Chapter 9 Summary: Brandon's Rock to Fakie
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Brandon pauses on the 87th floor of Stairwell A, exhausted from the heat and smoke. He notices a clear liquid cascading down the steps. Remembering Marni's husband's warning about a jet hitting the building, he worries it might be jet fuel. He bends down to sniff it, finds it odorless, and concludes it's water, likely from sprinklers. This gives him a moment of relief, but also reignites his guilt for leaving his father behind without telling him. He thinks about his dad's sacrifices—buying him a skateboard despite tight finances, helping with homework—and vows to make it back to Windows on the World to apologize.
He resumes climbing, but soon encounters wreckage: broken drywall, exposed metal studs, and dangling wires block the stairs. Panic rises, but he calms himself and decides to climb over the debris. As he nears the next flight, a piece of drywall snaps, sending him tumbling backward down the stairs. He hits his head, scrapes his side, and bruises his shin. Lying among the rubble, he draws on his skateboarding experience: every skater falls, but the key is learning to get back up. He pulls himself together and climbs more carefully.
Reaching the 88th floor, he sees a red-orange glow through cracks in the wall—a fire. He feels a mix of fear and relief: if the fire is down here, his dad must be safe above. Energized, he scrambles up another pile of debris to the 89th floor landing, only to find the stairwell completely collapsed. The stairs themselves are gone, replaced by concrete and twisted metal. He can't go any further.
Brandon reasons that if this is Stairwell A, there must be a Stairwell B. He decides to exit onto the 89th floor to find another route. The door is bent and blocked by wet drywall. He kicks the debris away, then uses a skateboarding technique—the rock to fakie—to pull and push the door open just enough to squeeze through. He slips through the gap and freezes: the 89th floor is completely destroyed, and he's staring straight out into open sky.
Key Events
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Brandon identifies the liquid on the stairs as water, not jet fuel, by smell.
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He experiences intense guilt for leaving his father and recalls his dad's kindness.
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He falls while climbing over wreckage, injuring himself, but uses skateboarding resilience to continue.
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He sees a fire glow on the 88th floor, which reassures him his father is safe above.
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He reaches the 89th floor and discovers the stairwell is completely collapsed.
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He decides to exit onto the 89th floor to find another stairwell.
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He forces open a bent door using a skateboarding trick (rock to fakie).
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He discovers the 89th floor is gone, leaving him exposed to open sky.
Character Development
Brandon's character deepens in this chapter through his internal struggle and physical ordeal. His guilt is a central emotion—he repeatedly blames himself for running off and for past misdeeds, and he desperately wants to apologize to his father. This guilt motivates his determination to reach Windows on the World.
His resilience is shown through his ability to recover from a painful fall. Instead of giving up, he applies a lesson from skateboarding: you always crash, but you learn to get back up. This mindset transforms his physical struggle into a mental one, highlighting his maturity and problem-solving skills.
He also demonstrates resourcefulness. When faced with a collapsed stairwell, he logically deduces there must be another stairwell and devises a plan. His use of the rock to fakie trick to open the door shows how his hobby becomes a survival tool, blending his identity as a skater with his role as a determined son.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Guilt and Redemption: Brandon's guilt over leaving his father drives his actions. He sees reaching his dad as a way to make amends, not just for this day but for all the times he's made things harder.
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Skateboarding as Metaphor: The chapter repeatedly uses skateboarding to frame Brandon's experience. Falling and getting back up mirrors his physical climb; the rock to fakie trick symbolizes pushing past obstacles. His skateboarding knowledge becomes a source of strength and practical skill.
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Father-Son Bond: Brandon's memories of his dad's sacrifices—buying the skateboard, helping with homework—underscore their close relationship. His determination to reunite with his father is the emotional core of the chapter.
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Hope vs. Despair: The fire glow on the 88th floor gives Brandon hope that his dad is safe, but the collapsed stairwell and the destroyed 89th floor plunge him into despair. The contrast between these moments highlights the precariousness of his situation.
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Danger of the Unknown: The mysterious liquid initially terrifies Brandon because he can't identify it. His cautious sniffing and relief when it turns out to be water show how the environment has become unpredictable and threatening.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in Brandon's journey. It escalates the physical danger—he's injured, the stairwell is destroyed, and he's forced to improvise. The discovery that the 89th floor is gone is a shocking revelation that underscores the scale of the disaster. It also sets up a major cliffhanger: Brandon is now exposed to open sky, with no clear path forward.
The chapter deepens Brandon's character by showing his vulnerability and his ability to adapt. His use of skateboarding techniques to survive ties his personal identity to the crisis, making his struggle feel authentic and relatable. The emotional weight of his guilt and his determination to reach his father adds a human dimension to the historical event, reminding readers of the personal stories behind the tragedy.
Study Questions and Answers
- Why does Brandon decide to sniff the liquid on the stairs, and what does he conclude?
Brandon sniffs the liquid because he's worried it might be jet fuel, given the plane crash. He concludes it's water because it has no smell, especially no gasoline odor, which he associates with go-carts and fishing boats. 2. How does Brandon's skateboarding experience help him in this chapter?
Skateboarding teaches him resilience—he knows that falling is part of the process and that he must get back up. It also gives him a practical technique: he uses the rock to fakie trick to force open the bent door, using his feet on the wall for leverage. 3. What does Brandon see when he finally squeezes through the door on the 89th floor, and why is it shocking?
He sees that the 89th floor is completely destroyed—he's staring straight out into open sky. This is shocking because he expected to find another stairwell, but instead finds the building has been torn apart, leaving him with no obvious way to continue upward.
Navigation
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Next Chapter: Chapter 10 Summary