Dad is now serving 10 years in prison. Ghost’s mom works in a hospital cafeteria, and they usually eat food she brings home from work. They live in a shady part of town called Glass Manor. Ghost often gets teased for his old and ill-fitting clothes or the haircuts his mother gives him. He gets in a lot of fights at school, especially with a bully named Brandon. He spends most afternoons roaming on his own after buying a bag of sunflower seeds from Mr. Charles’ store.

One afternoon, Ghost sees a track team practicing and sits down to watch. Ghost thinks of himself as a basketball guy and doesn’t know or care much about running. Convinced he can beat the fastest team member, he walks down to the track and lines up beside the boy. The coach yells at him at first, explaining this is one of the most elite teams in the city. To be a Defender, runners have to be the best of the best. When Ghost won’t leave, the coach agrees to give him one chance to race. Ghost beats the boy, even in his jeans and ratty shoes. The coach asks Ghost if he’d like to join the team.