History Literature / LanguageArts

** Alison spent Cory's childhood wasting massive amounts of money on quack cures, banning random things like plastic containers and the microwave because she'd heard they caused autism, and only allowing Cody to do things he likes, like ripping up magazines and grinding up ramen noodles with a mortar and pestle, for ten minutes a day. When Charles asks her why she can't accept him the way he is, she says "The way he is is ''sick''," and compares him to a kid with cancer.

* TeachersPet: Charles becomes Mrs. Braxton's favorite student due to his excellent penmanship, earning him the hatred of the rest of the class, particularly the bullies Bradley and Mitchell and the overachiever Astrida Pukis. Dana becomes his OnlyFriend.

* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: Alison spent Cory's childhood wasting massive amounts of money on quack cures, banning random things like plastic containers and the microwave because she'd heard they caused autism, and trying to stop Cory from doing almost anything he likes, like grinding up ramen noodles with a mortar and pestle. When Charles asks her why she can't accept him the way he is, she says "The way he is is ''sick''," and compares him to a kid with cancer.

** Dana has a lot: he sways back and forth, stares at the ceiling or out the window, picks his nose, sticks pencils in his ears, kicks his feet, and gesticulates while grunting.

* ScarsAreForever: Cody's torso is covered in scars from when he set himself on fire when he was six. He can't stand to be touched there.

* TeachersPet: Charles becomes Mrs. Braxton's favorite student due to his excellent penmanship, earning him the hatred of the rest of the class, particularly the bullies Bradley and Mitchell and the overachiever Astrida Pukis. The only kid who still likes him is Dana.

* TheUnSmile: When Mrs. Braxton bestows a compliment upon Charles, she tries to smile, even though the muscles responsible are nearly atrophied, and she's wearing a set of creepy-looking dentures.

Charles Marlow is a high school English teacher. His daughter Emmy has just left for college, his wife Alison has left him years ago, and his autistic son Cody is about to turn 21, at which point he will fall off the services cliff. Charles remembers his childhood, when he attended fourth grade with a teacher obsessed with the Palmer Method of Handwriting and a strange boy named Dana [=McGucken=].

* OneWordVocabulary: Before Cody went entirely mute, the last word to go was "God," which became shortened to "Gaaah." He applied that word to everything, including Emmy.

* FirstFriend: Charles met Donnie Bothwell in kindergarten after they were both knocked over by a stampede of upperclassmen and sat next to each other outside the nurse's office. They were best friends for the next four years, until the Bothwells moved to Minnesota before fourth grade.

* CharacterTics: Dana has a lot: he sways back and forth, stares at the ceiling or out the window, picks his nose, sticks pencils in his ears, kicks his feet, and gesticulates while grunting.

* CharacterTics: In class, Dana sways back and forth, stares at the ceiling or out the window, picks his nose, sticks pencils in his ears, and kicks his feet.

* CharacterTics: Dana sways dreamily back and forth in class.

* TheSpeechless: Cody has been nonverbal since he was a toddler. For a while he could write his name, but he eventually lost that ability too.