History—Age Twelve
- The summer after Vera's mom runs off with the podiatrist, never to return, Charlie's dad lets him build a tree house. Even though it's Charlie's project, he calls it his and Vera's tree house.
- Charlie takes a long time to pick the tree because he says that the Great Hunter had to approve.
- This is also the summer that Vera's dad finally lets her start volunteering with the pet adoption center inside Zimmerman's Pet Store at the Pagoda Mall. He wasn't into it before, but now that Vera's mom has run off, he feels sorry for her and lets her start volunteering.
- Finally, Charlie finds the perfect tree and starts working on the tree house. He tells Vera that he plans to live in it, but she's skeptical because she doesn't know how he'll do it over the winter.
- They start working on the tree house when a white car pulls up down the road. Charlie tells her that he has to go give this guy something for his dad and runs off; she waits ten minutes before he runs back.
- He scribbles something on a napkin—he's been writing stuff on napkins for as long as Vera can remember—and she reaches over to look at it.
- Charlie flips out and tells her to give it back and that everyone is allowed to have secrets. Vera's taken aback, but she apologizes.