Chapter 1-5 Summary

It starts with Josh at a large dinner with family and friends in Mobile. He states specifically people who he hates and people who he likes within the first few pages. The family is leaving mobile for Corazon Sagrado in New Mexico because his father left for the call of the Navy. Josh reminisces as he goes there, remembering going the first time at the age of two because of multiple skin issues. There, Mr. Arnold (Josh's father), met Amadeo and Excilda, their current housekeepers and cooks. Josh insists nothing has changed there for the past seven years, and notes that its probably because of the lack of war near and around Sagrado. Once at their house, Mr. Arnold and Amadeo talk business, like most every time they arrive at their summer home. When they finally settle a deal, Mr. Arnold looks at Josh and says "I hope you learned a thing or two", even though he got a little less than a good deal. Josh understood this as his father treating the long time family friend with some respect. The next day was Josh's first day of school in Sagrado, where he meets Steenie, a boy who seems to click well with him, Marcia, a friend of Steenie who he seems to like, and Chango Lopez, who is Josh's worst living nightmare and fear. In school Josh punches Chango right in the cheek bone. The only response from him is an insult directed to Josh. After this incident, Steenie asked Josh if he was out of his mind or was asking for suicide. Josh had clearly learned his mistake by now, after messing with the most feared boy in all of Helen De Crispin Highschool.