Chapter 7 Summary and Study Notes
⚠️ 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
Barrett and Lucie are walking to a party on the night of September 21 when Miles startles them from the dark. Barrett, who carries pepper spray at her mother’s insistence, instinctively sprays him in the face. Miles doubles over in pain, his eyes and nose turning an angry red. Lucie, pale and shaken, offers to call 911, but Miles refuses. Barrett frantically apologizes and searches her phone for first-aid advice, even asking it whether she could go to jail for the incident. She sends Lucie ahead to the party and agrees to help Miles herself.
They decide to return to Olmsted dorm, where both live. Barrett supports Miles down the hill, draping his arm over her shoulders and wrapping her own around his waist. She notices his scent—fresh, woodsy, with a hint of citrus—and is surprised by it. As they walk, she jokes to passersby that Miles has “partied himself out” before 9:30, earning a half-laugh from him. When they reach the lobby, Barrett buys milk, water, and a large salted chocolate-chip cookie from the dining hall as an apology gift. They take the elevator to the seventh floor, where Miles washes his face in the communal bathroom for about ten minutes.
When he emerges, his eyes look less irritated. He thanks her sincerely, acknowledging that the spray was an accident. He offers to share the cookie, but Barrett declines, saying she doesn’t want to take his apology cookie. They share an awkward silence, and Barrett realizes she doesn’t know how to “friend.” She tells Miles she’s heading back to her room and won’t return to the party. As she leaves, Miles says, “See you later, Barrett. If you decide to stay in physics.”
Back in her room, Barrett focuses on box breathing, hoping to make it to September 22. Only then does she realize something: she never told Miles she was planning to switch out of the physics program.
Key Events
- Barrett accidentally pepper-sprays Miles when he startles her and Lucie in the dark.
- Lucie offers to call 911, but Miles declines; Barrett sends Lucie to the party and stays to help.
- Barrett and Miles walk together back to Olmsted dorm, with Barrett supporting him down the hill.
- Barrett buys milk, water, and a large cookie from the dining hall as an apology.
- Miles washes his face in the communal bathroom on the seventh floor and emerges with reduced irritation.
- Miles thanks Barrett and offers to share the cookie; she declines.
- Barrett returns to her room, and only then remembers she never told Miles about her plan to leave physics.
Character Development
Barrett shows a mix of panic and responsibility. Her immediate reaction is to apologize repeatedly and search for practical solutions, but she also struggles with anxiety, trying to recall the box-breathing technique Lucie taught her. Her decision to send Lucie away and help Miles herself reveals a willingness to take responsibility for her mistake, even though she is clearly uncomfortable with physical closeness. Her internal monologue about “touching a human male” and her reference to Cole Walker on prom night hint at deeper anxieties about intimacy. The chapter also shows her self-deprecating humor—she jokes about being “sturdy” and about the possibility of going to jail—which serves as a coping mechanism. Most importantly, her private realization at the end—that she never told Miles about switching out of physics—suggests she is withholding a significant part of her identity, possibly because she is not ready to confront it herself.
Miles is initially sarcastic and gruff, but he softens as the chapter progresses. He refuses 911, insists he will be fine, and makes dry jokes about baby shampoo. His comment about not having been pepper-sprayed before is ambiguous, hinting at a possible memory of a similar event. As they walk, he thanks Barrett sincerely and later acknowledges that the incident was an accident. His offer to share the cookie, accompanied by an “odd expression” that looks like a trapped smile, suggests he is opening up, even if awkwardly. His parting line about staying in physics reveals that he knows Barrett is in the program, and it carries a hint of hope that she might remain—though he does not know her plans.
Lucie appears only briefly, but her reaction—frozen, pale, eager to escape—shows she is not equipped to handle crisis situations. Her quick departure leaves Barrett alone with Miles, setting up the central interaction of the chapter.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The time loop and hope for tomorrow are central. Barrett’s internal plea—“Please, god, let me have tomorrow. Let it be normal.”—underscores her desperation to break the loop. She frames her help for Miles as a “One Good Deed,” drawing on pop culture’s idea that good deeds can “unstick” a stuck timeline. This motif of using stories as a framework for understanding her situation recurs throughout the novel.
Accidental harm and forgiveness are explored through the pepper-spray incident. Barrett’s repeated apologies and Miles’s eventual acceptance (“I know it was an accident”) show that forgiveness is possible, even after a clumsy mistake. The chapter suggests that connection can grow from mishaps.
Anxiety management is a recurring motif. Barrett tries box breathing, but it fails her in the moment. Later, she uses it again in her room, focusing on it as a way to calm herself. The contrast between her panic and her eventual attempt to regulate her breathing highlights her ongoing struggle with anxiety.
Withheld secrets are introduced at the chapter’s end. Barrett’s failure to tell Miles about her plan to leave physics is a significant omission, suggesting she is not ready to share her doubts about her academic path. This secret may become a barrier or a bridge in their relationship.
Pop culture as framework appears when Barrett references movies and TV shows to justify her “good deed” theory. She also jokes about the “Finding Nemo” bulletin board and the RA’s themed decorations, using these references to ground her experience in familiar stories.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal because it transforms Barrett and Miles from near-strangers into reluctant allies. The accidental pepper-spraying forces them into close physical and emotional proximity, breaking down the awkwardness that defined their earlier interactions. Barrett’s decision to help Miles, despite her anxiety, demonstrates her capacity for responsibility and care. The chapter also plants a crucial seed: Barrett’s secret about leaving physics. This secret, revealed only to the reader, creates dramatic irony and sets up potential conflict or connection in future chapters. Additionally, the chapter reinforces the novel’s central question—whether Barrett can break the loop—by having her explicitly hope for a normal tomorrow and attempt a “good deed” as a possible solution. The quiet, intimate walk down the hill and the shared cookie offer hint at a growing bond that could be central to the story’s resolution.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Barrett decide to help Miles instead of going to the party?
Barrett feels responsible for the accident and wants to right the wrong. She also believes that performing a “One Good Deed” might help break her time loop, based on pop culture tropes. Her decision reflects both guilt and a hope that helping Miles could change her fate.
2. What does Barrett’s failure to tell Miles about switching out of physics reveal about her state of mind?
It shows that she is not ready to confront or share her doubts about her academic path. She may be avoiding the decision itself, or she may fear that admitting it will make it real. The secret also suggests she is withholding part of herself from Miles, even as they begin to connect.
3. How does the chapter use humor to balance the tension of the pepper-spray incident?
Barrett’s jokes—about going to jail, about Miles “partying himself out,” and about her own sturdiness—provide comic relief while also revealing her coping mechanisms. Miles’s sarcastic responses (“I’ve got a whole case of that back in my dorm”) lighten the mood and show his resilience. The humor helps the characters bond and makes the scene feel less traumatic.