The chapter opens with a flashback to the day of Doobie's first birthday party. The narrator tells us that the party was supposed to be a fun one, but it turned out to be "reality bites" . Instead of giving Doobie a pep talk, the teacher treats him like a kid who's just having a bad day. She doesn't give him any props for being a kid with a bad attitude, but she does give him some food and treats. The teacher tells the family that Doobie was upset about the party, and that he's going to have to miss it. The mom tells the story of how her son's teacher gave him a note in his homework that said something like, "Hey, we're having a party for kids with special needs, and we'd like to invite you to come and see it." The mom says that she and her dad didn't listen to their son, who was having a hard time expressing his feelings. Instead, they believe a person who "whether deliberately or not" tried to manipulate their view of their son. The school year has passed, and the school has given some students mentorships so that they can go out and do their own thing. Doobie is still supposed to follow the teacher's schedule, but he'll also submit his work to the teacher after the day is over. He's not his own fault anymore, the mom tells us. She's still his teacher, and she still has a lot of power over him.