Runner

With his head feeling like it’s about to “explode,” Chance goes running—the sole activity he likes. Sometimes, he watches the Lincoln High track team. The members have Gatorade, energy bars, and expensive running gear, but Chance detects a “softness.” He beat them in elementary school, and he believes he can beat them now.

Chance’s run takes him through Golden Gardens Park, Meadow Point, and North Beach, where a maple tree grows out of the rocks. He runs seven miles in 40 minutes and then goes to the Pier B utility room, where those who have a boat in the marina can bathe, use the bathroom, and wash their clothes.

On the boat, Chance makes soup and grilled cheese. He watches TV until it gets “too stupid.” He wishes he liked music so he could listen to the radio for an hour, but he can’t listen to music. The wind rocks the boat and Chance’s mind. Sometimes, he wants his dad to vanish forever, but facing the world alone scares him.

Near the blackberry bushes along the railroad tracks, an unhoused man asks Chance for money. Chance says he doesn’t have any, but the man keeps asking and grabs his sleeve. Chance pushes him away, and he falls.