Contents
The Woods Are Alive
Overview
During Big Movie Night, August and Jack break the rules by heading into the woods to pee. They cross paths with Amos, Miles, and Henry, highlighting shifting alliances. Unsettling snaps and a firecracker smell in the dark woods foreshadow trouble and push them to leave quickly.
Summary
As The Sound of Music reaches the “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” scene, Jack tells August he has to pee. They hop past classmates on sleeping bags—trading a wave with Summer—and find long lines at the toilets. Ignoring the cones they were told not to pass, they head toward the dark tree line without flashlights.
Near the woods, a flashlight reveals Amos, Miles, and Henry coming out. Though Miles and Henry still snub Jack, Amos has eased tensions and quietly acknowledges them. Henry jokes about bears while Amos wordlessly signals not to engage, underscoring the tentative truce.
Just inside the woods, Jack urinates, then August does, surrounded by loud insect calls. They hear sharp snapping sounds that don’t seem like bugs and notice a firecracker-like smell. Uneasy, they decide to leave and return toward the field as the distant movie song continues.
Who Appears
- August PullmanNarrator; follows Jack past the cones, pees in the woods, hears snaps, smells smoke, and decides to head back.
- Jack WillImpetuous friend; insists on peeing in the woods, leading them past the cones into a tense, eerie situation.
- AmosFormer opponent turned neutral; briefly greets them and signals to ignore Miles and Henry’s teasing.
- Henry JoplinStill aligned against Jack; jokes about bears while leaving the woods with Miles and Amos.
- MilesWith Henry and Amos; avoids talking to Jack and laughs at Henry’s bear comment.
- Summer DawsonClassmate; silently supports August with a wave as he and Jack leave the crowd.