The major change in this novel occurs in chapter four just after Finny and Gene’s adventure to the beach. The change occurs in Gene when he returns after the long night of goofing off… and of neglecting to study for a trigonometry test. This causes Gene to flunk it, and just after, he convinces himself that Finny is absolutely out to get him and destroy the only thing he excels at; his academics. This seed of doubt suddenly bursts into bloom and it forever afterwards, Gene’s opinion of Finny is corrupted and he never fully trusts him again, although he tries to convince himself that he does. Even when recanting the story from years later, he still clings to this fantasy, as if to keep him sane. He tells himself that since Finny is great at sports and poor with school, Gene must excel in school since he isn’t particularly skilled in sports in order to balance things out between them- in order for them to be “equal” in Genes eyes. But he soon comes across another revelation; “Now I knew that there was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he.” It is here that he realises that he will never be on the same level as Finny and that he could never even compare himself to him for they were not even in the same league. He will always be his lieutenant and nothing more, as long as they’re together.