The Seventh Most Important Thing

Arthur heads back out to look through trash, not quite following the seven important things to get. He finds a lamp that’s missing its bulb but brings it back, figuring “finding an entire lamp was probably way better than finding a lightbulb” (52). After that, Arthur gathers things that he deems close enough to the items on the list, figuring the junk man won’t mind. The chapter ends by broadcasting that the junk man will mind and that “close enough wasn’t nearly good enough” (53).

Two days later, Arthur talks to Officer Billie. She spoke with Mr. Hampton, who said Arthur “did not follow [Mr. Hampton’s] directions” (55). Arthur tries to explain, but Officer Billie doesn’t care. She tells Arthur to do his job right next time and hangs up.

On Arthur’s first day back at school, the vice principal, Mr. Barber (whom the kids call Vice), pulls Arthur aside. He assigns Arthur a new locker near the gym away from the other seventh graders because he’s a troublemaker now, and Vice doesn’t want him to be a bad influence. Vice says Arthur could “earn [his] way back to the seventh-grade hallway someday” if he behaves himself (58).