Max tells Robie that he was determined to never face another wrestling loss like the one he experienced at the state championship. Wrestling became the focus of his life, until he started to date a girl named Brandy, who he'd known throughout his school years. He said he initially asked her out because they were friendly and he was looking for a homecoming date, but then, "that was it. Neither of us ever dated anyone else" (132).

Robie smiles as Maxrecounts his story about Brandy, noting that he seemed "so in love" (132).

Max mentions that Brandy’s mother never liked him much, adding that she may have been right to be suspicious of him, but then doesn't go into an explanation of why that might be. 

When evening comes, Max sleeps again, and Robie stays awake. She is acclimating to the experience of raft-life, and she notes that, "I'd grown used to the motion. And the quiet. At first the quiet was so loud. There was so much nothing that I couldn't block out. But I was getting used to that too, the quiet" (133).

Robie then hears a plane. She tries to rouse Max, but does not succeed, so she tries to figure out the flares on her own.