Chapter 2 Summary

Laura stays for awhile with Cora and Tom Lance, but they are older, have no children and fear the prospect of raising someone else's. She is then turned over to the custody of the California Child Services, picked up by Mrs. Bowmaine, and taken to the McIlroy Children's Home. Laura says she bore the Lances no ill-will and "absolved" them for their decision. Upon arriving at the children's home, she meets Willy Sheener. As Laura passes him and with no adults looking, Sheener rubs his crotch while watching Laura. Later, Laura's roommates, the Ackerson twins, say Sheener often offers candy and that it seems he must have learned to be a pervert from the pamphlets handed out by police to warn children about perverts. Laura then learns that her third roommate, Tammy, is at McIlroy because her father sexually abused her and that...