Tiger, Jesse Wade, and Tiger’s mother go swimming in the creek. Tiger is tasked with watching her mother, and she observes her mother’s natural physical beauty. Later, they check out books from a traveling library that stopped at Tiger’s school outside the gymnasium. While her mother is browsing, Tiger wanders off to watch her peers having fun. Tiger’s mother becomes distraught when she can’t find Tiger and causes a scene, much to Tiger’s embarrassment. Other girls at the school laugh at them—girls including Abby Lynn, the most popular (and, Tiger believes, the prettiest) girl in school. Even Jesse Wade hesitates to make eye contact with Tiger after the episode, but he eventually looks up and smiles at her. Tiger remembers that Abby Lynn will be hosting a swimming party, and Tiger wonders doubtfully if she will be invited.

For the first time, after the stressful incident with her mother at school, Tiger begins to resent her parents and their differences. Granny reassures her that the girls who laughed at them that day at the school aren’t worth her time, but Tiger isn’t sure. Corrina watches too much television and ignores her family until Granny makes a rule limiting TV time.