Chapter 24: The Lie That’s Becoming Too Comfortable
⚠️ 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 Edith teasing Imogen about smiling at her phone. Imogen claims she’s texting “some of Lili’s people,” but Edith presses her, wondering if she’s talking to Dylan—or Declan—and jokes that Imogen hooked up with him. Imogen denies it, throwing a pillow to deflect. She admits she’s in the college group chat, though it’s been silent since Kayla bailed on plans the night before. Imogen suspects the others have reverted to their original chat without her, reinforcing her feeling that she’s just Lili’s “friend from home” who visited for three days.
Still, she acknowledges that Tessa might be a real friend—or at least on the way to becoming one. That thought triggers a troubling comparison: she worries she’s acting like the stereotype of a straight girl assuming every lesbian has a crush on her. The worry masks a deeper truth she’s not ready to name.
Edith continues to rib her, calling the group chat “little queer” and joking about whether they share secrets. Imogen feels her cheeks heat and realizes she’s never quite thought of her private thoughts as secrets—but Tessa feels like one, because she lied to Edith when she let her assume she was texting the group chat instead of Tessa.
That small lie leads Imogen to a larger reckoning: she went along with Lili’s fabricated relationship backstory, and she let everyone believe she’s bisexual. The chapter ends with the question she can no longer avoid: When, exactly, did I get so comfortable with lying?
Key Events
- Edith catches Imogen smiling at her phone and teases her about texting a possible hookup (Declan/Dylan).
- Imogen denies any romantic texting and throws a pillow to change the subject.
- She mentally reviews the college group chat’s silence and feels like an outsider.
- Imogen admits she might be becoming real friends with Tessa, then worries she’s projecting a crush.
- Edith’s offhand comment about “little queer” chats and secrets makes Imogen blush.
- Imogen realizes she’s lied by omission: she let Edith believe she was texting the group chat, not Tessa.
- She connects that lie to the bigger pretenses about Lili’s relationship and her own claimed bisexuality.
- The chapter closes with her internal question about how lying became so natural.
Character Development
Imogen moves from defensive deflection to uncomfortable self-awareness. For the first time, she openly acknowledges that she’s been lying—not just to others but to herself. Her earlier confidence in her straight identity is cracking, replaced by confusion and guilt. The fact that she blushes when Edith mentions secrets suggests her subconscious already knows what she’s trying to suppress.
Edith functions as a comic foil but also as a catalyst. Her teasing, though affectionate, forces Imogen to examine why she’s so secretive. Edith doesn’t know she’s poking at a real nerve, which makes Imogen’s internal conflict starker.
Tessa (mentioned, not present) grows in significance as an object of Imogen’s thoughts. Imogen is slowly acknowledging that their connection might be more than friendship, even as she tries to dismiss the idea as a cliché.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
Lying and performance. Imogen’s epiphany about her comfort with lying ties directly to the novel’s central theme: the pressure to perform a false identity. Her lie about who she’s texting mirrors the larger lie about her sexuality.
The silent group chat symbolizes Imogen’s fear of exclusion and her uncertain place in queer spaces. She’s not yet part of the “original” group, just as she’s not yet ready to claim a queer identity for herself.
The “smitten kitten” accusation is a light motif that underscores how others see Imogen’s feelings before she does. Edith’s joke contains a truth Imogen can’t accept.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 24 is a critical turning point in Imogen’s internal arc. She stops deflecting and starts questioning her own honesty. The chapter lays the emotional groundwork for her eventual coming-out by forcing her to confront the gap between what she says and what she feels. It also deepens the reader’s understanding that Imogen’s anxiety about not belonging in queer spaces is tied to her own internalized denial.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Imogen feel hurt when the group chat goes silent?
She interprets the silence as proof that she’s not a real part of the friend group—only Lili’s temporary tag-along. This reflects her deep insecurity about her place in queer community.
2. How does the word “secrets” trigger Imogen’s realization?
When Edith jokes about secrets, Imogen blushes because she consciously recognizes that she’s been keeping a secret: her growing feelings for Tessa and the lies she’s told to cover them up.
3. What does Imogen mean by “the mortifyingly problematic alternative”?
She refers to the stereotype of a straight girl assuming a lesbian is attracted to her. By labeling this possibility as “mortifying,” Imogen exposes her own fear that she isn’t as straight as she claims.