Falling Short

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains depictions of bullying and substance use disorder.

Isaac Castillo, the narrator of the chapters that bear his name, wakes up to the sound of his best friend and next-door neighbor, Marco Honeyman, tapping on his window. The two boys are very different: While Isaac is tall and muscular and feels that basketball is the only thing he excels at, Marco is unusually small for his age and excels at academic pursuits. Isaac has not slept well after listening to his divorcing parents fighting the night before, but he gets up to let Marco in because this is their first day at their new middle school. Isaac is determined to be more responsible and have a better academic year. He wants to make his parents proud and take some of the worry off his mother’s shoulders. He even imagines that if he stays out of trouble it will somehow bring his parents back together. After Marco shows off his new rolling backpack, Marco and Isaac eat a big breakfast that Isaac’s mother has cooked.