A List of Cages

Chapter 7 is narrated by Julian as he is sitting in the back row of his first period Physical Science class with Miss West. Julian describes Miss West as being unhappy and mean. He compares her meanness to Jared's. As soon as the class begins, Miss West confiscates a girl's phone and yells at a boy for whispering. She tells a girl who has cerebral palsy to have her aide bring her in early because she disrupts the class by being transferred from her wheel chair to a desk. While West passes out recent exam papers, she says every student's numerical grade out loud as she hands the tests back. She stops in front of Julian and calls out his score out: Julian has received a forty. Then she turns to her favorite students, Alex and Kristin, and asks them how it’s possible for any student to make a forty on the test. Alex says she doesn't know; Miss West agrees she doesn't know, either. Miss West says the score is "'pitiful'" (41). Julian closes his eyes and hopes if he concentrates hard enough, he can teleport or just disappear.