Chapter 13 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 with Darcy, writing as Locker 89, responding to an email from a student named Marie. Marie has a crush on a guy she's never spoken to and wants advice. Darcy advises her to make sustained eye contact, project confidence, ask open-ended questions, and not be afraid to approach him first. She also cautions that if a guy would mock her for a simple question, he isn't worth her time.

The scene shifts to Darcy and Brougham standing outside a café, caught in heavy rain. They make a run for Darcy's car and are soaked by the time they get in. Darcy assumes Brougham would want to go home, but she senses he doesn't want to return to his house. Rather than make him feel pitied, she frames the next step as her asking a favor—she has something she wants to do—and he agrees to come along.

They drive out of the city toward Mount Tilda. Brougham takes over as DJ, scrolling through Darcy's Spotify playlists. He teases her gently about her taste—mentioning One Direction members and her pop-heavy selections—but insists he likes her music. He then introduces her to Australian classic rock, playing Jimmy Barnes's 'Working Class Man' and performing along with theatrical enthusiasm that has Darcy laughing so hard she worries about driving safely.

They arrive at Mount Tilda, which is really just a steep hill with a lookout. Brougham is terrified during the winding drive up, gripping the console and chanting for Darcy not to kill them. At the top, they watch a distant lightning storm light up the sky in purple, pink, and yellow flashes. Darcy shares that her family used to come here during storms when her parents were still together.

Brougham suddenly gets out of the car and climbs a nearby tree in the pouring rain. Darcy reluctantly joins him. He tells her he's never been on a mountain in a rainstorm before, and when she says she's never done this either, he responds with 'New memories, then.' They sit in the tree watching the storm, and Darcy learns Brougham likes horror movies—which excites her, since she's been deprived of a movie buddy who shares her taste.

Back at Darcy's house, her mother makes elaborate hot chocolate for them. Brougham wraps himself in Darcy's childhood blanket. They watch a horror movie called Respawn, about invisible alien creatures called Pincers that subtly rearrange objects before turning their prey inside out. Darcy finds it genuinely unsettling and screams at one point, which Brougham finds amusing.

About halfway through the movie, Darcy excuses herself to the bathroom and texts Brooke, who has messaged saying she feels terrible and wants to hang out the next day—sushi and an escape room. Darcy agrees enthusiastically, but immediately feels guilty. She knows she's partly responsible for Brooke's situation (having helped Ray, Brooke's ex, get back together with her), and she can't shake the feeling that her motives weren't entirely pure. She briefly recalls Brougham's earlier comment about gut feelings and admits to herself that if she'd acted for the right reasons, she wouldn't feel so bad.

After the movie, Brougham orders an Uber. He notes he's been at Darcy's house for almost seven hours. At the door, he calls her 'Darcy' for the first time—she notices this after he leaves. He also offers to listen if she wants to talk about Brooke, acknowledging that advice isn't his area of expertise.

After closing the door, Darcy notices the living room looks subtly wrong. The tissue box is on the floor, the coffee table has been moved, the blanket is repositioned, the mugs are arranged differently, and the lamp is facing the wrong way. Panicked—the horror movie fresh in her mind—she texts Brougham, then calls him. He admits he moved everything as a prank, expecting her to notice while he was still there. He teases her about the Pincers before they hang up. When Darcy asks if everything is okay at his house, he says his dad is out and his mom is passed out on the couch—a detail that implies she's been drinking. He reassures Darcy he's fine and has been living with them for seventeen years.

Key Events

Darcy (as Locker 89) advises Marie on approaching a crush with confidence and eye contact.
Darcy and Brougham get caught in rain and drive off together; Darcy deliberately avoids taking him home.
Brougham introduces Darcy to Australian rock music, performing 'Working Class Man' with theatrical enthusiasm.
They watch a lightning storm from Mount Tilda, and Brougham climbs a tree in the rain; Darcy joins him.
Brougham says 'New memories, then' when Darcy mentions she's never done this before.
Back at Darcy's house, they watch the horror movie Respawn with Darcy's mom's elaborate hot chocolate.
Darcy texts Brooke and agrees to hang out the next day, feeling guilty about her motives.
Brougham leaves by Uber and calls Darcy by her first name for the first time.
Darcy discovers the living room has been subtly rearranged and panics; Brougham admits it was a prank.
Brougham reveals his dad is out and his mom is passed out on the couch, hinting at her drinking.

