Chapter 24 Study Guide: Summary and Key Moments

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

Summary

Chapter 24 opens with Ishu reflecting on the aftermath of the double date with Hani, Deirdre, Aisling, Barry, and Colm. She hasn't become best friends with Deirdre or Aisling, but she also hasn't made enemies of them. Throughout the evening, Ishu laughs at their bad jokes, pretends the boys are attractive, and acts as though dating Barry and Colm makes sense—a performance she finds exhausting but necessary for the plan.

As the group parts ways at the Luas stop, Hani announces she'll drop Ishu home, a gesture Ishu privately mocks as antiquated for two queer teens without a car. Aisling surprises Ishu by flashing a genuine smile and inviting her to hang out during lunchtime at school. Hani nudges Ishu's shoulder excitedly, and Deirdre nods enthusiastically. Ishu accepts the invitation with a smile of her own.

On the Luas, Hani is delighted, but Ishu points out that a lunch invite doesn't mean they're friends or that Aisling will support her Head Girl campaign. Hani insists it's a step in the right direction and tells Ishu not to be pessimistic. Ishu gazes out the window, noticing the warm day has turned cool and cloudy. She feels a dread she can't explain at the thought of the plan working.

Hani draws Ishu out of her thoughts, noting the plan is working and Ishu should be happy. When Ishu turns, their faces are inches apart. Ishu notices the warm brown of Hani's eyes, the few imperfections on her skin, and the tiny mole by her right ear. Startled, Ishu jumps back, nearly hitting her head on the window. She can't tell Hani that the best part of the evening was when Hani took her hand in the park, or that Hani's scent seems to have spread to her through osmosis.

Hani places a hand on Ishu's shoulder, apologizing and reassuring her that lunchtimes with Aisling and Dee will boost her cool factor. Ishu smiles at Hani's concern but knows the real weight on her mind isn't social status—it's her growing crush on Hani.

Ishu thanks Hani for everything, noting that at least a few more people won't hate her after seeing her at lunch. Hani corrects her: people at school don't hate Ishu—they're intimidated by her. Hani admits she was intimidated too, describing Ishu as super smart, the smartest in their year, someone who knows so much, speaks her mind, and can stand up to anybody—basically invincible.

The conversation turns to why Ishu avoided befriending Hani when she first started at the school. Ishu explains that people were trying to pigeonhole them—the two Bengali girls should be friends, reduced to nothing more. Hani asks if they're now pigeonholed since they're friends. Instead of answering, Ishu asks, “Are we friends?” Hani nervously says she hopes so and asks if Ishu doesn't want them to be. Ishu then slowly reveals, “I thought we were girlfriends?”

A flash of surprise registers on Hani's face—just surprise, not disgust or amusement. They hold each other's gaze for a moment longer than necessary. Ishu wills Hani to say something, to lean in or lean back, anything. But the automated Luas announcement breaks their trance, announcing Milltown. Ishu jumps out of her seat, but Hani doesn't follow, saying she'll go to the next stop to catch her bus. Ishu steps off, and as the Luas departs, she catches Hani's eyes through the window but can't read her expression.

Key Events

Ishu performs enthusiasm throughout the double date, laughing at jokes and pretending to find the boys attractive.
Aisling invites Ishu to join her and Deirdre at lunchtime at school, a social win for the plan.
On the Luas, Ishu feels dread about the plan's success, realizing her crush on Hani is the real issue.
Hani explains that classmates are intimidated by Ishu, not hateful, and admits she once felt the same.
Ishu reveals she avoided befriending Hani to escape being pigeonholed as “the two Bengali girls.”
Ishu asks if they're friends, then confesses she thought they were girlfriends.
Hani shows surprise but no rejection; the Luas announcement interrupts the moment.
Hani stays on the tram instead of getting off at Milltown, and Ishu can't read her expression through the window.

Character Development

Ishu reaches a turning point in this chapter. Her internal monologue reveals that the fake dating plan's social success no longer feels like the goal—her feelings for Hani have taken over. She experiences physical reactions (jumping back, nearly hitting the window) and emotional confusion (the unexplainable dread). Her question, “I thought we were girlfriends?” is a vulnerable admission that moves her from performing a relationship to wanting a real one.

Hani shows a softer, more perceptive side. Her explanation that people are intimidated by Ishu rather than hateful reveals her own past fears and her admiration for Ishu's strength. Her surprise at the girlfriend question—without disgust or amusement—suggests she's processing something new, though her decision to stay on the tram and avoid the moment leaves her feelings ambiguous.

The chapter also deepens their shared history: both acknowledge the pressure of being the only two Bengali girls at school and the deliberate distance Ishu created to avoid being reduced to that label.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Performance and Pretense: Ishu's entire evening is an act—laughing at jokes, feigning attraction, pretending the date makes sense. This performance mirrors the fake dating plan itself, highlighting the gap between what Ishu shows the world and what she feels.

Pigeonholing Identity: Ishu's explanation about avoiding Hani to escape being “the two Bengali girls” speaks to the pressure of being reduced to a single identity. The chapter questions whether friendship—or romance—can exist without that label.

Intimidation vs. Hatred: Hani reframes Ishu's social isolation, suggesting that classmates avoid her not out of dislike but fear of her intelligence and confidence. This shifts Ishu's understanding of her own reputation.

Friendship vs. Romance Ambiguity: The central tension of the chapter—Ishu's question about being girlfriends—blurs the line between the fake relationship and real feelings. The interruption by the Luas announcement symbolizes how external forces keep derailing their emotional progress.

Miscommunication: Ishu's confession is left unanswered, and Hani's unreadable expression through the window underscores the chapter's theme of words left unsaid.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 24 is a pivotal moment in the novel because it moves the fake dating plot into genuinely romantic territory. Ishu's confession that she thought they were girlfriends is the first time either character voices the possibility of real feelings, transforming the plan from a strategic arrangement into an emotional risk. The chapter also deepens the social stakes: Aisling's lunch invitation shows the plan is working, yet Ishu's dread reveals that success no longer feels like enough. Hani's explanation about intimidation reframes Ishu's social standing, and their conversation about pigeonholing adds cultural specificity to their bond. The unresolved ending—Hani staying on the tram, Ishu unable to read her expression—creates dramatic tension that carries into the next chapter.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Ishu feel dread when the plan is working?

Ishu's dread stems from her growing crush on Hani. The plan's social success (the lunch invitation, the group acceptance) no longer feels like the point. She realizes the best part of the evening was Hani taking her hand in the park, and she can't tell Hani how she feels. The plan working means the fake relationship might end, which would end her proximity to Hani.

2. What does Hani's explanation about intimidation reveal about how others perceive Ishu?

Hani reveals that classmates see Ishu as super smart, the smartest in their year, someone who knows so much, speaks her mind, and can stand up to anybody—basically invincible. People are scared to interact with her because she embodies qualities they're afraid to have themselves. This reframes Ishu's isolation as a form of respect rather than rejection.

3. Why did Ishu initially avoid befriending Hani, and how does this connect to the chapter's themes?

Ishu avoided Hani because others were trying to pigeonhole them as “the two Bengali girls”—a label that would reduce them to their ethnicity and nothing more. This connects to the theme of pigeonholing identity, showing how external expectations can shape relationships. By asking if they're now pigeonholed as friends, Hani questions whether their bond can exist outside those labels.