Slob

Mr. Wooly returns and forces Owen to wear a harness like a dog might wear, dragging him around the floor and attempting somersault after somersault while students laugh. Owen follows Nima’s Tibetan advice for meditation, but fails, distracted by the horrified reaction of Justin Esposito, a fellow student. Mr. Wooly stops and angrily instructs Justin to unstrap Owen.

Owen describes standing up for himself and shaming the other students. He retracts this and admits that he cried. Mr. Wooly sends Owen to “collect himself” in the locker room (16).

After gym class, Owen goes to lunch and looks for Izzy Shank, whom he usually sits with. Izzy notes the redness of Owen’s eyes but says nothing, while Owen discovers that his Oreos have been taken from his lunch. Izzy notices the lunch container was resealed and they both observe the students around them.

Owen notices Mason Rigg, a new student who Owen describes as a problem student with a heavily scarred face, has three Oreo cookies. Mason notices Owen, who inadvertently insults Mason’s appearance out of nervousness and runs away. Izzy advises Owen to drop it because Mason carries a knife. They argue about which type of knife Mason carries and where he keeps it.

Owen and his sister Caitlin, who goes by Jeremy, walk home from school together. They talk about GWAB, a club for Girls Who are Boys. GWAB is a strict club with seven girls who only wear boys’ clothes, have short hair, and have changed their names to boys’ names. Owen describes how Jeremy was recruited to GWAB after fighting a boy. Jeremy keeps her hair long because her mother describes long, red hair as a “warrior’s badge of honor” (22). Jeremy describes a plan to announce their name changes to the class by playing a trick on the teacher. Owen replies that her math teacher, Mr. Shackly, will stop them. Andre Bertoni calls out to Owen as he and his sister continue their walk, calling Owen Flapjack once more.

Owen mentions their apartment complex, Fuji Towers, and that they have recently moved. Jeremy has a crush on Andre, and when Andre says hello to Caitlin, Owen explains that she has changed her name to Jeremy. Jeremy blushes when Andre is confused, remarking that Jeremy is a boy’s name. Andre changes the subject, advising Owen to sue the school for Mr. Wooly’s trick during gym class. Jeremy is outraged when she hears what happened and Owen describes Jeremy as a superhero without powers. Andre tells Owen to have his mother call Andre’s father, who works as a lawyer, suggesting he might take the case. Owen describes the seriousness of his situation as a bullied student and Jeremy’s lack of awareness regarding what Owen’s life is like. Jeremy is upset and disappointed, and Owen forgets about Mr. Wooly and the missing Oreos.

Owen and Jeremy visit a demolition site on the way home to cheer up Jeremy. Owen remembers meeting a man who visits demo sites to find “recycled items” (26). The man warned them about the dangers of scavengers.

Owen and Jeremy arrive home, and Owen takes their pit bull, Honey, for a walk. He describes his first invention, a Crap Catcher for picking up messes while walking the dog, and people stopping him to ask about the invention. Owen returns home and eats a snack, thinking about his Oreos again and explains that he is unable to take any from storage where the Oreos are kept because it will disappoint his mother. He describes her disappointment as a punch. Owen notices that there are hours before dinner and that he feels hungry.

Owen describes Nemesis, another invention he is developing. Hours pass and his mother comes home. She has a comforting voice and a job as an emergency operator. Owen and his mother talk, and he describes tension between Jeremy and his mother about their names. Jeremy calls their mother “Zelda,” because their mother calls Jeremy “Caitlin,” instead of her preferred name. Zelda mentions that Owen looks as if he has lost weight, explaining that his face looks thinner. He is skeptical. His mother mentions how he looked before, quickly apologizing when he asks not to discuss it.

After dinner, Owen visits Nima. He describes Nima as a Tibetan man who grew up in India and owns a Tibetan food stand to save money for bringing his wife and his mother-in-law to America. He describes their first meeting when Nima saw Owen’s Crap Catcher and was fascinated by the invention, while Owen was fascinated by the Tibetan dumplings, or momos, that Nima sells. Owen tells Nima about the missing Oreos and Mason, but not Mr. Wooly. Nima explains that a Buddhist principle says that enemies make people stronger and mentions karma. He suggests that Owen leave a note for the thief and that Owen make a thief catcher. He also encourages Owen to give Mason another chance before he acts.

Owen’s three Oreos are missing from his lunch box the next day as well. He notes that it feels as though Mason is challenging him and highlighting his powerlessness. Owen devises a plan to stop Mason with an invention developed from broken handcuffs, a dog collar, a spring from the hood of a car, and his lunch box that he calls the Jaws of Anguish. He imagines Mason “shrieking in pain” as the device closes on his wrist (40), getting caught in the act, and suspended.

Owen phones Izzy, who worries how Mason might respond to Owen’s invention. Owen imagines Mason’s response and grows concerned but decides it is worth the risk. After lunch, Owen sits in class with Rachel and Aiden. While describing his classmates, he insults Rachel’s appearance and Aidan’s intelligence.

He covertly watches Mason, who catches Owen and makes an unidentifiable face before getting a pass to leave class. Owen reflects on the difference between the “victim feeling” and the “revenge feeling” (42). He briefly thinks that Nima would disapprove. Mason calmly returns, surprising Owen. Owen gets a pass to leave class and finds that the Jaws of Anguish are still in place, but his cookies are gone once again. Owen is angry at the theft and alludes that something was stolen from him two years before as well. He confronts Mason and demands that he return the cookies. Mason insults Owen, and Owen compares himself to a boulder as he stands before Mason, accepting the insult. Mason says that Owen is not as smart as he thinks he is when Owen turns to walk away.

Owen becomes physically ill and considers Mason’s accusation. He asks his teacher for a pass; his teacher asks if it was something he ate. He rushes out as his peers insult his weight.