Slam Chapter 17 Summary

  • The next day, Sam's dad shows up to take him to dinner. He suggests they go to a pub with Rufus, even though Sam is only sixteen.
  • The way his dad sees it? Taking a baby along gives him street cred. No one bothers to ID the guy with a kid because everyone just assumes that he's old enough to be in a bar.
  • Great advice, Dad. Sam doesn't bother letting his dad in on the fact that he's had wine before.
  • When he gets home, he talks to Tony for a while about his dad. Tony got lucky; his dad was always there for him, and he even started the National skateboard Association when Tony took up the sport.
  • Sam knows Tony's dad died of cancer, though, and says sorry to the guy for that.
  • They go to an Italian place for dinner, and Sam's dad offers him a bunch of advice—gems like, having a baby is great for picking up chicks, and don't end up like brother and sister with Alicia (since that's what happened with Sam's parents).
  • It's boring for Sam, and he doesn't buy into most of what his dad says.
  • Yet his dad also says the most sensible thing he's heard lately: Don't expect relationships to last.
  • He's young and in love now, but all that will change in the next five minutes at his age. It's no biggie.
  • Sam thinks about how this is true and he shouldn't force things with Alicia so much.
  • When he gets home, he gets in another fight with her. She makes an underhanded comment about his dad and Sam gets annoyed, even though he knows it's true.
  • A few nights later, Sam decides to move back home. It's not about the fights with Alicia—or so he says.
  • He has a cold and doesn't want to get the baby sick. They swear it's only temporary, but Sam knows he'll never be back to Alicia's.
  • Hmm… maybe that's why Alicia joked that she caught his cold in the future.
  • Sam's mom wants to make sure he didn't move out because of something his dad said, but Sam assures her that's not the case.
  • That night, he talks to Tony before he goes to sleep. TH tells him about splitting up with his wife but making the best life for his kid.
  • That doesn't help Sam very much, but he thinks about it as he drifts off to sleep.