Chapter 3 Summary: Karina Agrees to Tutor Ace Clyde

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Complete Chapter Summary

The chapter opens on the 27-day countdown before Karina’s parents return. In first-period class she doodles in her journal, writing a fragment of poetry about drowning in moonlight with lungs full of stars. Between classes she stops at her locker, which she describes as a visual map of her brain—photos of friends Nandini and Cora, fanart, a whiteboard with reminders, and a replica of Desdemona’s strawberry handkerchief from Othello pinned with her own poems.

In English class, her favorite period, Karina sits in the back corner with Nandini and Cora. Nandini hints that something wild happened in gym and promises to tell them at lunch. Miss Cannon starts a discussion of The Great Gatsby. Karina, in an unusually confident mood, raises her hand to argue that Gatsby’s truthfulness matters less than his love for Daisy. The teacher praises the point, and the conversation continues.

When students break into groups, Nandini admits she didn’t read the assigned chapter because of a late shift and physics lab. Cora also skimmed. Karina gives a humorous, simplified summary of Gatsby’s claims about his past. After the bell, Miss Cannon asks Karina to stay behind. Nandini and Cora wait outside.

Miss Cannon explains that a student in the class needs private tutoring for the upcoming English Regents Exam. She proposes that Karina tutor him during the after-school session she normally spends assisting Miss Cannon. As an incentive, Karina would be excused from the poetry project—a major grade requiring ten original poems and a presentation. Despite her terror of public speaking, Karina agrees reluctantly. Then she learns the student is Alistair “Ace” Clyde, notorious for slacking off.

Karina’s anxiety spikes, but she masks it with a forced smile when Miss Cannon looks worried. She accepts a folder with a tutoring schedule and leaves. Her friends see her distress; Cora moves to comfort her, but Nandini signals for space. Karina flees to the bathroom, locks herself in a stall, and performs her counting-down technique (ten to one) to calm down. After splashing her face, she stares in the mirror and recalls a flashback of asking her parents about changing her college major—an experience that left her devastated. She reflects on accepting her anxiety, which she manages through counting and hopes to get professional help in college. Finally, she tells Cora and Nandini the news: she is to tutor Ace Clyde. Cora drops her tissues in shock.

Key Events

• Karina writes a poem in her journal before first period.
• In English class, she participates in a discussion of The Great Gatsby, arguing about Gatsby’s persona and love for Daisy.
• Miss Cannon asks Karina to privately tutor Ace Clyde for three months, in exchange for being excused from the poetry project.
• Karina agrees despite extreme reluctance, and learns the student’s identity.
• She has an anxiety attack in the bathroom, using her countdown method to recover.
• She confides to her friends that she will tutor Ace Clyde.

Character Development

Karina: This chapter deepens the reader’s understanding of Karina’s inner life. Her locker reveals her love for poetry and literature, and her anxiety is shown in action rather than just narrated. The flashback to the conversation with her parents about changing majors underscores the pressure she feels at home. When Miss Cannon’s expression shifts, Karina’s immediate fear of disappointing her triggers a panic episode. Her use of the countdown (ten to one) demonstrates a coping mechanism she has developed on her own, yet she acknowledges needing professional help she cannot access. Accepting the tutoring request—even though it terrifies her—shows her desire to please authority figures and her willingness to sacrifice her comfort for approval.

Miss Cannon: She is portrayed as a kind, encouraging teacher who believes in Karina’s abilities. However, she is unaware of the intensity of Karina’s anxiety. Her offer to swap the poetry project for tutoring is pragmatic but puts Karina in a difficult position.

Nandini and Cora: Their support is subtle but crucial. Nandini recognizes when Karina needs space, while Cora shows immediate concern. They form a safe buffer around Karina, but she still feels the need to hide her full breakdown from them.

Ace Clyde: Although he does not appear, his reputation as a slacker creates tension. The chapter sets him up as an obstacle Karina must manage.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms: Karina’s counting-down ritual is a motif introduced here. The repeated “ten, nine, eight…” sequence becomes her self-soothing method, a structured pattern to regain control.

The Poetry Project as a Proxy: Karina’s relief at being excused from the poetry project—specifically from presenting vulnerable work aloud—highlights her fear of exposure and judgment. The project symbolizes the pressure to perform authenticity.

The Great Gatsby as Mirror: The discussion of Gatsby’s constructed persona and his love for Daisy parallels Karina’s own performance of confidence. She argues that his story matters less than his feelings, which may reflect her own tendency to hide her true self behind a façade.

Parental Expectations: The flashback to the major conversation confirms that Karina’s anxiety is rooted partly in her parents’ rigid expectations. Their leniency toward Pre-Med Society versus other activities shows their control over her time and choices.

Friendship as Refuge: Nandini and Cora offer emotional safety, but Karina still retreats to the bathroom alone. The chapter shows both the value and the limits of peer support when facing mental health challenges.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the central plot engine for the next several chapters: the forced tutoring partnership between Karina and Ace. It deepens Karina’s character by showing her anxiety in real time and connecting it to her family dynamics and her fear of disappointing teachers. The exchange—tutoring for exemption from the poetry project—also raises questions about what Karina is willing to sacrifice for academic relief. The countdown technique becomes a recurring motif, and the reader now understands how Karina manages panic attacks. Miss Cannon’s role as a well-meaning but unaware authority figure sets up potential conflicts. Finally, the cliffhanger of Cora’s dropped tissues underscores how shocking this assignment is within Karina’s world.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Karina agree to tutor Ace Clyde even though she is clearly terrified?
Karina agrees because she does not want to disappoint Miss Cannon, her favorite teacher. The offer to skip the poetry project (worth twenty percent of her grade) also removes the dreaded public speaking requirement. Her anxiety about letting others down overrides her fear of tutoring Ace.

2. What does Karina’s locker reveal about her personality?
Her locker shows she is creative and sentimental: photos of friends, fanart, a whiteboard reminder system, a replica of a literary handkerchief, and pinned poems. It mirrors her inner world—organized but chaotic, grounded in literature and close relationships.

3. How does the flashback to the conversation about changing her major inform the reader’s understanding of Karina?
The flashback reveals that Karina’s parents reacted harshly to the mere hypothetical of switching majors, implying they have rigid expectations for her future. This explains why Karina feels immense pressure to succeed and why she fears disappointing any authority figure. It also shows her pattern of internalizing criticism and feeling devastated.

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