- When Pearl gets back to the house, she's relieved to find that her mom's not home yet. Phew. She's grounded, remember?
- She starts cleaning the bathroom, and her mom gets home only five minutes later.
- Since she's gotten away with lying and exploring when grounded before, Pearl is packing some confidence and decides she'll test her luck: Pearl tells her mom that she's going to go do homework (ahem, meet Amiel) in the tree house. And her mom lets her go.
- Pearl gets to the tree house, works on homework for a little while, and then rides her bike over to where Amiel lives in the woods.
- She's knee-deep in the water when she sees him barefoot on the riverbank with an axe in his hand.
- Startled, Pearl considers turning around or calling her friend, but presses on.
- She begins talking to Amiel, but he doesn't say anything back. Hmm… is that because he can't, or is it because he doesn't want to?
- After a while, he motions for her to come with him and takes her into his house, which is the hut he's fashioned for himself in the woods.
- He's still not talking, so Pearl decides she better get home before her mom suspects anything.
- It's getting dark anyway, and she has to ride her bike.
- On the ride, she gets frightened going home in the dark and decides she won't do this again. Ever.