Summary

Chapter 4, “Travis,” opens with a scene from Travis's favorite book from the Bloodfall series. The scene includes the hero, Raynar Northbrook. Travis notes that his father, Clint, is drinking a can of beer and that his “eyes were red and bleary” (32). Travis declines his mother's offer of dinner. Clint begins to talk, mentioning that Travis's brother, Matt, was on the football team. He is obviously disappointed that Travis is not more like Matt, who died in the military. He suggests Travis should join the military, but Travis says he will probably keep working at the family's lumber mill. Clint says he can “easily” find someone to work in Travis's place. Clint mentions a fight Travis had the previous year in which a boy named Alex pushed him until Travis retaliated. Travis had cried because he hurt Alex. Crying saved him from being suspended...