The Stars Beneath Our Feet

In Chapter Six, Wallace tries to defend himself regarding throwing the pencil, but Mr. Ali quickly changes the topic to talk about Wallace's mood. He notes that Wallace's teacher has described him as “despondent” since Jermaine's death, after which, Wallace admits to missing Jermaine and often finding himself expecting to find Jermaine on his bed in their shared room. In response, Mr. Ali says it “may be time to move out his bed” (41).

Wallace quickly becomes angry with Mr. Ali..... at both his words and the fact that he's making him think about Jermaine. He viciously kicks Mr. Ali's desk and dents it, after which, he is dismissed with the promise that they will talk again. During another meeting, Mr. Ali tells Wallace that he is not dealing with his grief in a healthy way. He then asks what is causing Wallace's anger, but Wallace doesn't answer outloud. Silently, he admits to being angry with Jermaine and sorry about the fight they had just before his death.