Dark Art
- Mr. Freeman is in trouble. The school thinks he's been giving out too many As.
- The giant canvas stands unfinished. Mr. Freeman is too depressed to work on it.
- It's freezing cold in the room, but nobody wants to complain to Mr. Freeman.
- Melinda is trying to carve a tree in linoleum. She accidentally cuts her thumb on the linoleum knife. Mr. Freeman gives her a tissue and washes the knife with bleach. Melinda shakes her head "no" when Mr. Freeman asks if she wants to see the nurse.
- Before Mr. Freeman gives Melinda back the knife, he uses it to slash his canvas.
- Everybody in the class is shocked.
- The chapter ends with Melinda's report card. She gets Ds in Attitude and Social Studies, an A in Art, a B in Biology, and Cs in everything else.