- This chapter begins with a poem-sentence ("I/can't/shove/the/dark/out/of/my/way"), so you know it's going to be bleak.
- Sure enough, Lennie comes home to Toby lying on her bed.
- Lennie feels pulled almost immediately to Toby—all he says is hi, and then they're kissing.
- Things are moving really fast. Toby's unzipped their pants and has pulled Lennie onto the bed when a downstairs door-slam stops them.
- They jump into their clothes. Lennie tells Toby that she wants to stop, that being with him isn't comforting anymore, that instead it makes her feel worse.
- From downstairs, Joe's voice calls up to Lennie.
- When Joe sees Toby, he gets suspicious, but Lennie lies and says she and Toby were looking through Bailey's things.
- Toby leaves.
- Joe is not completely convinced, so Lennie kisses him to distract him from the situation.
- It's a really good kiss. It makes Lennie think about how Uncle Big once told her that the sky being "above" everyone is a misconception, because sky starts at our feet.