Chapter 23 Summary

As Astrid goes with her new foster mother, she tells herself that it's less than a year until she is eighteen. This is just a place to live rent-free until she can decide what she'll do next. She'll forget college - she won't let herself get disappointed again.

Rena's house is a glum cocoa-brown Spanish bungalow. Rena doesn't help carry Astrid's things. Her house is an unbelievable mess. Astrid drinks beer and smokes with Rena and the other girls, Yvonne and Niki. Yvonne is her roommate. Later she walks toward the bridge, looks down at the L.A. River and finds a beautiful view.

The next day is Thursday, and Rena wakes up everyone before dawn. They pile into Rena's van at five in the morning. They rummage through the city's recycling bins, rescuing usable goods. Nobody cooks at Rena's - every night...