Jonesy and Andrew are in the same social studies class. She’s aghast to see her friend’s bruised face and to hear that Gene tore Andrew’s new shirt. Andrew explains what happened in a note because their classmates are eavesdropping on their conversation. Principal Espinosa calls Andrew out of class, instructs Gene to buy Andrew an exact replacement of the shirt he tore, and tells the bully to apologize. The apology is insincere, but Andrew doesn’t press the issue because he doesn’t want the bully to be even angrier toward him. When Andrew returns to class, his classmates’ attention makes him nervous and he wishes that he could “crawl under ten or twelve heavy blankets and go to sleep” (114). Jonesy makes Andrew laugh by pulling funny faces, and his best friend’s antics help his metaphorical popcorn kernel relax “a tiny bit” (114).

At lunch, Jonesy shares that she wants to tell her father that she’s only interested in playing basketball for fun and doesn’t want to pursue a career as a professional athlete. However, she’s afraid that he’ll be crushed because of his great love for the sport. Andrew offers to talk to her father because he’s on good terms with the man and knows how to make him laugh. Two girls from the basketball team, Kylee and Melissa, invite Jonesy and Andrew to sit with them. Andrew declines, and Jonesy once again urges him to give people a chance to befriend him. Mika calls Jonesy’s cell phone and asks to speak to Andrew, which immediately raises his anxiety level. She tells him, “I’m sorry to bother you, Andrew, but…(frantic sigh)…I can’t find your grandma, honey” (124).

Feeling unsteady and overwhelmed, Andrew goes outside to the school’s patio. Mika explains that the police are on their way, and Andrew suggests that G might have gone to one of her favorite places, like a local donut shop or the apartment complex’s pond. Mika attempts to reassure the anxious boy, “Let us handle this. I’ll call the front office now, and I’ll let Jonesy and the school know the very second we find her. Try to stay calm” (127). Andrew doesn’t understand why people speak as though he’s able to flip a switch and magically become calm. He feels as if he is on the verge of a panic attack.

The narrative shifts back in time. Since moving in with her daughter and grandson, G has wandered off a few times, including at night. Andrew recalls how stressed he and Susan were during these disappearances, but G always seems happy when they find her. Dr. Cain once asked Andrew what the most difficult part of living with his grandmother is, and he opened up about the guilt he carries for feeling deeply annoyed and inconvenienced by someone he loves. He hates not having his own room or any privacy, and G sometimes misplaces things and accuses him of taking them. Andrew is worried that Dr. Cain will think he’s a “World Class Horrible Jerk” for complaining, but instead the therapist expresses compassion for the struggle of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and tells him that “sometimes being human can be incredibly hard” (137).

The ninth Anxiety File is titled “Wishlist for My Overreactive Brain” and anthropomorphizes Tense Kid’s brain. Tense Kid puts his brain on a bookshelf to give it a little break, gives it a massage, and helps it take up meditation.

The narrative returns to Andrew’s present. Jonesy tries to comfort her friend by telling him that her mother will find G and by encouraging him to do some box breathing. The breathing exercise helps a little, but Andrew feels embarrassed and is sarcastic toward Kylee when she asks if he’s all right. When Jonesy calls out his rudeness, Andrew blames his anger on Mika: “Your mom can’t keep her eye on one old lady? How hard is that??” (146). On the verge of tears, Jonesy hurries back into the cafeteria. As the guilt-stricken Andrew follows her inside, Kendrick uses baking soda to launch a ketchup bottle. Some of the condiment gets in Andrew’s hair, which he finds repulsive.

Andrew washes the ketchup out of his hair and inspects his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His black eye is swollen shut, but his clothes are surprisingly ketchup-free. Soggy and smelling “like Ronald McDonald’s cologne” (153), Andrew returns to the nurse’s office. He opens up to Nurse Finnegan about G and her Alzheimer’s. She shares her secret stash of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with him and finishes mending his new shirt. The repair far exceeds his expectations, and he gratefully puts it back on.

In the 10th Anxiety File, Andrew morosely poses the question, “What Will Happen Now That I’ve Ruined My Friendship with J?” He draws himself being shunned by everyone before digging “a deep hole and [living] in there, henceforth” and eventually perishing “alone and friendless in an alley somewhere” (152).

The narrative moves back in time to Andrew’s third session with Dr. Cain. The therapist helps him explore the emotions that trigger his tapping, such as anxiety, loss of control, and his fear of his own anger. She asks, “Do you think you’re more scared of losing control and being angry…or of being angry like your dad?” (163). The question troubles him because he sees many of his estranged father’s physical and personality traits in himself, such as his height and his loathing of germs and messes. His father lives on the West Coast and has the financial means to help Susan and their son but doesn’t give them any assistance.

Dr. Cain gives Andrew a visualization exercise to try when he feels overwhelmed. She directs him to picture himself in his “happiest place on earth” (167). Andrew closes his eyes and imagines himself with Jonesy, Susan, and Jonesy’s parents in his best friend’s backyard on a summer day. Dr. Cain is excited about his progress and tells him that they can continue to explore coping techniques together. However, this is Andrew’s final meeting with the therapist because his mother cannot afford more sessions. He hopes that he’ll be able to see Dr. Cain again if Susan’s new job goes well.

The 11th Anxiety File is titled “Overwhelmed” and shows Tense Kid surrounded by thought bubbles containing his worries about G and Gene.