Since she was nine years old, Amy Gumm was teased at school because she lives in a trailer park. Her mom tried to convince her that their house could go anywhere because it was technically a vehicle, like Dorothy’s house in the Wizard of Oz. Amy misses the days when her mom would try to cheer her up. Since a car accident a few years ago after Amy’s dad left, Amy’s mom has waffled between days of sitting on the couch and stints where she gets dressed up to hit the local bars. Amy’s mother’s behavior, coupled with constant teasing at school, has made Amy sarcastic and bitter.

After a fight with pregnant popular-girl Madison Pendleton, Amy is suspended for the rest of the week. As Amy is led out of school, Madison waves smugly, as if “she knew I wouldn’t be coming back” (8). The weather predicts a tornado, and Amy’s mom prepares for a party. Amy explains the fight with Madison, and her mom says Madison will probably be a single mom living in a trailer park in a couple of years, implying that kids suck the life out of their parents.