Chapter 24 Summary

Everything in Ripple Street is rock 'n' roll. Astrid tries to recall the melodies of Debussy, the gamelan, Miles Davis, but the Who bass line pounds it right out of her head. She misses the beautiful moments of the years past.

Astrid wonders what her mother will say if she were to see her now. Rena makes Astrid sell her clothes from Fred Segal and Barney's New York. Rena ignores sentimental attachment, asking what use those clothes were in her present circumstance. She tells her that money is money. Therefore, Astrid marks up the prices high, but people still buy them. She makes three hundred dollars, and Rena demands one hundred dollars as payment. She doesn't understand that for Astrid, it's not just money.

Misha, Rena's friend, stumbles into her room, drunk. He tells her that he's lonely and attempts to kiss her...