Gary Brandt shifts gears in his tale from The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com with a deeply moving chapter that introduces Crystal, a twelve-year-old girl living in a group home whose story will break your heart and then inspire you.
While Ella and Roxana sleep in after their late-night drama, Eileen finds herself sitting alone under the schoolyard oak, where Crystal approaches with hesitation—sparking a conversation that reveals the harsh realities behind the 'other side of town.' Crystal opens up about living in a group home on Jackson Street after her parents went to prison (they took the fall for a crime boss), her grandmother's too sick to care for her, and no other family wanted the burden.
The story takes a devastating turn when Crystal describes being talked into sneaking out to a 'party' that turned into alcohol, pills, and a sexual encounter with fourteen-year-old Shawn that she never intended—leaving her feeling trapped between guilt, confusion, and Shawn's friends now treating her like 'his girl' when she just wants to be left alone.
What follows is Eileen at her absolute best: offering genuine support without judgment, suggesting her prosecutor father and police officer mother could help (which Crystal wisely refuses—she'd be labeled a 'cop caller' and face deadly consequences), and promising confidentiality while giving Crystal her phone number 'just in case.' But then Eileen does something that perfectly captures her character: she launches a dangerous reconnaissance mission to Jackson Street, dragging Ella and Roxana on a heart-pounding bike ride 'over the bridge, past the creek' to get Helana's interdimensional perspective on the neighborhood.
The girls pedal like their lives depend on it, endure some lazy catcalls, and race back breathless but safe.
Helana's analysis is brilliant—she explains how the overwhelming 'angst' comes from people whose internal identity templates (their vision of who they're meant to be) can never align with their external reality, whether they're chasing impossible dreams from music videos or just trying to survive.
The real gut punch comes when she reveals their own privileged neighborhood scores nearly as high for emotional pain—it's just hidden behind money and 'nonviolent coping mechanisms.' Brandt masterfully balances social commentary with genuine character development, as Eileen discovers her calling to help others while learning the world's problems are far more complex than any four girls can solve.