Chapter 31 Study Guide: Summary, Themes, and Discussion
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens with Wes and Mickey sneaking onto a high school baseball field on a Sunday morning. Wes is testing his pitching arm, but his real focus is on a plan to win back Liz. He tells Mickey that he knows Liz better than anyone—they've known each other since kindergarten—and that a grand romantic gesture is the only way to soften her. Mickey is skeptical, insisting that Liz has changed and would never fall for such theatrics. Wes remains confident, though he admits to himself that he needs to prove he's still the same guy Liz fell in love with two years ago.
The next day, Wes buys two hundred daisies, far more than he anticipated. He and Mickey cram them into Mickey's car, then stop at two dollar stores to collect enough candles for the display. Back at the dorms, Wes's friends Wade, Eli, and AJ gather to mock him while he plucks petals from the flowers, listening to a playlist Liz made for him after prom. Despite the teasing, Wes is determined, filling gallon bags with white and yellow petals and preparing a bouquet of hot-pink gerbera daisies.
That night, Mickey drives Wes to Liz's apartment building. Wes knows exactly which balcony is hers—he scouted it earlier. He climbs up the building's facade, using the gutter for balance, and lands on her balcony. He arranges the candles in a heart shape, sprinkles the petals inside, and lights the votives. The display looks perfect, but a neighbor from the garden-level apartment spots the lighter and mistakes Wes for an arsonist. The neighbor turns a pressure washer on Wes, destroying the candles and petals and drenching him. Wes stumbles, kicks over candles, and tries to escape. He climbs onto the gutter, but his foot slips, and he falls into an overgrown bush, injuring his ankle. He sprints away, limping, and calls Mickey to pick him up.
The next morning, Wes is at the gym, his ankle wrapped and his body covered in scratches. He runs into Liz, who almost collides with him. She notices his ankle and asks what happened. Wes lies, saying he fell. Liz then tells him about a strange incident at her apartment: a neighbor claimed someone was on her balcony trying to start a fire, and the neighbor's wife filmed a video of a man falling from the gutter. Wes tries to play dumb, but Liz clearly knows it was him. She calls the act immature, and Wes responds by stepping closer, telling her that the guy has nothing to lose and that she should brace herself for “the hard press.”
Key Events
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Wes and Mickey practice pitching at a high school field, where Wes outlines his plan to win Liz back with romantic gestures.
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Wes buys two hundred daisies and collects candles from two dollar stores, then prepares the petals in his dorm room while his friends mock him.
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That night, Wes climbs to Liz's balcony and arranges a heart-shaped candle display with daisy petals.
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A neighbor mistakes Wes for an arsonist and sprays him with a pressure washer, ruining the display.
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Wes falls from the gutter into a bush, injuring his ankle, and flees the scene.
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The next morning, Wes encounters Liz at the gym. She mentions the video of a man falling from her balcony, and Wes admits (indirectly) that he was the one, then warns her to brace herself for “the hard press.”
Character Development
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Wes shows a mix of confidence and vulnerability. He is determined to win Liz back, but his plan is impulsive and poorly executed. His willingness to risk physical harm and public humiliation reveals how much he cares, yet his failure highlights his immaturity. The chapter also shows his growth in recognizing that he needs to apologize and prove he's changed, even if his methods are misguided.
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Mickey serves as a grounding presence. He is skeptical of Wes's plan but supports him anyway, driving him to Liz's apartment and picking him up after the disaster. His loyalty underscores the theme of friendship.
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Liz is portrayed as mature and guarded. She immediately recognizes Wes's involvement in the balcony incident, but she doesn't confront him directly. Her comment that “Little Liz has been gone a long time” suggests she has moved on from the person she used to be, creating tension for Wes's efforts.
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Wade, Eli, and AJ provide comic relief, but their presence also reinforces that Wes has a support system, something he lacked in the past.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Grand romantic gestures: Wes believes that a big, showy display will win Liz back, but the chapter suggests that such gestures are misguided. The pressure washer literally destroys his attempt, symbolizing how his approach is out of touch with who Liz is now.
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Failure and humiliation: Wes's plan fails spectacularly, and he ends up injured and embarrassed. This motif emphasizes the gap between his intentions and reality, and it forces him to confront his own foolishness.
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Apology and winning back trust: Wes's underlying goal is to apologize and show Liz he's still the same person she loved. However, his actions—breaking into her balcony, lying about his injury—undermine that goal, suggesting that trust cannot be rebuilt through spectacle alone.
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Friendship and support: Mickey's willingness to help, even while mocking Wes, shows that friendship is a stabilizing force. Wes reflects that failing with friends is better than failing alone, highlighting his growth from isolation to connection.
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Risk-taking for love: Wes risks physical injury and legal trouble for a chance to win Liz back. This theme underscores his desperation and the lengths he'll go to, but it also raises questions about whether such risks are wise.
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Personal change and growth: Both Wes and Liz have changed over two years. Wes wants to prove he's the same, but Liz insists she's different. This tension drives the chapter's conflict.
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Vulnerability: Wes's physical fall and his emotional exposure—being caught, mocked, and rejected—make him vulnerable. This vulnerability is necessary for genuine connection, but Wes hasn't yet learned to embrace it.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal because it marks the first major attempt by Wes to reconcile with Liz, and it fails in a way that forces both characters to confront their current realities. Wes's plan is based on a romanticized version of the past, but Liz's reaction shows she has moved on. The chapter also establishes the central conflict: Wes wants to prove he's unchanged, while Liz insists she is no longer the person who would appreciate such gestures. The balcony incident becomes a shared secret between them, and Wes's final warning about “the hard press” sets up the next phase of his pursuit. Additionally, the chapter deepens Wes's character by showing his vulnerability and his reliance on friends, setting the stage for his eventual growth.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Wes believe that a grand romantic gesture will win Liz back, and what does this reveal about his understanding of her?
Wes believes that because he knew Liz since kindergarten, he knows what she likes and how she thinks. He assumes her romantic side is still buried beneath the surface, and that a big display of flowers and candles will soften her. This reveals that Wes is clinging to a past version of Liz, ignoring the possibility that she has changed. His confidence is based on nostalgia rather than current evidence, which is why his plan fails.
2. How does the neighbor's reaction to Wes's balcony display symbolize the chapter's broader themes?
The neighbor mistakes Wes for an arsonist and uses a pressure washer to destroy the display. This symbolizes how Wes's romantic gesture is perceived as a threat rather than a heartfelt act. It also represents the harsh reality that his approach is out of touch with the present—just as the water washes away the petals, Liz's current self is not receptive to his outdated methods. The incident highlights the theme of failure and the gap between intention and perception.
3. What does Liz's comment that “Little Liz has been gone a long time” indicate about her character development?
Liz's statement shows that she has grown and changed since her relationship with Wes. She no longer identifies with the girl who loved romantic gestures, and she is wary of Wes's attempts to recreate the past. This indicates that Liz has become more mature and guarded, and it sets up a challenge for Wes: he must accept who she is now, not who she used to be, if he wants to win her back.