If I Ever Get Out of Here

George explains what happened at school between him and Evan. Lewis spots his cousin Innis. Lewis wonders if he can get a ride home with him. Innis goes to toward the bathroom. Lewis excuses himself and follows Innis. As soon as Lewis goes through the double doors to the corridor where the bathrooms are located, Evan and Preston jump him from behind. Innis pulls Preston off of Lewis and scuffles with him. Evan tears Lewis’/Albert’s jacket. Evan lunges at Lewis, and Lewis pummels Evan with both fists in his groin, then plows his head upwards into Evan’s jaw. Preston frees himself from Innis, crashes into Lewis, knocking him over, and then both Reiniger brothers beat a retreat. Lewis thanks Innis for the help and if he can get a ride back to the reservation with them. Innis says he’ll ask his dad, but doesn’t see how there will be a problem with it. Innis still needs to use the bathroom and exits.

George enters the corridor and talks to Lewis. He says he knows a little more what it feels like not to be believed. Apparently, Mr. Haddonfield isn’t completely sure about George’s narration of events. Lewis learns that George had taunted Even into punching him, into starting the fight that got Evan kicked out. George swore, even, to get Evan riled up, and Lewis recognizes George’s true friendship in that George broke one of his personal rules for Lewis’ sake. While the two are talking, Mr. Reiniger enters and threatens the two of them. Before anything can happen, Mr. Haddonfield then enters. George tells his dad that he and Lewis are going to need some help. Mr. Haddonfield accosts Mr. Reiniger about his behavior, and in an authoritative voice, he commands the two boys to leave and go back to their seats.

Innis comes out a little while later and tells George and Lewis what he heard. He couldn’t see anything, but he heard a scuffle, and something that sounded like someone giving another person a swirly. Mr. Haddonfield returns and tells Lewis and George not to worry, that they won’t be having any more trouble from the Reinigers in the future. 

There are a few of the men from the reservation who have their own plows, and since they live on the reservation, the firemen can’t force them to stay in the fire hall. They all leave, including Mr. Haddonfield, and George, and Lewis.

It isn’t easy, but they all make it to the reservation. Mr. Haddonfield drops Lewis off at his house. Mr. Haddonfield also unloads several bags of groceries and gives them to Lewis’ mother. She tries to go get some money to pay him with, but he tells her to do it some other time. Albert tells Mr. Haddonfield he should get going before the roads get any worse. Inside the house, the kitchen wall is barely keeping the snow out. In fact, through the cracks, a large pile is building up. Lewis begins shoveling it out into the back. Lewis’ mom is very nervous and keeps asking Lewis about Mr. Haddonfield and the food, whether Lewis had asked for anything. Under the stress and scrutiny, Lewis says hurtful things to his mother that he instantly regrets. His mom comes up the stairs to his room, informing him that the road is closed. Her worst nightmare is about to come true. She is going to have to host white people in her house.