Demon's Birthday (Situational Irony)
On the day of Demon's eleventh birthday, he assumes everyone forgot it was his birthday. His friends seem to have forgotten and he is content to let the subject drop. He is called into the office by Miss Bark and he tells her it's fine no one remembered it is his birthday. She bursts into tears and then tells him that his mother has died of an overdose. In this moment of situational irony, Demon assumed the worst thing to happen to him would be that everyone forgot his birthday; tragically it ends up being the day he learns that his mother has died.
Painkillers Ruin Demon's Football Career (Situational Irony)
Painkillers ruin Demon's football career, as he becomes dependent on them and they inhibit his ability to play. He is prescribed these drugs as a result of an injury he gets on the field. Coach pushes him to accept this treatment, as he wants to fast-track his recovery. However, this only ends up causing him to spiral, losing both his spot on the team and his standing at school. In this instance of situational irony, the medication that is supposed to help Demon play football again ends his sports career, among other, even more dire, consequences.
Tommy Has a Loving Relationship (Situational Irony)
Demon is suspicious of Tommy's relationship with his girlfriend Sophie. He feels this way because they met online and do not meet in person until years into the relationship. However, in talking to Tommy, he learns that they share so much about their lives with each other and have many meaningful and touching conversations about life and love. He realizes that what Tommy has with Sophie is much more real than what he has with Dori. In this example of situational irony, Demon sees that his in-person relationship with Dori is actually shallow and unhealthy compared to Tommy's online relationship with Sophie.
Crickson is Using Child Labor (Situational Irony)
When Demon arrives at his first foster home, he is quickly put to work in the fields of a tobacco farm. He realizes that Crickson is using the foster care system as a way of getting free child labor. His home isn't really a home, but a forced work farm. He turns the kids loose each year during the off-season, as he has no use for them. In this instance of situational irony, Crickson's so-called foster home isn't really home but a labor camp that profits off of children.
