A Good Neighborhood

Valerie does not attend the next book club meeting, which is held at Ellen’s house. The members of the book club discuss Xavier’s situation. Some think he should have known better, some think he raped Juniper, and some defend him. Esther says that her husband, Hank, had a premonition about a grave. Hank had said that Xavier hates white people because of his father’s death.

Harrington explains the conditions of Xavier’s release on bond, telling him he cannot travel nor get in any trouble and to stay away from the Whitmans. Valerie used all their savings and borrowed against her house so she could afford Xavier’s bail and the $10,000 retainer for Harrington. Valerie apologizes because she knows Brad is trying to get back at her for the lawsuit. Xavier wants to get more hours at work to help pay back his mother, but he is fired from his job. He then receives a letter from his college rescinding his offer to enroll.

Brad sits outside and stares at the dying oak tree while reveling in the misery Valerie and Xavier are feeling. He enjoys punishing Xavier and teaching him “a lesson about what he [is] and [is] not entitled to” (269). He knows Xavier did not rape or coerce Juniper, but he tells himself she might have dated Xavier to get his attention. He thinks that Xavier is “slick” because he is a “Black musician,” and Brad assumes that Xavier has several girls that he is stringing along. He is jealous of Black musicians and Black athletes because he believes they get more attention from women. Although Brad is pleased to punish Xavier, he is also happy that Xavier gave him the opportunity to end the lawsuit from Valerie. He plans to make his offer after making the Alston-Holt family suffer for a few days.

The reporters leave the area, as no one is willing to talk to them. However, the story is circulated in the far-right media—“those dark spaces that are so comfortable for good ol’ boys with deep prejudice and hair-trigger tempers and vigilante mindsets” (271). Xavier leaves his house thinking he will go to one of his friends’ houses to help get his mind off his charges. While walking to his car, he is attacked by a truckful of men who drive past and hit Xavier’s hand with a pole.

The police say it is unlikely that they will find the people who attacked Xavier. Xavier has seven broken bones and undergoes extensive surgery to repair his hand. Although Xavier’s hand is saved, he will not be able to pursue his dreams of playing classical guitar.

Everly calls and tells Valerie that Whitman’s lawyer offered to drop the charges against Xavier if Valerie agrees to drop her lawsuit. Valerie accepts the offer without hesitation, but Everly does not like the shady agreement. He says it is immoral but that they can agree to drop it conditionally. Whitman’s lawyer does not have the ability to drop the case against Xavier because it is the district attorney’s case. Valerie delivers the news to Xavier, but Xavier is not happy. He knows that, even if the case is dropped, his life will never be the same. He says that it will not save the tree, let him play guitar, or bring back Juniper.

Brad calls Tony, the district attorney, and asks him to drop the charges against Xavier. Tony is unwilling to drop the charges. He knows he has a strong case, and he thinks that dropping the charges will make him look bad. He scolds Brad for trying to use him to manipulate Valerie. Brad is upset at Tony because Tony has made him look foolish.

Harrington calls and tells Xavier that the district attorney has not dropped the charges. He says that Xavier needs to seriously consider pleading guilty to lesser charges. Xavier does not want to, and the situation infuriates him. He does not answer Harrington, and they agree to figure it out later. After getting off the phone, he watches a video of a speech given by his father. When Valerie gets home, Xavier does not tell her that the charges are still in place. She is wary about leaving to go to Chris’s daughter’s wedding, but Xavier tells her he will be fine home alone.