Solo

On the first day of his isolation, Blade texts Chapel but gets no reply. He writes Chapel a love song. The next day, Blade refuses to eat and shouts at Storm to stop pestering him. The third day, Blade thinks about his mom. That night he has another dream about her: He is in a field of fire, being chased by a big red spider. His mom whispers “run” and he runs toward her, but never reaches her. On the fourth day, he wonders who his biological parents are and why they gave him up. He throws a drawing of his mom and a teddy bear Rutherford gave him in the trash. Storm pounds on his door, begging him to open it. Blade writes another love song to Chapel entitled, “I miss you” (160). Rutherford slips an envelope under Blade’s door on the fifth day, with an apology note and a manila envelope. A note is enclosed with the name, “Lucy Pearl November, Hammond, Louisiana” (164), and another sealed envelope with his mom’s writing on the front: “To Blade, our son, / in the event / you should want / to know more. // Love, / Mom” (164). Blade decides to find out more about Lucy Pearl November, his biological mother. He discovers that she was a preschool teacher. Blade doesn’t open the letter from his mom. He tracks down Lucy’s parents’ number and, after much deliberation, calls and asks to speak to Lucy. Lucy’s mother tells Blade that Lucy has been in Ghana, building a school, for 10 years and gives him the name of her organization. On the last day of hiding in his room, Blade decides to find his biological mother. He texts Chapel, telling her to meet him at the park the next day, at 7:30 pm. She doesn’t text back.

Blade leaves his room and tells Storm he is going to Africa. Storm is skeptical and worried. She tries to dissuade him and tells him not to give up on her and Rutherford, who love him. Blade finds Rutherford playing the song he played at Blade’s mom’s funeral, “Sunny,” on his guitar. Blade tells Rutherford that he found Lucy and that he’s leaving tomorrow. Rutherford looks defeated and apologizes again.

After Blade purchases his ticket to Africa, Storm punches his arm, hugs him, reminds him about medication he might need for Ghana, and tells him to stay in touch. Blade asks Storm to call Chapel’s home phone and remind her to meet him in the park since Chapel has not answered Blade’s calls. Blade tells Storm that he is going to give Chapel a gift to let her know that “she’ll always be / with [him], on [his] mind, / and deep inside / [his] skin” (181). Blade packs and leaves to “honor Chapel” by getting her name tattooed on his bicep. Blade wants to say goodbye to Robert and to let him know that he loves him, but he misses him, filling Blade with regret that he never expressed his feelings before.

As Blade waits in the park, he thinks about how he’ll say goodbye to Chapel, and imagines that she might say she’ll join him in Africa. Chapel is late, and when Blade texts Storm to confirm that she reminded Chapel, Storm replies that she did, but she begs Blade to come home so she can talk to him. Ignoring Storm, Blade drives to Chapel’s house, fantasizing about Chapel jumping into his arms and kissing him. Blade hears laughter behind Chapel’s house, so he follows it. He sees Chapel kissing Van DeWish. Chapel and Van turn to look at him and Van brings up Blade’s kiss at Storm’s party. Blade goes to hit Van but Chapel steps in front of him. She sees Blade’s new tattoo and starts crying. Chapel apologizes and asks Blade to say something, so he says “You’re the spider” (193).

Blade composes a song for Chapel, detailing all the negative things about her. For himself, he writes a poem about the heart as “her” country in which he no longer lives. Blade decides that music only brings him pain, so he destroys his guitar as Storm tries to stop him. Blade stares at the destruction until Storm grabs his hand. As Storm drives Blade to the airport, they joke with each other to cover the sadness they feel at saying goodbye. Storm gives Blade a CD to take with him, says she loves him, and wishes him luck.