Summary

"Hulk."

Shortly after returning to Mississippi, the author is beaten by his mother again, and reaches a turning point - “the softer parts of my heart and body were getting harder and those harder parts didn’t want to hurt you, but they wanted to never, ever be hurt by you again” (89). He also gets a really bad haircut from her; and decides to shave the haircut off, leaving him bald and, according to his mother, even more of a “threat” (90). The next day, his mother drops him off at school, telling him gently to be patient with his body, leading the author to wonder where that side of her was when she was hitting him.

The author moves back and forth between various sleeping accommodations and various school activities, including basketball. He also begins a sexual relationship with a...