The Underdog-- SPOILER ALERT!!!
Cameron Wolfe is a dirty-minded disgusting teenage boy and he knows it. While that is all the world sees, he is actually quite thoughtful. At this point in his life all he really does is plan to rob things with his older brother Ruben (they have never actually gone through with it) and have one-handed boxing matches (they only have one set of gloves). Cam is unhappy with the way he lives his life and wants to be better. That being said, it might take a while.
Cam could fall in love with just about anyone, as he demonstrates with the dental nurse at the dentists office him and Rube had planned to rob. It never really leads anywhere and he soon forgets about her. Soon, though, he would find a girl that was real and worth paying attention to. Cam had recently lost his job as a paperboy and couldn't get the news agent to give it back to him. Finally, Cam asks his dad if he can help him work as a plumber. His dad agrees and Cam starts working with him on the weekends. At a job Cam meets Rebecca Conlon and this time he falls hard. He always thinks about her and finally throws his magazine of half-naked women away.
Meanwhile his brother Steve, the winner of the family, breaks his ankle, keeping him from playing football. He is forced to stay and skulk at their house. Their sister Sarah is always making out with her idiot boyfriend on the couch. Their mom only ever makes mushrooms for dinner, which are only edible when drowned in tomato juice. Their dad is always getting on Cam and Rube to clean themselves up. When Sarah's boyfriend cheats on her and dumps her Cam and Rube are furious. Cam even confronts him but instead of fighting him like he had planed, he asked him if he had promised not to hurt her. Cam was scared that if he ever got a girlfriend like Rebecca he would only end out hurting her.
Cam used to have a best friend named, Greg but they had drifted apart. That made it surprising when Greg showed up at his house asking for money. Greg feared for his life because he had lost some drugs he had been buying for a few "friends". He needed three hundred dollars or they would punish him or possibly kill him. Cam gave him all of his savings and some of Rube's as well because that was the kind of friend he was.
Through all this chaos Cam had many dreams that are outlined in the book. He dreams of being the underdog, him against the world. He still thinks of Rebecca and at the end of the book he finally works up the courage to ask her out. He has decided to stop being a loser and tells Steve so when Steve calls him a loser on his way to find a phone box. He calls Rebecca but she rejects him. Cam is crushed. That night he goes outside and howls at the world to let it know that he was there and that he would not lie down for anyone ever again.
Cameron Wolfe is a dirty-minded disgusting teenage boy and he knows it. While that is all the world sees, he is actually quite thoughtful. At this point in his life all he really does is plan to rob things with his older brother Ruben (they have never actually gone through with it) and have one-handed boxing matches (they only have one set of gloves). Cam is unhappy with the way he lives his life and wants to be better. That being said, it might take a while.
Cam could fall in love with just about anyone, as he demonstrates with the dental nurse at the dentists office him and Rube had planned to rob. It never really leads anywhere and he soon forgets about her. Soon, though, he would find a girl that was real and worth paying attention to. Cam had recently lost his job as a paperboy and couldn't get the news agent to give it back to him. Finally, Cam asks his dad if he can help him work as a plumber. His dad agrees and Cam starts working with him on the weekends. At a job Cam meets Rebecca Conlon and this time he falls hard. He always thinks about her and finally throws his magazine of half-naked women away.
Meanwhile his brother Steve, the winner of the family, breaks his ankle, keeping him from playing football. He is forced to stay and skulk at their house. Their sister Sarah is always making out with her idiot boyfriend on the couch. Their mom only ever makes mushrooms for dinner, which are only edible when drowned in tomato juice. Their dad is always getting on Cam and Rube to clean themselves up. When Sarah's boyfriend cheats on her and dumps her Cam and Rube are furious. Cam even confronts him but instead of fighting him like he had planed, he asked him if he had promised not to hurt her. Cam was scared that if he ever got a girlfriend like Rebecca he would only end out hurting her.
Cam used to have a best friend named, Greg but they had drifted apart. That made it surprising when Greg showed up at his house asking for money. Greg feared for his life because he had lost some drugs he had been buying for a few "friends". He needed three hundred dollars or they would punish him or possibly kill him. Cam gave him all of his savings and some of Rube's as well because that was the kind of friend he was.
Through all this chaos Cam had many dreams that are outlined in the book. He dreams of being the underdog, him against the world. He still thinks of Rebecca and at the end of the book he finally works up the courage to ask her out. He has decided to stop being a loser and tells Steve so when Steve calls him a loser on his way to find a phone box. He calls Rebecca but she rejects him. Cam is crushed. That night he goes outside and howls at the world to let it know that he was there and that he would not lie down for anyone ever again.