The twosome face rugged terrain, with minimal food and water, and they dodge law officers. Ian had once seen a letter from Dad with a return address in Walla Walla, WA. Veer makes an attempt to convince Ian to face the charges and straighten out the situation. They hope to find the one person who might offer aid - their Dad, who left Spokane before Sammy was born, and has not been seen since. With the help of Ian's faithful friend Bernie Campbell (a genius ' disguised as a runt-bodied prankster'), who has issues in his own home life, Ian and Sammy pack necessities and run. Tension mounts when Ian faces charges for throwing a roundhouse punch, knocking basketball Coach Florence out cold and giving him a broken jaw, after he humiliated Ian in front of classmates. Spence bluntly responds, ' I don't believe your outlook is conducive to a safe, stable environment needed for teaching. Principal Spence (for reasons of his own) suggests that Ian enroll in an alternative school, to which Ian replies ' This school wants me at Kerner or Rolling Hills for this school's benefit, not mine'. Tenth graders countrywide face the Washington Academic Evaluation Examinations (WAEE), required ' to meet federal standards for learning, and besides the coveted rankings pitting schools against each other, they lost money and prestige if students didn't score well'. Morrison was rated among the top hundred high schools nationwide. and if you play a sport here, you're a leader', constantly reminding him of the school's standards. She's tough but encourages Ian, ' You have talent. JV football Coach Schmidt - who resembles a ' marine drill sergeant' - lives up to her winning title in the women's state arm-wrestling championship four years running. They don't want to deal with Ian's punk style of dress and attitude or his reluctance to participate in sports (even though he beat the senior mile-runner during fitness tests). Perceived as rebellious and passing over opportunities to better himself, Ian senses that the Morrison High administration would prefer that the McDermotts simply go away. She brings home abusive drug dealers and addicts, forcing the two boys to sleep in the cold shed.

Mom disappears from their home on addictive binges, arriving now and then in search of funds. Ian narrates his tribulations, inner rage building as he runs errands to earn a dime or two for food, while carrying the load of his own school attendance and homework. Fifteen-year old Ian McDermott of Spokane, Washington cares for his younger brother, making sure developmentally disabled Sammy does his homework and attends school. Michael Harmon's Skate hits hard with an intense, gripping, compelling story that's wound tight to the very last page.

Skate by michael harmon