Character Development

Darcy shows a more vulnerable and nostalgic side in this chapter. Her memory of visiting Mount Tilda with her parents before their divorce reveals how much she misses that family unit. Her guilt about Brooke is also sharpened here—she's honest enough with herself to recognize that her satisfaction at Brooke's return feels 'dirty' and that her motives may not have been pure. She also demonstrates her protective instincts toward Brougham, carefully framing their outing as her asking a favor so he doesn't feel pitied.

Brougham is revealed to be far more playful and emotionally open than his usual guarded demeanor suggests. His theatrical performance of 'Working Class Man,' his insistence on climbing a tree in a thunderstorm, and his prank on Darcy all show a mischievous side. His fear of heights on the mountain road humanizes him, and his comment about his mother being 'passed out on the couch' hints at a difficult home life he's learned to navigate. His decision to call Darcy by her first name marks a shift in their relationship from distant colleagues to genuine friends.

Their relationship deepens significantly over the course of this chapter. They spend nearly seven hours together, share music, watch a movie, and exchange playful banter. The physical closeness during the movie—Brougham moving closer and not pulling away—suggests growing comfort and intimacy between them.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Creating new memories: Brougham's 'New memories, then' line directly addresses this theme. Darcy's old storm-watching tradition was tied to her parents' marriage; Brougham offers her a way to reclaim that experience with new meaning.

Music as personal expression: Darcy's anxiety about Brougham judging her playlists reflects how personal music taste feels. Brougham's passionate sharing of Australian rock is both cultural exchange and a way of letting Darcy see a more authentic version of himself.

Playful deception: Brougham's prank—rearranging the living room—mirrors the larger theme of deception running through the book. Darcy's Locker 89 identity is itself a form of deception, and her manipulation of Brooke's relationship is another. The prank is harmless, but it connects to the chapter's exploration of secrets and hidden motives.

Fear of the unseen: The horror movie's invisible Pincers, combined with Darcy's panic when objects are moved, taps into a primal fear of things we can't see or explain. It also mirrors the unseen forces at work in Darcy's own life—her secret identity, her hidden motives.

Dysfunctional family / hidden struggles: Brougham's reluctance to go home, his mother passed out on the couch, and his matter-of-fact 'I know the ropes' reveal a home life that's difficult in ways he's learned to manage alone.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in Darcy and Brougham's relationship. It's the first time they spend extended time together outside of school or their tutoring arrangement, and the first time Brougham calls Darcy by her first name. The chapter also deepens our understanding of Brougham's home life, showing why he's so guarded and why he avoids going home. Darcy's guilt about Brooke becomes more pronounced here, setting up the moral conflict that will likely drive the next phase of the story. The prank, while played for laughs, also foreshadows the theme of deception that runs through the novel—Darcy's secret identity as Locker 89 is itself a form of manipulation, and her growing friendship with Brougham complicates that secret.

Study Questions

1. How does the Mount Tilda scene represent a shift in Darcy and Brougham's relationship?

The Mount Tilda scene is the first time Darcy and Brougham share a genuinely personal experience. Darcy brings him to a place that holds family memories for her, and Brougham responds by creating a new memory together—climbing a tree in a rainstorm. His 'New memories, then' comment signals a willingness to build something new with Darcy, rather than keeping her at arm's length. The scene also shows them both being vulnerable: Darcy shares her nostalgia for her parents' marriage, and Brougham shows his fear of heights and his playful, spontaneous side.

2. What does Brougham's prank reveal about his character and his relationship with Darcy?

The prank shows Brougham's mischievous, playful side—a contrast to his usually guarded demeanor. It also reveals that he's comfortable enough with Darcy to joke around with her, and that he expected her to notice the changes while he was still there, suggesting he wanted to see her reaction. The prank also connects to the chapter's themes of deception and hidden motives, mirroring Darcy's own secret identity as Locker 89. Finally, his willingness to admit it when confronted shows a degree of honesty in their relationship.

3. How does Darcy's response to Brooke's text reveal her internal conflict?

Darcy's immediate, enthusiastic agreement to hang out with Brooke is undercut by her guilt. She recognizes that her happiness at Brooke's return feels 'dirty' because she played a role in the situation—she helped Ray get back together with Brooke, and she suspects her motives weren't purely altruistic. Her internal debate about whether what she did was 'super shitty' or just 'looking out for' Brooke shows her struggling to justify her actions to herself. Brougham's earlier comment about gut feelings resurfaces, and Darcy admits to herself that if she'd acted for the right reasons, she wouldn't feel so terrible. This moment establishes the moral ambiguity at the heart of her Locker 89 activities.