It is Christmas and the reader is now able to see that Melinda's parents do care for her. But Melinda's secret is still hers to hide. She has an incident in the biology lab where they are to dissect frogs. She faints and in the process cuts her head in the fall. Melinda's closet has her busy making posters, and she is proud of what she is accomplishing. However, her report grade is so bad that she begins cutting herself. Andy Evans flirts with her and she is so upset by it that she goes to the bathroom and throws up. Mr. Freeman, the art teacher, becomes severely depressed when he is reprimanded by the school board for giving out too many A's. They cut his budget and in a despondent action slices his canvas with a chisel.
