Chapter 8 (pages 122-151) Summary

This chapter opens with Charles Freck riding in his car. Wanting to make Jim Barris look like a fool, he concocts a joke about owning a Methedrine plant. Freck arrives at Bob Arctor's house and sees Arctor and Barris working on Arctor's car. He tries his joke but Barris does not take the bait. The roommates argue over the car's mechanical issues. Freck feels surprised that the mood at Arctor's house feels stressful rather than mellow, so he leaves. On the way home, Freck thinks about his friends who are junkies and about dead famous people who were junkies, and he cries.

At Bob Arctor's house, the roommates sit around talking about Donna. Luckman tells a story about Donna stealing and reselling postage stamps. Arctor wonders whether he will catch Donna, who seems so kind, stealing from him on...