Wink

The jam session starts roughly because Jimmy is drumming too fast. After Frank and Denny offer guidance, everything clicks. The two boys make music completely in sync, and Ross loves it. Jimmy stops scowling.

During a break to wipe off some sweat, Jimmy attempts to spit into a cup without Denny noticing. Denny notices and demands that Jimmy give him the cup. Jimmy nonchalantly complies before Denny lectures him—not for the first time—about the habit. He asks Jimmy if he’s carrying the spitting jar at school. Jimmy denies it, but Ross admits the truth when Denny presses him. Jimmy accuses Ross of being a disloyal bandmate while Frank physically restrains him. Frank and Denny end the session, proposing they all meet again tomorrow. When Ross is home, relieved to have escaped Jimmy’s wrath, he remembers that Jimmy called him his bandmate.

Abby is absent from school the next day. Ross texts to ask where she is and gets her to promise they will talk soon. Jimmy asks Ross at the end of Ms. Bayer’s class if they’re going to play later, to which Ross responds in the affirmative.

Ross finds the lobby at the center empty: Jerry has not recovered from pneumonia. Frank plays a new CD mix for Ross. They discover Ross likes several bands, including the punk band the Ramones.

Frank gets Ross and Jimmy to try two songs that evening. During a pause, Jimmy asks Ross what happened between him and his “girlfriend”: “The weird one. Abby. With the clothes and the hair” (210). Ross suppresses the urge to defend Abby and says she’s not his girlfriend. Jimmy thought the two broke up because Ross has a crush on Sarah. He doesn’t understand why Ross likes Sarah. His locker is near hers, so he can hear her candidly chatting with her friends. Ross dismisses Jimmy’s opinion since he believes Jimmy is a bully.

Ross and Jimmy try a Ramones song after listening to it many times. The exercise is imperfect, loud, and thoroughly enjoyable; Ross illustrates the feeling with a picture of Batpig playing an electric guitar. Ross also sings, making up words when he forgets the lyrics. The entire session is a release for him. Frank applauds their efforts and asks them to shake hands as tribute to music’s power. They cheerfully comply.

Denny compliments Ross’s singing; he adds that they only need a bass guitarist to be a complete band. Ross immediately thinks of Abby.

Ross recalls the night before his operation. Abby and her parents come over for dinner; Ross draws the lasagna Linda makes alongside the word “Yum.” After dinner, Abby promises she’ll be at the hospital the whole time.

“Batpig vs The Surgeon” follows (217). Batpig is in a hospital bed awaiting surgery, but the surgeon is actually The Butcher. The anesthesia works on Batpig before he can save himself. “Vampire-slash-monster Abbzilla” smashes her way through a wall and stops The Butcher. Abbzilla then asks Batpig if he wants to go to Dagwood’s.

Ross describes his experiences at the hospital. After he goes under anesthesia, his memories are incomplete. He registers specific moments from his recovery, some involving his parents or being alone, but he mostly remembers Abby, who stays by his side while he has to lie still for days. “Always Abby,” he concludes.

Ross goes straight to Abby’s house after practice and tells her he’s sorry for being a “jerk.” She agrees with his self-characterization but admits she’s been a jerk as well.

Ross sketches Abby’s Godzilla figurine, which he holds while they talk. She worries about going to a new school; she doesn’t have a talent for making friends because she sticks out as a weird person. Ross declares, “Abby, you don’t stick out. You stand out. It’s different” (225). She teases him about his phobia of standing out, but he insists that it’s sticking out he doesn’t like. Abby is impressed by Ross’s perspective, while Ross is surprised to learn the seemingly confident Abby might feel anxious about going to a new school.

Ross informs her of his jam sessions with Jimmy, explaining how much fun he’s had. He plans to play with Jimmy in the talent show. She has some objections to Jimmy, but Ross says the spitting has stopped. He catches sight of her viola in a corner of the room and asks how the school orchestra is going. He inquires whether she ever considered learning bass guitar.

Abby is stunned by Ross’s idea. She voices several doubts, each of which Ross quickly answers. Abby gets excited and promises she’ll give it a try. She goes with Ross to the radiation center the next day to meet Frank, who lends her a bass guitar. Once she tries it, she’s committed. While Abby works on her technique at home, Ross gets his treatments and then practices with Jimmy afterward.

That Thursday, Ross apologizes to Sarah for the hairy pizza debacle. She seems understanding. She asks why he never joined her planning committee. He explains he has been working on his performance for the talent show. She acts concerned and asks about his eye. He tells her information he has only shared with Abby: His right eye will go blind eventually. Ross observes, “Her face drops, and she pulls back ever so slightly for a second. I see a flash of ‘skeeved out’ pass over her face, but she recovers quickly” (234). She then asks about his left eye and sympathetically places her hand on his. The gesture thrills him. He looks at Jimmy, who smirks.

The following Monday, Ross and Frank visit Jerry. Ross meets Jerry’s wife, Marilyn, who escorts the visitors inside her home. Jerry lounges in a recliner with an oxygen tube in his nose. Ross tells Jerry he has nine treatments left. Jerry declares, “I’m proud of you, Ross” (240), making Ross emotional. Frank has Ross talk about learning to play guitar and forming a band, which makes Jerry very happy.

After a little while, Jerry tells them he needs rest. Ross lends the complete collection of Harry Potter movies to him. Next, Ross takes out his sketchbook and removes a picture he drew of Louis Armstrong based on a photograph. This is the first time Ross has shared a “real” sketch with someone. He gives it to Jerry, who’s deeply touched. As the visitors leave, Jerry wishes Ross luck in the upcoming show and says he’ll see Ross soon. Ross feels uncertain.

At Frank’s house, Ross and Frank meet with Abby, her father, Ross’s father, Jimmy, Denny, and Abby’s viola teacher, Lisa. Everyone goes to the basement except the two fathers, who prepare to play cards. Abby’s father asks if he could have a beer; Denny enthusiastically agrees. The chapter closes with a picture of Batpig holding some cards at a table, a can of beer in front of him.

Abby plays all three songs Ross assigned her, impressing him. Ross, Jimmy, and Abby try “Take It Easy” by the Eagles; they do well, but Denny complains about the Eagles. Frank explains they chose the song because they want to win the talent show, and “Take It Easy” is a simple song. They practice the song many times. Every time they finish, the three mentors give their thoughts; the band improves with each repetition. Jimmy takes criticism well, which surprises his bandmates.

They practice “Take It Easy” for hours every day that weekend, playing rowdier music once in a while to clear their heads. Ross creates “Batpig Kicks Out the Jams,” which shows Batpig playing a guitar to a happy crowd from the rooftop of the “Maloy Building.”