The Impossible Knife of Memory

Finn and Hayley go to the library and get ice cream. She asks why he is not on the swim team anymore, and he replies that the coach was too intense and he did not think he would get a swimming scholarship for college. His dream school is Swevenbury, but he will never be able to afford it. Hayley is not sure what she will do since she cannot leave her dad. Finn explains how he used to live near Detroit, but his family moved after his dad lost his job. His dad now works in Boston and is rarely home; his parents are unhappy. He has a sister, but they “don’t talk about her” (168).

Finn drives Hayley home. She wants to kiss him, but before they can, Finn says there’s a man with an ax behind her. It is Hayley’s dad. Hayley tells Finn to leave, but Finn introduces himself to Andy, who is drunk and angry that Finn was out with his daughter. Hayley steps between them, urging Finn to leave.