It is twilight, and seventeen-year-old Alfred is still waiting for James. James has never been this late, and Alfred’s Aunt Pearl says he should call James to see if he is sick. Alfred knows James is not sick. Aunt Pearl suspects James is “hangin’ out with those worthless punks,” but Alfred runs off before she can make him tell what he knows.

As he runs, Alfred remembers he has always been faster than James but wonders if he is anything more than James’s shadow. At the mouth of the alley, he stops and takes a deep breath before descending the basement steps into the clubroom. James is there, along with Hollis, Major, and Sonny. James is the only one who acknowledges Alfred. Alfred is the only one of them with a job and today was payday. The others insist he give them money, but he gave most of his money to Aunt Pearl.

Everyone but James begins to taunt Alfred for working at a grocery store for a white Jewish family; they mock him for being no better than a slave, mindlessly doing whatever demeaning task he is given. Alfred tries to defend his employer, the only one who would give him a job after he quit school; instead, he inadvertently reveals that the Epsteins have money in their cash register overnight on Fridays. Immediately the group leaves to rob the grocery store.

Alfred is disgusted with himself for betraying the Epsteins. Henry, a boy with a crippled leg, tries to talk to Alfred, but Alfred leaves the building. He does not have anywhere to go, however, and returns to the clubroom. Henry tells Alfred that Mr. Donatelli, the fight manager, has agreed to let Henry help at the gym, but Alfred is too distracted to listen and leaves again. Suddenly he remembers the Epsteins’ newly installed silent alarm and immediately leaves to warn James.

Several police cars are already there. Alfred hears someone holler stop and then fire a warning shot; the crowd murmurs that one perpetrator has been caught but several others got away. Alfred goes to the small cave in the park where he knows James will go if he managed to escape. They discovered it ten years ago, and it has been a place of refuge for them during some very difficult times, such as when Alfred’s father left and his mother died. James had encouraged Alfred to stay in school; James had wanted to be an engineer, but he also quit school four months after Alfred. Unlike Alfred, James never tried to get a job; instead he began hanging around the clubroom in the basement of the building in which Henry’s father is superintendent.

Finally, Alfred walks home where he is met by Major, Hollis, and Sonny. They beat him for not telling them about the alarm. James is the one who got caught. The three bullies threaten Alfred but leave when they see policemen patrolling nearby. Alfred hides in an alley and then faints.