Walk Two Moons: Chapter 36 Summary & Analysis

The next day, Saturday, Phoebe and Sal find Ben waiting at the bus stop. He’s also going to Chanting Falls, but to a hospital there, not to the university. The three of them sit in the back of the bus, with Sal in the middle. When they get off in Chanting Falls, Ben points the girls toward the university and heads in the other direction. Phoebe gripes that Ben’s presence makes her nervous, and Sal agrees—but only because Ben makes her brain and skin feel funny.

Sal and Phoebe discover that Mike’s address is at a freshman dormitory. There are lots of college girls outside, and they make Sal and Phoebe look very young in comparison. There’s a reception desk in the dorm lobby, but Phoebe won’t ask for help. Finally, Sal asks the man at the desk for help. He tells the girls to go up to room 209, and Phoebe almost chokes. Sal leads Phoebe through the door, but Phoebe says she can’t do it—what if Mike slits their throats? They slip out the exit at the end of the hallway and come out on a lawn. But on the far side of the lawn, Sal sees a young man and an older woman on a bench, holding hands. The woman kisses the man on the cheek—and Sal realizes it's Mrs. Winterbottom and the lunatic.