Tripp's Chapter: Summary 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.

Summary

The chapter opens on Tuesday morning, the first school day after the long weekend. Tripp goes through his usual routine—running, showering, dressing in his Saint Ambrose uniform—but then deviates sharply: he fills a flask with his father’s Jim Beam whiskey and walks in the opposite direction from school. He calls the main office, impersonating his father’s voice, and reports himself sick. His phone buzzes with messages from classmates about what happened at Mr. Solomon’s house on Saturday, and he’s especially determined to avoid Brynn, still stinging from her accusation that he’s a bad liar.

Drinking heavily as he walks, Tripp stumbles and notices the arched stone entrance to Sturgis Cemetery. He wanders until he finds Mr. Larkin’s grave, reading the Shakespearean epitaph—“To unpathed waters, undreamed shores”—that Ms. Kelso apparently chose for the funeral. He apologizes to the grave as he always does, then admits something new: he thinks he’s cursed. He reflects on his family history, wondering whether the curse began with his mother leaving, or with two incompatible people having a child they didn’t want. He acknowledges his father did want him, even if he didn’t know how to raise him. He also thinks about Regina, grateful for her presence but terrified of eventually losing her.

Spotting Valerie’s bright blue house from the cemetery, Tripp decides on impulse to visit his mother. He’s drunk enough that the idea seems good. Finding the front door unlocked, he steps inside and discovers Lisa Marie’s phone—recognizable by its floral case—alongside a small flip phone that he identifies as a burner. The iPhone unlocks via face recognition, since Lisa Marie had stored his face during a previous visit. He reads a long text thread between Lisa Marie and Gunnar Fox. The messages reveal that Gunnar initially wanted Lisa Marie to help him frame Shane Delgado, but when Tripp refused to cooperate, Gunnar pivoted to a new angle: framing all three teens—Tripp, Shane, and Charlotte—as partners in crime. Gunnar offers to pay Lisa Marie the money he would have paid Tripp.

Tripp also watches a video Lisa Marie recorded, in which she claims she always feared Noah’s temper and that his violence was inevitable. The burner phone contains outgoing texts, each a single word: “Murderer.” Two went to Tripp’s number, and the others match Shane’s and Charlotte’s numbers. The realization lands hard: Colin Jeffries didn’t send those texts. His own mother did.

Tripp screenshots the incriminating messages and video and texts them to himself. When Lisa Marie emerges from the shower and finds him, they argue. She snatches the phones, but Tripp already has what he needs. He presses her on why she sent the texts before he’d even refused her, and how she got Shane’s and Charlotte’s numbers. She dismisses him as too drunk to remember, then explains that Gunnar obtained the numbers and the texts were “for color”—part of building a story line that would make Tripp look unfairly harassed. She insists he would have come out “smelling like a rose” if he’d cooperated.

The argument escalates. Lisa Marie calls him “Trey,” a nickname he rejects. He tells her she’s lost the right to call him anything, and that her only remaining option is to leave him alone. As he heads for the door, she defends herself, citing medical problems, poor insurance, maxed-out credit cards, and an unhelpful ex-husband (Junior). She frames her betrayal as financial desperation. Tripp pauses at the door and delivers a final line—“Try it with tears”—echoing Gunnar’s note on her video, before slamming the door.

Key Events

Tripp skips school, impersonates his father on the phone, and drinks heavily.
He visits Mr. Larkin’s grave and confesses he feels cursed.
He impulsively enters Valerie’s house and discovers Lisa Marie’s phone and a burner phone.
He reads the text thread revealing Gunnar Fox’s scheme to frame Tripp, Shane, and Charlotte.
He watches Lisa Marie’s video claiming Tripp was violent from an early age.
He learns his mother sent the “Murderer” texts—not Colin Jeffries.
He screenshots the evidence and sends it to himself.
He confronts Lisa Marie, who justifies her actions with financial desperation.
He rejects her justifications and leaves, cutting ties.

