The chapter opens with the narrator's realization that he's just gotten to the point where he can call himself a "status" person. He's used to being called a "little brother" or "little sister" or something, but now he feels like a "beginner" in the world of social status. He can't figure out what's going on with the guy in the mirror or the locker room. He wants to run away, but the guy won't let him. He tells the narrator to go ahead and leave, but he'll have to wait until the next time he sees the guy.