The Season of Styx Malone

Talking to the nurse, Mom reveals that Dad was the one who called DCS to report Styx’s behavior. Caleb is stunned to hear it. They wait for most of the day without getting to see Styx. Finally, Mom cannot content Susie any longer and says they must go home. The boys are upset and resistant. She promises they will come back and tells the boys to meet her at the door in five minutes.

As soon as Mom goes to fetch the car, Caleb states he will not leave. Bobby Gene is trying to reason with Caleb when they see Mr. Pike. Mr. Pike recognizes them and calls them by name. A nurse phoned the number on Styx’s driver’s license so he knew to come. He is concerned about Styx; he tells Caleb and Bobby Gene that Styx lived with him for three years and tried to run away nine times. After the first three times, Mr. Pike stopped involving DCS and just let Styx come back when he was ready. He says he tried to take care of Styx but DCS took him to a new placement. Mr. Pike does not explain why. He says that this is the longest Styx “ever stayed in one place before trying to run away” (258), and he subtly connects this to the friendship between Styx and the brothers. Mom pulls up and waves for the boys to come out, but at that moment, Styx walks down the hall.

Styx has bandages on his head and arm, and an IV in his arm. The boys rush to him and hug him. He says he is “all banged up” (260), but “[t]hey gotta send more than a lousy pickup truck to take [him] down” (261). A nurse reprimands Styx and forces him to leave his visitors and get back in bed. Back at home, Dad greets them with pizza. Caleb is confused. He thinks that he and Bobby Gene should be in more trouble, but their parents are acting very tender. He is worried about the impact of Styx feeling betrayed by them. Caleb goes to lay down and ignores Mom’s concerns. Later, he and Bobby Gene investigate Styx’s backpack. It holds candy cigarettes, some clothing, a toothbrush, and a threadbare stuffed frog. Caleb judges by the contents that Styx really was running away again, and planning to leave him and Bobby Gene behind.

Caleb’s emotions are convoluted. He is sad about the moped, relieved that Styx is alive, sad and angry that Styx planned to run away, and guilty and frustrated that Dad contributed to the trouble by notifying DCS. He wonders if true freedom means leaving emotion and love of family behind, as Styx seems to avoid emotional pain. While Caleb is feeling bad, Bobby checks on him. Together they look at the piece of twisted metal from the moped and the way the numbers and letters on it became bent into strange new shapes. Bobby realizes it first, but Caleb soon sees it as well: It now reads “MIRACLES” (266). Caleb sees that it was indeed a miracle that Styx lived, but he is still upset at the loss of the freedom he dreamed of with Styx and the moped.

Cory comes over for chores, but Caleb tells him that Mom is taking Bobby Gene and him back to the hospital. Mom, however, says she should not have promised to do so; they saw Styx yesterday, and that’s that. Caleb is so upset that he refuses to do any chores. Bobby Gene and Cory refuse as well. Mom leaves for work and Dad does not even mention the topic of the hospital. Caleb wants to argue about it, but he walks away instead.

Caleb determines to go the whole way to the hospital on his bike. Bobby Gene tries to stop him, then allows him to leave when he sees he cannot prevent it. A few minutes later, Bobby Gene catches up to Caleb on his own bike. A car passes them, then turns and pulls up alongside; they do not know the woman driving, but Styx is in the back seat. He tells them to visit him. Bobby Gene and Caleb start for home, but the next car that approaches is Mom. Furious, she tells the boys to load their bikes. Caleb feels stuck in Sutton and like there are no miracles for him.

The boys go to their room. Caleb is miserable, knowing that his parents will not permit him to see Styx anymore, and knowing that Styx was ready to leave anyway. Mom tells Dad she will take them in the morning to say goodbye to Styx. Dad decides he will do that instead, right away, to get it over with: “This nonsense ends tonight” (276).

While Dad talks to Styx’s foster mother, the boys confront Styx. They point out that he used them and their fireworks to get the moped, always planning to leave on it and not share. Styx tells them they cannot understand, and that the brothers left him first. Dad tells Caleb and Bobby Gene that it is time to go and cuts off their plans to see Styx again the next day. He tells Styx he is too reckless to hang out with his sons. Caleb protests: “You want us to live in a box?” (279). Dad explains that he just wants them to be safe until they can better understand the dangers of the world.

Styx beckons Caleb aside and tells him that he and Styx share the knowledge that they are more than what others see. Emboldened, Caleb faces his father and asserts that he is not ordinary and not like everyone else. Dad realizes Caleb has misunderstood his comment about being “extraordinary.” Bobby Gene tells Dad that the events of the summer have been important, and that they are ready to see more and have bigger experiences. He reaches a hand to Caleb, and Caleb realizes his brother can helpfully explain their feelings to Dad.

After three days of grounding, Mom sends the boys out of the house. They make a trip to Styx’s house where Pixie is visiting. They joke and laugh. When Caleb is alone with Styx, Styx tells him that he will soon be moved to a new foster home but does not yet know where. He wishes that he would have been able to tell Mr. Pike that he is sorry.

Caleb overhears Mom mentioning that DCS will have to find a place for Styx despite no one volunteering to take him. Bobby Gene and Caleb stay up late and plan a presentation to suggest to Mom and Dad that they foster Styx. In the morning, they make their pitch; they have a plan for expenses, sleeping arrangements, and other details. Mom and Dad still say no. Caleb tells Dad it is his fault that DCS got involved, and that they owe Styx their help. He also mentions that Mr. Pike said he loves Styx and would love to have him back, but that Styx thinks Mr. Pike asked to have him removed. This prompts Mom to call DCS and try to straighten the crossed lines of communication. Dad shows Caleb that he purchased tickets to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

In the last chapter, Caleb explains that the trip to the museum was “the best day of our lives” (291). Besides Bobby Gene and Caleb, Dad takes Styx, Cory, and Pixie. When they return to Styx’s foster home, Mr. Pike is waiting to take Styx home. Styx is thrilled. Caleb realizes this means he won’t get to see Styx often, but he is relieved and happy that Styx will have a home to which he wants to return. When Styx says goodbye, he high-fives Bobby Gene and Caleb and says, “That was the best summer ever […] Truly extraordinary” (293), and Caleb agrees, but when Bobby Gene echoes Styx, he pronounces the word extra-ordinary, like Dad. Caleb is immediately bothered to hear his brother call their summer even more ordinary than most, but in a flash of understanding, he realizes his mistake. He also sees that he could have avoided a lot of conflict with his father if he had only understood him earlier in the summer when he though his father was calling him very ordinary. Styx departs with Mr. Pike, and Caleb reflects on lessons learned by all.

For the last section of the chapter, Caleb’s narrative voice shifts to a retelling of past events from some unknown future point. He mentions how the items above his bunk now indicate his family’s travel to different destinations like Chicago, Lake Michigan, and the museum. He also mentions that he and Bobby Gene hung the moped’s twisted MIRACLES part on the wall as a reminder of the special summer with Styx Malone.