Summary

In Chapter 13, although Enzo, who was clearly intelligent, was not invited to apply for middle school, Lila and Elena were. The teacher speaks to Elena's mother, who doesn't want to pay for the extra tutoring Elena may need to pass the middle school entrance exam. The teacher also summons Lila's mother, who refuses to give Lila permission despite the teacher's efforts. Lila tells Elena she will take the test anyway, and based upon Lila's record thus far of doing whatever she wished and getting away with it, Elena believes her.

In Chapter 14, the author again returns to the scene at Don Achille's. The girls, though forbidden to go near his apartment, are led by Lila's determination to return there to retrieve their dolls. They appear at his door and meet him face to face; the fabled 'ogre' of the neighborhood is simply a...