Haitham's Chapter: Summary, Themes, and Analysis

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

Return to the book hub.

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Summary

In this chapter, Haitham meets Nima at the park and takes the swing next to hers, immediately launching into a story or joke. Nima tries to interrupt him, but he doesn't hear her at first. When she finally gets his attention, she is torn between telling him about Yasmeen and confronting him for telling other boys about her father. Instead, she blurts out a question: does he believe in jinn?

Haitham dismisses the idea, saying his grandmother makes up those stories to scare children. Nima presses, asking what if they are real. Haitham teases her, remarking that she is lucky he is the only one who knows how strange she is. Normally this kind of teasing would make her laugh, but today it cuts deep. It sounds like a reminder that she has no other friends.

Nima is full of hurt and anger, and she needs somewhere to put it. She lets the feeling take over her voice and her body. She accuses Haitham of telling everyone about her dad, saying it's easy for him to share her business. She challenges him to tell his own father's story instead. Then, feeling intoxicated and possessed, she continues, telling him to leave her alone. She insists their friendship exists only because he lives down the hall, that they aren't even in the same grade anymore, and that he should go bother some other ninth grader. She storms away, leaving the swings creaking on their chains behind her.

Key Events

• Haitham meets Nima at the park and starts telling a story or joke.

• Nima asks if he believes in jinn, deflecting from her real concerns.

• Haitham dismisses the idea and teases Nima about being weird.

• Nima's hurt and anger explode; she accuses him of sharing her family business.

• She challenges him to tell his own father's story, then tells him to leave her alone.

• She claims their friendship is only due to proximity and grade differences.

• Nima storms off, leaving Haitham behind.

Character Development

Nima is overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. She wants to tell Haitham about Yasmeen, but she is also furious about his betrayal. Her inability to express either feeling directly leads her to lash out. The chapter shows her losing control, feeling