Character Development

Tripp reaches a breaking point in this chapter. His grief over Mr. Larkin, compounded by the trauma of finding Mr. Solomon’s body, pushes him toward self-destructive behavior—skipping school, drinking in the morning, and wandering drunk through a cemetery. His conversation with the grave reveals deep-seated guilt and a fear that he’s fundamentally broken, caught between “cursed” and “bad seed.” But the discovery of his mother’s betrayal transforms him. He moves from passive grief to active agency, gathering evidence and preserving it. His final confrontation shows a new resolve: he refuses her nickname, her excuses, and her manipulation. The chapter ends with him taking control, even if the cost is severing his relationship with his mother.

Lisa Marie is revealed as a more complex antagonist than she initially seemed. She’s not merely neglectful—she’s actively complicit in a scheme to frame her own son for murder, motivated by money and desperation. Her claims of medical problems and financial strain don’t excuse her actions, but they add a layer of tragic motivation. She rationalizes her betrayal as “building a story line,” revealing how deeply she’s internalized the media’s framing of real people as content.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Cursed vs. bad seed: Tripp’s central question—whether he’s cursed by circumstance or inherently bad—echoes the novel’s broader exploration of nature versus nurture. His mother’s video, claiming she always feared his temper, directly feeds this fear.

Parental betrayal: The chapter’s core revelation is that Tripp’s own mother conspired to frame him. This betrayal is more intimate and damaging than any external threat.

Financial desperation as motive: Lisa Marie’s justification—medical bills, bad insurance, maxed-out cards—shows how economic pressure can corrupt moral judgment.

Media manipulation: Gunnar Fox’s scheme treats real people as characters in a story line, manipulating narratives for profit. The “Murderer” texts were “for color,” not evidence.

Alcohol as escape: Tripp’s drinking is both a coping mechanism and a self-destructive choice, blurring his judgment and leading him to the discovery that changes everything.

Identity and name: Lisa Marie’s insistence on calling him “Trey” symbolizes her refusal to see him as he is. His rejection of the name is a rejection of her version of him.

The Shakespearean epitaph: “To unpathed waters, undreamed shores” suggests an unknown future—fitting for a chapter where Tripp’s path suddenly becomes clear.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is a pivotal revelation chapter. It definitively answers the question of who sent the “Murderer” texts—not Colin Jeffries, but Lisa Marie, acting on Gunnar Fox’s behalf. It also exposes the full scope of the conspiracy: Gunnar’s attempt to frame Shane, his pivot to framing all three teens, and his willingness to pay Tripp’s mother to lie on camera. Tripp’s screenshots give him—and by extension Brynn and the investigation—concrete evidence that could unravel the entire scheme. The chapter also marks a major character turning point for Tripp, who moves from passive grief to active resistance, and it deepens the novel’s themes of parental betrayal and media exploitation.

Study Questions

1. Why does Tripp visit Mr. Larkin’s grave, and what does his conversation there reveal about his emotional state?

Tripp visits the grave as a form of ritual apology, something he’s done twice a year since the funeral. His confession that he thinks he’s cursed reveals deep-seated guilt and self-doubt. He’s questioning whether the bad things that happen around him are his fault—whether he’s a victim of circumstance or inherently destructive. The grave serves as a confessional where he can voice fears he can’t share with anyone living.

2. How does the discovery of the burner phone change the direction of the investigation?

The burner phone proves that the “Murderer” texts were sent by Lisa Marie, not Colin Jeffries. This redirects suspicion away from Jeffries and toward Gunnar Fox, who orchestrated the scheme. It also reveals that the texts were manufactured “color” for a story line, not genuine threats—meaning the harassment the teens experienced was part of a deliberate media manipulation campaign.

3. Does Lisa Marie’s justification for betraying her son hold up under scrutiny?

Her claims of medical problems, financial strain, and an unhelpful ex-husband explain her desperation but don’t excuse her actions. She chose to lie on camera about her son being violent, to send harassing texts, and to participate in a scheme to frame him for murder. The ends don’t justify the means, and Tripp’s rejection of her rationale is the chapter’s moral verdict.