Red Kayak

On the last day of school, Carl gives Brady a ride in his ambulance. He asks how the job at Mrs. DiAngelo's is going; Brady, worried that Carl thinks his job is "weird" under the circumstances, says that the extra money is useful because crabbing has been slow (122). He considers telling Carl about the drill, but ultimately decides against it.

Carl asks about exams, and Brady says that it's been difficult to concentrate. He doesn't explain why, but begins thinking about a conversation he had with Digger a few days earlier. Digger asked Brady what he'd done with the drill and then pressured him to dispose of it, saying that that way "everyone [could] forget what happened" (124). The comment angered Brady, who asked Digger whether he'd be able to forget if one of his younger siblings had died.

Brady is still thinking about the fight when Carl drives by Digger's house, where a police car is parked. Carl explains that Digger's father has been "beatin' up on his wife," who then took the children to go stay with her sister (125). Brady sadly notes that she's always returned to her husband in the past, and thinks about how difficult life was for Digger growing up.

Later that day, there's a graduation ceremony for the eighth-grade class. Digger is missing, but J.T. approaches Brady afterwards and the two awkwardly chat about his father, who is still in the hospital. Eventually, J.T. thanks Brady for not saying anything and invites him over to his house. Brady declines, saying he'll be out of town. J.T. asks Brady point blank whether they can "be friends again," and Brady hesitates (128). J.T. asks whether his response is a "definite maybe"—an oxymoron—and smiles a little as he wishes Brady a good trip (128).

Brady's mother drives him to Baltimore, where he'll catch a train to Providence. While they wait at the station, Mrs. Parks says she thinks seeing his cousins will be good for Brady, but expresses concern that he doesn't spend time with his friends anymore. Brady confirms that the distance is the result of what happened to Ben, and his mother says that people cope with death in different ways.

On the train, Brady begins to think about a ride on a steam train he took with J.T. and Digger for his ninth birthday. He remembers how much time the three of them spent together as children, and all the things they'd shared—most notably, a dream of becoming Navy SEALs, though Brady admits that this isn't his goal anymore. Instead, he would like to be an architect. He says that J.T.'s father likely wants him to take over the family chicken farm, but notes that J.T. is really good with computers and may go into cybertechnology. Digger, though, might become a SEAL after all, or possibly a Marine: "He already looks like one with his buzz haircut. And you ought to see him in his hunting clothes grunting away, doing pull-ups on that rusted swing set in his backyard. My mother used to say if he applied himself, he could get into the naval academy. But I doubt it with the kind of grades he makes" (134).

Brady continues to reminisce,thinking about the time Digger pulled him out of the frozen pond, until he suddenly remembers Ben. Upset, he hopes Ben didn't suffer before he died.The air conditioning on the train comes on and "a chill blow[s] right through [him]" (135).