Summary

Chapter 1 begins in the present day. Excel, 19, attempts to board a Greyhound bus, but is denied entry due to his lack of I.D. Unable to produce any form of identification besides an old high school I.D., he bribes the ticketing agent with a five-dollar bill and takes his trip from El Centro to San Francisco (10).

Once in San Francisco, Excel makes his way to the La Villa Aurelia apartment complex and reunites with his mother, Maxima. Their reunion is strained and awkward, with Maxima asking Excel why he never called in his nine months away from home. He offers little explanation, reflecting that his apology would be insincere anyway. Retreating back outside for fresh air, Excel remarks upon the dilapidated state of La Villa Aurelia, the roof covered in overgrown ivy and discarded furniture (13). He checks his phone for any texts...