Demon reflects that the happiest stretches of his life hurt the most in hindsight: his early childhood around Mrs. Peggot’s home and the creek, and his “born again” social life in seventh and eighth grade at Jonesville Middle. Even while he starts to fit in, Demon stays braced for betrayal or loss, unable to trust good fortune.

Late January, U-Haul lures Demon into Coach Winfield’s office with a lie about the football playbook needing repair. Alone, U-Haul seethes with resentment about Demon being treated like family and hints that Demon is using “tactics” to get his place in the house. U-Haul ends with a threatening “warning” that the welcome will turn on Demon, leaving Demon shaken but unsurprised.

At school, Demon finds real support in Mr. Armstrong, a counselor and substitute English teacher who treats students respectfully and teaches Demon language and identity details (including capitalizing “Black” and “Melungeon”). Mr. Armstrong’s wife, Ms. Annie, an art teacher at Lee High, meets Demon after seeing his drawings; she’s impressed by Demon’s skill and offers to work with him as his Gifted teacher, opening access to serious art materials and instruction.

Betsy Woodall visits to transfer Demon’s paperwork so Coach can become his legal guardian through DSS, and she closely reviews Demon’s school performance and worries about sports interfering with education. Coach assures Betsy he will “enhance” Demon’s potential, and Betsy concludes Demon is improving. Over dinner, Betsy even raises changing Demon’s last name to hers, which Demon resists because it would erase his mother and tangle him further with his dead father’s identity.

As months pass, Coach’s house becomes more stable for visitors, and Demon and Angus host friends in separate circles: Angus’s mostly male crew upstairs (including Sax), and Demon’s group of girls downstairs for homework help. Demon notices how warmly the girls dote on Mr. Dick, which stirs complicated jealousy and longing for uncomplicated kindness.

Coach and JV coach Mr. Briggs steer Demon toward playing tight end, with an eye on Demon’s size, speed, and willingness to execute plays rather than star. Through summer football camp, Demon earns weight-room privileges, gets pulled into tougher drills, and excels in the chutes—turning his lifelong habit of staying low and driving forward into a visible “superpower.” By fall, Demon is dressing out and soaking up pep-rally attention as a seventh grader, while U-Haul watches with hostility.