Chapter 7: Kissing — Expectations, Identity, and What a Kiss Really Means

⚠️ 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

Georgia and Tommy arrive at the bonfire to find they are the only ones there. Georgia picks a seat near the blanket pile, and Tommy sits beside her, balancing a beer bottle on the arm of his chair. She immediately feels anxious about the expected first kiss, recalling how fanfics and movies portray such moments as spontaneous and romantic. Tommy compliments her appearance and notes that they never really spoke during school. As he speaks, he places his hand on the back of her chair, uncomfortably close to her face. Georgia notices Pip and Jason watching from the conservatory, clearly curious about what will happen.

Tommy then says he knows she has never kissed anyone, speaking in a pitying tone that irritates her. He leans in closer, and Georgia is hit by a wave of disgust. She reflects on how she had imagined this moment for seven years, but now that it's happening, she feels nothing but discomfort. She wonders if she even knows what butterflies feel like. Tommy's condescending tone makes her feel like a child, and she resents being treated as inexperienced when she has studied romance so thoroughly. He puts his hand on her thigh, and she flinches, shoving his hand away. The motion knocks his drink off the chair, and as he lunges to catch it, he falls out of his seat and into the firepit.

Key Events

Georgia and Tommy are alone at the bonfire.
Georgia feels pressure to have her first kiss.
Tommy compliments her and mentions they never spoke at school.
Tommy places his hand near her face, making her uncomfortable.
Pip and Jason watch from the conservatory.
Tommy says he knows she hasn't kissed anyone, in a pitying tone.
Georgia feels a wave of disgust as Tommy leans in.
Tommy puts his hand on her thigh; Georgia flinches and shoves it away.
Tommy's drink topples, and he falls into the firepit.

Character Development

Georgia's internal conflict comes to a head in this chapter. She has spent years idealizing Tommy as a crush, but when faced with the reality of physical intimacy, she experiences visceral disgust rather than excitement. This moment forces her to question her own normalcy, as she wonders why she doesn't feel what she thinks she should. Tommy, meanwhile, reveals his own assumptions about romance and inexperience, speaking to Georgia as if she were a child. His condescension and physical advances highlight the disconnect between Georgia's intellectual understanding of romance and her lived experience.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

First kiss pressure: Georgia feels that a kiss must happen, and that this is her last chance, reflecting societal expectations.
Romantic scripts vs. lived reality: Georgia compares the moment to fanfics and movies, but her actual feelings don't match those scripts.
Disgust at physical intimacy: Georgia's overwhelming disgust at Tommy's proximity is a key turning point.
Social conformity pressure: Georgia is aware of Pip and Jason watching, and worries about their judgment if she doesn't go through with it.
Questioning one's own normalcy: Georgia wonders if her lack of desire is abnormal.
Romance as academic study vs. experience: Georgia has studied romance like an academic, but her real-life experience is completely different.
Crush fantasy vs. actual person: The real Tommy doesn't live up to the fantasy Georgia had built.
Unwanted physical contact: Tommy's hand on her thigh is an unwanted advance that triggers her flinch.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivotal moment in Georgia's journey of self-discovery. It forces her to confront the gap between her intellectual interest in romance and her visceral reaction to a real romantic encounter. The disgust she feels is a clear signal that something about her experience of attraction is different from what she expected, setting up her later exploration of her identity, particularly around aromanticism and asexuality. It also highlights the pressure to conform to social expectations and the difficulty of questioning one's own normalcy.

Study Questions and Answers

How does Georgia's reaction to Tommy's physical proximity challenge the romantic scripts she has internalized?

Georgia expects to feel butterflies and excitement, but instead feels disgust. This shows that her internalized scripts don't match her actual feelings, forcing her to question what she truly wants.

What does Tommy's comment about her being inexperienced reveal about his assumptions, and why does it irritate Georgia?

Tommy assumes Georgia's lack of experience is a deficiency, but Georgia has studied romance academically, so his pity is misplaced and condescending. It irritates her because she feels she knows more about romance than he gives her credit for.

How does the presence of Pip and Jason as observers influence Georgia's decision-making in this scene?

Georgia is aware that Pip and Jason are watching and expects them to judge her if she doesn't go through with the kiss. This adds social pressure to conform, making her feel that she must kiss Tommy even though she doesn't want to.