The Beginning of Everything

After Cassidy goes home, Ezra studies himself in the mirror, accepting the new version of himself. Before spending time with Cassidy, the changes in his appearance bothered him, but now he sees them as part of himself. Ezra puts the books from under his bed on a shelf, feeling that “a small piece of my bedroom finally represented something of me” (205).

Ezra and Cassidy go to the movies that Friday night. Not wanting the evening to end, Ezra takes Cassidy to the castle park, an old playground with a large concrete fortress. They stop to buy chocolate on the way. At the checkout, they see the varsity football team, drunk and led by the quarterback, Connor MacLeary, who is buying 24 cans of cooking spray. Cassidy and Ezra return to his car joking about what the football team might be doing, assuming the cooking spray must be for some drinking game. At the playground, Cassidy and Ezra climb the fortress and snuggle into each other as they eat the chocolate, enjoying the intimacy and privacy. Suddenly Cassidy breaks away from Ezra, hearing voices. Sure enough, the football team has arrived. They start spraying the monkey bars and swings, hooting with laughter.