River’s mother had a headache so severe that she “had a fit” (131) and started destroying her room because of the pain. River felt so afraid, and confides in Meena that he started crying. Now, she’s in the hospital.

River got into a fight at basketball practice because his teammate Sam called him a “tree-hugging faggot” (133). Sam’s father works for the coal company that is causing the mountaintop removal. Mawmaw is upset that River hit Sam and outraged that no one punished Sam for calling River names.

River promises to never tell Meena’s secret about living in her apartment illegally. He also apologizes for what he said about her shaving story. He appreciates her friendship and knows they have a lot in common, like their love for the mountains. He’s interested in the citizenship class she went to, and how people from different countries were there, particularly because most people in his town are white. River’s father is coming home soon, and River has mixed feelings about it; he’s excited to see him, but he’s also apprehensive. Chemicals were found in the creek where he and Mawmaw usually fish, so they can’t fish there anymore because of the pollution.