Forged By Fire

At Rob’s funeral, Gerald notices that Mrs. Washington refuses to look at Andy. Andy is made captain of the basketball team, but he becomes an outcast as school. Gerald struggles with Rob’s death and wonders “why Rob was gone and he still lived” (142). Gerald comes home late from games and walks home rather than taking the bus.

When Gerald arrives home at midnight and sees Jordan and Angel alone, he becomes defensive. Angel tells him that Jordan has been acting nice and took her out to get food, though she still does not trust him. Gerald tells Angel that they will move out together when he graduates from high school.

The following day, Gerald leaves for a basketball tournament, and Angel goes to dance lessons. Angel returns home first in the afternoon and finds the house empty. She decides to boil hot dogs for herself and practices her dance audition while waiting for them to boil. Jordan comes home drunk and tries to sexually assault Angel. She fights him and tells him that she’s his daughter, but he claims that he’s not Angel’s father. As they fight, the hot dogs left on the stove start a