Pay It Forward

When Reuben gets to class on a Monday, Trevor is seated in the front row, which Reuben thinks is unusual. Trevor asks Reuben if he’s married, and then if he wishes he were, which makes Reuben remember Arlene. Reuben tries to explain that marriage is complicated because there are good ones and bad ones. Trevor keeps asking vague questions until another student, Mary Anne Telmin, who is a great student and very popular but Reuben feels is insincere, arrives. Reuben thinks excitedly about Trevor’s secret project.

After class, Trevor says his mom wants Reuben to come to dinner, which excites Reuben, though he remains cautious. Trevor says Arlene wants to talk to him about Jerry, and when Reuben suggests a parent-teacher conference, Trevor maintains that his mom is too busy.

The next morning, Arlene shows up angry again, which Reuben admires her for. Arlene is mad that Reuben has to come over for dinner, but Reuben says that Trevor brought it up as Arlene’s idea. He also says that he thinks Trevor is trying to set them up, which shocks Arlene, who says that Trevor “‘knows his daddy is gonna come home’” (61). Arlene is confused as to why Reuben would agree to dinner in the first place, at which point he apologizes for being dismissive during their earlier interaction.