Part 4 Summary

In San Francisco, the narrator and Chris find a small, filthy apartment, spend long hours looking for jobs, and dreaming about opening their own boutique. Eventually both the narrator and Chris find work, with Chris working for a beautiful, sophisticated woman named Shelia, who runs a very expensive shop. This inspires the narrator to look for a better job. She finds one with Mr. Mellani, who runs a jewelry shop in the lobby of an expensive hotel. For a while, the narrator and Chris are both happy - drug free, with good jobs, and enjoying the sights and experiences of San Francisco. But then they're invited to a party at Shelia's, where there are several wealthy, sophisticated and famous people, all of whom are using drugs. They are unable to resist and find them-selves drawn back into "the scene" (see "Quotes," p. 71). It...