Summary

This section consists of the following short chapters:

The Tornado

Bus Stop

Suit Yourself

Umbrella

Dropout

Shitty Hair

Mexico: Age 10

Art Museum

The novel opens with 16-year-old Sarah sitting in art class and being unable to draw the assigned still life: a pear. Her friend Carmen draws a tornado, but Sarah tells her art teacher, Miss Smith that she lost the will to participate. Sarah believes that her art teacher could see how upset Sarah was, but the teacher did nothing. This episode motivates Sarah to do something original in her life. It also is the catalyst for her to stop attending school.

The next day, Sarah finds herself at a bus shelter. Her father believes she is going to school, but Sarah is actually on her way to city hall, because she is going to change her name to something more original...