Karl spends more time with Jay and Shay, Karl ready for baptism. Encouraged by Rose, Matt suggests he and Karl go on a father-son camping trip. Karl agrees but quickly leaves for church. When Karl arrives, he leaves space for Rose, hoping she’ll turn up as he suggested. Karl is baptized, surrounded by a joyful congregation. But soon Karl returns home to find Matt drunk. Matt calls Karl stupid: he doesn’t know the half of anything! He goes to the kitchen for another beer, pulling Henry’s crucifix from his pocket, sobbing. Karl meets Shay in the park. They chat, Karl going in for a kiss. Shay pushes him away, Karl dejected. He relays everything to Jay who teases him. To top it all, Karl’s coach is unimpressed that he’s missed many practices. Coach recalls Karl’s father, a strong yet sensitive man. Karl senses there’s something the coach isn’t telling him, but he soon feels more at ease when Shay asks to meet and apologizes for reacting rashly. But matters worsen when a drunken Matt declares he wants Karl out of the house as soon as he’s graduated. Rose tries to intervene, but Matt has made his mind up. Later that evening, coach visits the house, concerned that Karl is distracted from his studies, worried Matt may have something to do with it. Rose reveals that Matt’s determined not to let anyone see weakness in him, even his own son. Coach encourages Rose to get Matt and Karl talking. As graduation looms, Karl becomes worried about leaving Rose with his dad if he goes to college. He confides in Shay who says that drink is Matt’s escape and that if he was drinking before Karl converted to Christianity, then his pain is nothing to do with him. She reminds him about his graduation party. Karl’s focus is no longer on girls, but on faith. The party goes well, but later, Rose consoles a paralytic Matt who’s convinced that Karl has been indoctrinated. Karl emerges from his room, cutting his feet on a broken bottle. Rose tends to him, annoyed; Karl needs to show what he can do. The next morning, Karl and Jay leave for a graduation beach trip. They hit traffic, Jay swerving down another route. Before they know it, they’re head-on with a truck. The car flips, rolling across the road. Karl is dead. Rose and Matt receive the news, just as they agree to tell Karl about Matt’s ordeal with Henry’s death, Matt finds a heartfelt letter from Karl, this time addressed to him. Jay visits Matt and Rose to apologize. But Matt is furious; to him, Jay brainwashed Karl into Christianity. The same happened to Matt, and the day after he was baptized, his best friend died. On the day of Karl’s funeral, the family bury him next to Henry. Matt recalls Henry’s funeral, his mother Helena trying to convince him to continue trusting in God.
