On November 19, Demon expects his eleventh birthday to pass unnoticed, especially by Mr. Crickson, and he assumes his mother might not manage a visit. The night before, during their room’s squad inspection, Demon finally blurts out his birthday to Fast Forward, who reacts like a real ally and says he will try to do something, giving Demon a rare hope for a small good moment.

The next morning, Demon waits in the dark for the bus with Tommy and Swap-Out and spends the ride and early school hours trying to hold on to the idea that something might go right. He notices even Maggot does not know it is Demon’s birthday, and Demon chooses not to tell him.

During announcements, Demon is called to the office. Demon immediately assumes it is birthday-related—maybe his mother has permission to take him out of school, or Mrs. Peggot has brought something, ideally food—so Demon arrives excited and expectant.

Instead, Demon finds Miss Barks waiting, visibly upset. Behind a closed door, Miss Barks struggles to speak, and Demon misreads her emotion as guilt over forgetting his birthday, trying to reassure her that it is normal for him.

Miss Barks breaks down crying and tells Demon the real reason he has been called in: Demon’s mother is dead. Demon refuses to accept it at first, lashes out in panic and anger, and demands to know what happened; Miss Barks says it was “oxy,” a word Demon does not even understand and has to ask her to explain.