Dean enjoys his new life as a top, full-scholarship basketball recruit at a college in Spokane, Washington. He bonds with his basketball brothers and receives tutoring from a pretty sophomore girl. He is convinced the NBA will draft him, which will allow him to pull his family out of poverty.

He is happy to be out of his brother’s shadow: “Before, back in Hawai‘i, all everyone wanted was for me to believe in Noa, to raise him up. [...] Hate to break it to you, but I don’t fit in second place” (80). However, when he calls home and talks to his parents, they always steer the conversation toward Noa. They mention Noa’s perfect SAT scores, which received a write-up in the Honolulu Advertiser, and describe how he is excelling in advanced courses at Kahena Academy.

Dean tells his parents that he does not believe in Noa’s special gift much anymore, at least not the way his parents do. He questions why he does not possess the same gifts: “How come if there’s gods they’re not in all of us?” (85).