Bystander

Eric is shocked when school officials search his lockers. When Eric questions their actions, the principal, Mrs. Morris, tells him that a student came forward and reported that he had a knife. Eric asks who made the report—but Mrs. Morris tells him that this information is confidential, and that revealing such would discourage students from making reports. Eric suspects Griffin (or a follower like David Hallenback) is behind the false report. Eventually, Eric is cleared and free to return to class.

A tearful Mary confesses to Eric that she knew about the plot to ambush him at the pet cemetery but didn’t try to stop it because she was afraid. Eric forgives Mary and tells her that she is not responsible for what happened. However, she asserts, “I’m sick of everything. I don’t want to be like them” (180).

After picking up Mrs. Rosen’s house keys for his dog-sitting job, Eric encounters Griffin. He asks Griffin if he stole his bike. Griffin denies it and goads Eric about his father. Eric instead asks Griffin if he had David Hallenback make the false report about a knife in his locker—to which he responds, “Hallenback is a puppy. […] He’d jump off a bridge for me” (185).

Griffin informs Eric that he knows his locker combination and recites the numbers. He threatens to plant something illegal in Eric’s locker unless he steals some silver dollars from Mrs. Rosen’s house. Eric doesn’t respond to the threat.

Cody and minor characters Pat and Hakeem visit Eric’s house and return his bike—which is now a wreck with “bent forks and mangled tires” (196). Cody admits that Griffin “went too far” (197). Pat explains that they want to help Eric fix the bike, with Hakeem mentioning that Cody is a mechanic. Eric notices that Cody is a different person, a happier one, when talking about bikes and cars. Eric asks Cody why he is helping him, and he replies that he likes working on bikes, and once the bike is fixed, “you and me...we’ll be even” (199).

Cody asks Pat and Hakeem if they want to go with him and Griffin to a car show the next day. The two decline the offer, and Eric senses it may be because of Griffin’s presence at the event. He thinks the boys are possibly turning against their leader. Eric later asks Mary to help him with a plan.