Chapter 9 Summary

Charles' mother and Barry spent the rest of the summer in New York looking for a new apartment. Gloria's father took her to Mexico on a vacation with his new wife. Meg went to camp for a couple of weeks. Charles enjoyed himself alone at home, letting Moxie have the run of the house. Charles and McLeod went swimming most every day. One day they discussed being free. McLeod pointed out that the word "free" by itself was nothing. One had to be free from something or free to do something. Charles was happy to be free from his family. They discussed love of family but "love" was a word that Charles didn't like to use. Just at that point, Charles felt the undertow pull him down. He drifted out quite far but McLeod was right there to tow him in.

Sensing that...