chapter 13

Even though Finny is gone, the world still moves on. My class has graduated from Devon school and I am going to join the Navy. Brinker brings me into the butt room, where I havent been to in a while to meet his father. He explains to us how he is disappointed that Brinker and I joined branches of the military that avoid the danger of infantry. He tells us to serve our country proudly and that how we serve will become a large part of who we are in life. Even though I joined the military, I never took the life of anyone while in battle. The real war in my life was fought at the Devon school where I killed Finny. For my other friends, their battle was fought in war, that will forever scar them for the rest of their life. Just like the death of Finny has done to me. The only one out of us that never sensed the enemy in his life was Finny. He treated everyone like his friend in his short life, and never thought of anyone as being the enemy.

chapter 12

Finny has fallen down the stairs after he has stormed out of the assembly hall. We ran as quickly as we could to go get Dr. Stanpole. He diagnosed Finny with another break in his leg. He assures me that it is a much cleaner break than last time and not nearly as severe. I snuck up to Finny's room to look in the window to tell him tht I'm sorry, but he wont accept my apology. I wandered the campus of Devan the entire night thinking about what has happened and how bad I fell for Finny and how it is really all my fault. The next day Dr. Stanpole left me a note asking me to bring a suitcase of Finny's things to the enfirmary. When I go to drop his belongings off, Finny confesses to me that he has been trying to join every branch of the military there is. But none of them would accept him because of his leg. That is why he has been saying there is no war because he knows that he will never be allowed to fight in it. Dr. Stanpole tells me to come back later when the anesthesia will wear off after he sets Finny's bone back to normal. When I came back later that day Dr. Stanpole informs me that Finny has passed away. He explains to me that a peice of bone marrow broke off and got into his bloodstream and stopped his heart. At first I was in disbelief, but when it began to sink in that Finny was really gone, I showed no emotion. In a way, Finny's death was really my own as well.            

chapter 11

I have come back to school from Lepers house to see Finny participating in a snowball fight. I dont think it is right for him to be taking part in this activity to to the fact that his leg isnt healed and is using a walking stick. But Finny seems to think that when his bones broke they are going to heal and become even stronger than they were before. All of the boys, except for me are beginning to enlist in the military. I don't really want to enlist and feel as if i did, I would be leaving Finny out to dry. That would not be right, especially knowing I am responsible for his terrible condition. Brinker thinks I should come clean to Finny about what happened when he fell out of the tree and that after I tell him everything will be back to the way it was before, but I doubt this would happen. I could Finny ever forgive me for crippling him for the rest of his life? Leper is now suprisingly back at Devon after being discharged from the Army. Brinker takes Finny and I to the assembly hall in front of a large number of people and tells us to tell everyone what happened. Finny tells them that I was at the bottom of the tree when I fell. I agreed with this but told everyone I cannot remember what had happened.

chapter 10

I am going to Leper's house in Vermont for Christmas. I am taking a train and a bus all the way to his house. The bus didn't bring me to Leper's house. Instead it brought me to his town and I had to walk the rest of the way in the snow. When I arrive at Lepers house he informs me that he left the Army because they were going to perform a section 8 on him. Which is discharging someone because of insanity. Leper claims he left before they could do this because if he has that on his record he will never be able to lead a normal life. Leper and I begin to get into an argument. He then accuses me of pushing Finny out of the tree. I did not take kindly to this and responded by kicking Lepers chair out from underneath him. His mother then came into the room in his defense accusing me of attacking a sick person.

chapter 9

Finny and I tdecide to stop going to the butt room. Finny takes me away from all of my friends because I am training for the olympics. I miss my friends, but at the same time feel obligated and enjoy training for the olympics with Finny. Finny decides to stage a winter carnival. The carnival turns out being rather boring and lame. We made a ski jump, snow statues, and even prizes. Music is brought to the carnival thanks to Chet Douglass and his trumpet.  

chapter 8

Finny is checked out of the hospital and returns to school. Finny jokes about the lack of maid service in our room. I know that the lack of having a maid is a small price to pay considering the war going on. Brinker comes into our room to greet Finny. He then jokingly begins to tell Finny about how I had a plan to kill Finny so I could have the room to myself. This makes me think about the day I shook the tree branch leading to Finny's shattered leg. I cut Brinker's story short by bringing up the idea of enlisting in the Army. Finny is fully against the idea of me enlisting in the army. His strong disapproval of me doing so urges me to make the decision of not joining the service. Finny later asks me what sport I am playing this year, I defensively tell him that I am not playing any sports this year. I begin to feel bad for not playing a sport because Finny physically cannot.      

chapter 7

Brinker comes into my room and was amazed at how I got such a big room all to myslef. He jokes about me getting rid of Finny to have the room all to myself. Even though this isnt funny I decide to just go along with it and laugh. Brinker and I then go to the butt room to smoke cigarettes. Brinker pretends the butt room is a dungeon. I began to tell Brinker and the others in the butt room that I shook the tree branch that caused Finny to fall and shatter his leg. I told the story in an obvious joking manner, hoping the others would think I was just trying to be funny. When I got to the part of the story where I shook the tree branch, I froze and didn't know what to say. I then left the butt room with the lame excuse that I needed to go study my French.