Until he came home to the devasting news that his best friend had died, the rainy day described in Chapter 10 was perfect for Jess because he was invited on a trip to Washington, D.C. by his favorite teacher, he got to visit the nation's capital and a museum for the first time, his teacher bought him lunch in the cafeteria, and the sun was shining brightly as they returned home from the outing.
Jess has a crush on his favorite teacher, Miss Edmunds. Jess hardly ever gets phone calls, so when Miss Edmunds calls him to invite him to go to the city, he is so excited that his voice shakes and he breaks out in a cold sweat. The opportunity to go on an outing with Miss Edmunds is like a dream-come-true to Jess.
Miss Edmunds takes Jess to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Jess, whose experiences beyond the boundaries of his home have been very limited, has never been to an art gallery, nor has he been to the nation's capital, even though it is only a short distance from where he lives. Jess is surprised that the famous landmarks of the city look very much like "the way the books had pictured them", and he is awestruck at the majesty of the museum gallery, which to him is "like stepping inside the pine grove - the huge vaulted marble, the cool splash of the fountain, and the green growing all around".
Miss Edmunds takes Jess to eat lunch in the museum cafeteria, and insists on paying, which is a good thing because Jess has not brought any money. Jess enjoys a three-dollar meal, which is "far more than he had meant to have her spend on him".
As Jess leaves the museum with Miss Edmunds, the rainy sky has given way to "brilliant spring sunshine". The beautiful weather is representative of Jess's spirits as Miss Edmunds tells funny stories on the ride home from what has been a perfect day (Chapter 10).
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