Scrawl

The narrative jumps back to the previous week before the incident with Ricardo. Tod introduces himself to his reader, Mrs. Woodrow. She is the no-nonsense guidance counselor who is supervising his month-long after-school punishment and reading the journal. He reveals that he has accepted this punishment as an alternative to picking up trash like his friends who were also involved in the incident that led to this punishment. Mrs. Woodrow has instructed Tod to write about anything, and she leaves notes for him in the margins. Tod describes his hatred of his desk, his homework, and the classroom clock and blackboard until he meets his word count requirement.

The next day, Mrs. Woodrow has left an encouraging message for Tod in the journal, inviting him to reply to her marginal notes only in writing. Tod expresses his skepticism that he can be "fixed," as other interventions involving his mother and the guidance counselor have failed. According to Tod, he is the one responsible for keeping his troublemaking friends in line. Tod appreciates that this punishment keeps him from interacting with the school "sentries," the armed security guards on campus. He also likes that it keeps him from going home to an insufficient dinner, broken windows in the cold weather, and his mother's demanding husband. He claims that he doesn't know where he wants to be.

Tod claims that his friends think that he is being "brainwashed" into obedience during his after-school writing sessions. He acknowledges that meeting the word count every day is his ticket to freedom, so he describes in many words and metaphors how he feels about school and life. Some words he chooses are "lonely," "disadvantaged," and "incarceration" (10).

Mrs. Woodrow changes the minimum writing requirements from word count to page count. She asks Tod to talk about his friends, but Tod refuses at first. Instead, he starts writing about the unfair rules at school. Tod questions why school starts at a seemingly arbitrary time and why lunchtime is too early on some days. He then describes his weekend breakfasts of cheap cereal and his science class where he works with a blind student named Stuart. Tod claims that homework is easy for him, so he finishes it in study hall. Tod writes that, at lunch, he waits to eat last after playing cards with his friends, hoping to get a bigger serving. Tod eventually does describe his friends, Rex, Bernie, and Rob. Rex is unpredictable and moody. Bernie is poorer than Tod but positive and has known Tod the longest. Rob is middle class and outwardly friendly but also an outcast like the others.

Tod wasn't in detention the day before and claims that he doesn't care that he missed it. He was in the principal's office for beating up Ricardo. The principal, Mr. Carnegie, called Tod's mother, who was not happy to be taken away from her busy sewing job for the local dry cleaner. After Mr. Carnegie called Tod a "delinquent," Tod's mother angrily tore Tod's collar before their long bus ride home.

This entry reveals that Tod tore out the first entry of the novel (the first part of October 27^th) and Mrs. Woodrow stapled it back in, which explains the non-chronological dates. She asks Tod not to rip any more pages out. The narrative continues where the earlier entry left off: Tod bullying Ricardo. Tod was then running late for his favorite class, English, with the easygoing Mr. Harmon. Tod likes reading the posters Mr. Harmon has next to his classroom door which contain famous quotes. Mr. Harmon collected the homework and began a discussion about the book Animal Farm. He called on Tod, who at first pretended not to know the answer. As Tod slowly began sharing his insights, a school officer barged into the classroom to collect Tod for breaking Ricardo's glasses. Tod imagines Mr. Harmon jumping in to defend him, but in reality, Tod was escorted silently out of the room.

Mrs. Woodrow thanks Tod for his cooperation and honesty. She asks about his home life. Tod writes that this morning he was annoyingly woken up early by Bernie who wanted to show him a Thai food menu with a dish named "Tod Mun Koong" (31). Tod returned Bernie's coat, which Bernie had asked Tod to have his mom sew. Tod secretly repaired the tear himself but lied and said that his mom did it. She has forcibly enrolled him in her sewing school. Tod helps his mother with mending, but she keeps his earnings. As the boys talked, Dick, Tod's stepfather, yelled at them to be quiet.