Summary

In Chapter 4, at home alone, Riley thinks about how their stress is compounded by their father’s run for reelection as a congressman. Even though Riley’s parents have not forced them to attend any campaign events since Riley was released from a six-week stay at a psychiatric hospital, Riley knows there will soon be a time they will be asked to attend campaign functions again. Their parents believe Riley’s regimen of drugs and counseling is making Riley better, they do not realize Riley has not dealt with the main cause of all their anxiety.

As Riley thinks over the event that brought on the stay in the psychiatric hospital as well as the bullying they had faced that day at school, they breathe deeply, like their doctor taught them to do. Riley moves on to the next coping mechanism they were...