Going Bovine Chapter 8 Summary

Two Weeks Later Of What Happens When I Punch Chet King in the Stomach and Not Even Intentionally

  • Cam does not feel good. His stoner buddies are convinced he's "taking the Psilocybin Express to Club Mushroom Med," but he thinks there's something really wrong with him—he's pale, twitchy, and a bit messed-up in the head.
  • He hasn't been sleeping either, so he blames his continuing hallucinations of flames and twitchiness on sleep deprivation.
  • Cam's sitting in Spanglish class, where Mr. Glass is desperately trying to get a conversation going about Don Quixote, when Cam has an episode. His ears are buzzing, his head aches, his body feels like it's on fire, and his arm spazzes out so that Mr. Glass calls on him. Out of desperation he tells his teacher to "f*** off" (never a choice phrase with educators).
  • He can't control his muscles for some reason, so Chet King gets up to help escort him from the classroom… and Cam accidentally punches him in the gut.
  • Cam is suspended for five days for bad behavior and suspicion of drug use, but the worst is yet to come at home: Dad's concerned about colleges accepting him, while Mom is worried that his quality of pot might be sub-par, or worse, that he's into harder stuff.
  • Cam doesn't know how to tell his parents that something's really wrong, so he doesn't say anything at all. His punishment is having the door taken off his room and being subjected to a drug counselor and a shrink. Oh, and being grounded for all eternity.
  • Jenna's pretty upset that Cam punched her boyfriend, and she makes it pretty clear that he's not to acknowledge her in any way from now on.