Chapter 13 Summary

Barbara stays away from Sheba for the next two weeks. She keeps to her classroom during breaks, and she is polite but remote when she sees Sheba in the hallways. When Sheba calls and asks her to come over, Barbara declines with a deliberately weak excuse. She decides to see how well Sheba can get along without her. After a while, depression sets in. Barbara cannot understand why her friends always end up letting her down. She wants a reward for being so constantly careful of them. She is also depressed because her cat's health is getting worse.

Just before Christmas break, Brian Bangs, the math teacher, invites Barbara to lunch. Even though she knows Brian most likely is not interested in her romantically, she is happy to be included. She now knows that she should have declined the invitation. For a little...