Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

Matt and Ursula still sit with other misfits at their cafeteria table, but they do not call or email each other anymore. Ursula vows not to cry about this loss of Matt’s friendship or to “give in” (193) to the emotional stalemate between them.

Matt also vows that he won’t give in, though this distance between himself and Ursula feels “like a time bomb. A secret bomb” (194). Hurt by her statement that people consider his family’s suit greedy, he is also angry at Ursula. Even as he is angry and lonely, “at school Matt wanted to shield his eyes from her. She was so tall, walked with such pride. He saw her blue eyes glance upon him with contempt. She was a person of integrity, he was a coward” (195).

Matt’s mother drives him to Manhattan to see Dr. Harpie, an adolescent psychologist. No one except Ursula knows about Matt’s suicide attempt, and Matt feels only Ursula truly understands him.

Matt guesses that this therapy appointment is part of his parents’ legal strategy. Once at the office, Matt suddenly insists to his mother he will not honor the appointment and leaves.

At home, Matt tries to convince his father to drop the suit, saying he just wants to forget the whole thing.