This section begins at Abigail’s house on the night of the party. The weather is on most people’s minds: a tropical storm is due to hit Willow Springs by the next morning. The dinner itself is uncomfortable, as George, upset by their earlier fight about Shawn, reacts coldly to Cocoa. Frustrated with George’s passive-aggressive behavior, Cocoa goes out to the back porch with Junior Lee. Junior Lee comes onto Cocoa, and Cocoa goes back inside. Confronted by a jealous Ruby, Junior Lee lies and says Cocoa “tricked” him into being alone with her (397-98). Ruby invites Cocoa to her house under the pretense of apologizing for Junior Lee’s behavior. Cocoa accepts and visits Ruby the next day. While sitting on the porch together, Ruby massages “a solution” into Cocoa’s scalp and braids her hair (405).

As the storm approaches, the townspeople remain calm. Storms are a regular occurrence, and “if anything gets blown down, it’s understood everybody will get together and put it back up” (410). Miranda, Abigail, Cocoa, and George all endure the storm at the other place in stony silence; however, George remarks that despite his skepticism about religion in general, “the winds coming around the corner of that tiny house on that tiny island was God” (415).