Snik’s family finds out on New Year’s Day that his father is being sent overseas. Snik is sad but stoic, “he was a soldier, right? You do what you’re ordered to do” (77). Before he leaves, Snik’s father gives him his chessboard and some books on chess.

Snik gets an email from his father, who is stationed in the Middle East, asking Snik, “how about a game of chess?” (81), with details of a website they can use. The codes look complicated, but, after some hesitation, Snik takes up the challenge and starts a remote chess game with his father.

At school, Snik gets annoyed with “this jerk” (83) Ronnie Teotwawki, who asks Snik why he is hanging around with Brenton. Snik tells Ronnie to mind his own business and threatens to “bust his head open” (83) if he doesn’t stop snooping.

Judy is upset that Snik’s dad is being sent to the Middle East, but she is quick to point out that she and Snik are not best friends and says Snik is all “gung-ho GI Joe about it” (78).

Judy says that they use Belch every day and that she never thinks about doing her own homework anymore.