Summary

Fran continues to aid Charlie in his quest to embody Benvolio. The two walk down the path from the mansion after rehearsals together, and over time, their conversations become more serious. Before, Charlie had avoided talking about his home life, often redirecting Fran's questions and demanding to know more about her. Now, however, he begins to let Fran take a glimpse at the unsavory aspects of his life. He admits that his mother and sister left, and now he lives alone with his bankrupt father.

After talking about his father with Fran, Charlie summarizes his family’s past for the reader’s comprehension. He says, “It had been something great, our family enterprise, while it lasted” (171). He describes how his father had taken over his parents’ record store businesses so that they could retire and he would have a steady source of income...