

Chris has been drinking himself to sleep and obsessing over work in order to forget how much he misses his girlfriend. They go out to dinner and back to her place. Chris gets a call forwarded from his phone, which angers his girlfriend. On the phone, Terri tells him about Trevor fixing Mrs. Greenberg’s garden, then hangs up. Chris returns his attention to his girlfriend, who forgives him.

As Chris and his girlfriend begin to have sex, he realizes that Trevor is responsible for Pay It Forward. His girlfriend in turn realizes he’s preoccupied with the story and tells him to go home. He apologizes.

He goes back to Atascadero and waits on Mrs. Greenberg’s porch. A different paperboy shows up and explains that Trevor won the week off for best paperboy. Chris goes to the newspaper office to find it closed.

Later, Chris goes back to the newspaper office and gets Trevor’s home address by lying. Chris goes to Trevor’s house, but realizes he won’t be home because it’s a school day. Arlene brushes past him, thinking he is a salesman, but in her hurry to get to work leaves her keys in the house. Chris helps Arlene climb in through a window. He tries to get Arlene to tell him where Trevor’s school is, but she is suspicious of him.

Chris goes to the only junior high school in town, and waits in Reuben’s class. He talks to Reuben about the assignment, which he notices is written on the board. Chris asks Trevor about the movement, but Trevor doesn’t know anything. Chris is about to leave but then asks Trevor about the assignment, and finally realizes Trevor is the progenitor, which Trevor still believes has been a failure. Chris says that Pay It Forward “‘Maybe it didn’t work out as bad as you thought’” (236), Chris says.

From The Diary of Trevor

Trevor is excited at the success of the movement, and how well it reflects on Reuben and Arlene.