Mom and Paul manage to get to Tangerine Middle School a few minutes early. Tino and Victor are also there. First Victor, then Tino, go into Dr. Johnson’s office. They have committed Level Three Infractions, according to The Student Code. That means that each of them is expelled for three weeks. Paul’s offense is worse, a Level Four Infraction. He assaulted a teacher, not a student, as Tino and Victor did. A student who commits a Level Four Infraction is expelled. So, that is what happens to Paul.
When Paul and his mother exit the school, Paul is congratulated by the students gathered outside. They consider him to be a hero.
After leaving the school, Mom takes Paul to the mall to get some new clothes. He needs new clothes, not only because he has outgrown his clothes, but also because the school to which Mom plans to send him, St. Anthony’s, requires uniforms. Paul is surprised at how many new items he gets.
When he gets home, Paul replaces all his old clothes with what he brought home, new stuff that fits.
Notes
Replacement of all his old clothes with new ones symbolizes Paul’s new life now that his memory of what happened is no longer blocked.
Dad and Erik go to the police station early. They are there for three hours. When they get back home, Dad explains to Mom and Paul that Arthur is trying to blame Erik for putting him up to hitting Luis. He adds that the police have statements submitted by Antoine Thomas and Brian Baylor saying that Arthur was the assailant. Dad says that there are no friendly witnesses. Arthur and Erik have no friends since the people who were given jewelry were asked to return it.
Mom asks what will happen next. Dad tells her that he is staying out of it. He appears to be like Erik’s fair-weather friends.
Tino calls Paul. He is appalled to hear that Paul will be attending St. Anthony’s. Paul makes sure that Tino understands that he won’t be on their team. He still considers himself to be a War Eagle.
Tino invites Paul out to the groves to work. He tells him that he is still on the crew. As they hang up, Tino calls him “brother.”
Paul types up his account of the crime and puts it on a disk, which he hands to his parents. It is a long story. It starts back in the days when the Fishers lived in Houston. It includes a description of Luis, the ways he was important to his family and friends. Then it goes on to tell the ways Erik was important to his family and friends. These descriptions are not exactly what the police requested, but they are part of the truth.
Later, Paul notices his parents. They seem to be very interested in Paul’s account of events.
Today, Paul is to start attending St. Anthony’s. Dad, not Mom, drives him to his new school.
Johnson, Jane. "TheBestNotes on Tangerine".
TheBestNotes.com.
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