Chapter 1 Summary

Eddie Proffit and Billy Bartholomew are good friends. Everyone thinks this is an odd friendship because Billy is the smartest kid in his class and possibly the school. Eddie on the other hand is perceived to be the dumbest kid in class, and possibly the school. It turns out that Eddie is a genius though, but gets easily distracted when talking tests or trying to do his homework.

When Billy's father, the school janitor, figures out Eddie's attention span is short, he has Billy come to the furnace room every day and helps Eddie complete his homework in blocks, so as to keep his attention focused.

The summer that Eddie turns 14, he works at his father's gas station in the morning and then rides his bike to the hot springs with Billy in the afternoons. One afternoon, Eddie stops at the gas station...