Chapter 9 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

Thanksgiving break opens with no school but extra basketball practice. Scottie is more driven than ever, arriving early and staying late because she's eager to show Tally her new relationship with Irene at Charlotte Pascal's upcoming party. During the early week, Scottie and Daphne watch movies, and Thora joins them when her shifts at The Chimney allow. On one morning off, the three catch a double feature of Clueless and Never Been Kissed. Afterward, Scottie finds a text from Irene about coordinating outfits—Irene plans to wear red and warns Scottie not to match her.

On Thanksgiving Day, the family enjoys their usual turkey, stuffing, and cranberries. Thora brings leftover mead, and Scottie's parents let her try some. Daphne sulks and takes extra pie. Thora sneaks turkey to the dogs, and Dad pretends not to notice. After dinner, they watch a quiet show about Alaskan fishermen. During a commercial, Scottie's parents tell her they're proud of her for moving on from Tally, praising her resilience and dedication to basketball and her new relationship. Scottie deflects with a joke, careful not to meet her sisters' eyes, and feels a twinge of shame about her fake relationship plan, but she suppresses it.

On Saturday night, Scottie arrives at Charlotte's party with Irene, Honey-Belle, and Danielle. Irene whispers that Scottie owes her, but Scottie jokes about the note-stealing gesture. Inside, they see Gunther and Kevin by the foyer wall. Kevin mentions they came from Partridge Pizza and offers garlic sticks, but warns that Gunther's breath is strong. Irene wrinkles her nose and thanks Scottie for steering her away. Honey-Belle comments on how cute Scottie and Irene's flirting is, and Gunther agrees, standing close to Honey-Belle.

Irene and Scottie head to the kitchen, holding hands to sell the act. Scottie scans for Tally but doesn't see her. In the kitchen, Scottie mixes a drink, but Irene insists on water, filling a Solo cup from the sink and adding a lime wedge to make it look like a cocktail. Irene explains she doesn't want people giving her a hard time for not drinking. Then Irene reveals that Danielle has a crush on Kevin, which Scottie denies but eventually admits.

Suddenly, Irene's face changes. Scottie turns and sees Tally in the middle of the room, making out with a girl Scottie doesn't recognize—likely a Candlehawk student. Scottie feels crushed, and Irene tries to pull her away, but Scottie slips free and hurries to the back patio. She sits in the cold, questioning whether she should have expected this and whether Tally is dating or just hooking up.

Irene follows her out. She teases Scottie about expecting the worst from her, then offers a blunt observation: Tally looks like a terrible kisser, and the only person she feels sorry for is the girl whose face Tally was chewing on. Scottie admits she thought she liked kissing Tally. Irene points out that Tally knew Scottie was there and could have done that somewhere private. Scottie mentions Thora thinks Tally is manipulative, and Irene agrees, calling Tally a weirdo. Then Irene gets serious, noting that Scottie was also trying to manipulate Tally—she just got there first. Scottie glares, but Irene insists she's not gloating, just pointing out that this competition won't make Scottie happy. Irene also mentions that Tally is probably drunk or high, based on her behavior in the kitchen.

After a quiet moment, Irene declares she has an idea to mess with Tally. Inside, she retrieves the garlic sticks from Gunther's box. In the kitchen, Tally asks for some, but Irene pretends to guard them, playing a game of refusal. Tally lunges and grabs one, eating it eagerly. Irene stalks off, catching Scottie's eye. Tally then returns to the girl she was kissing and leans in for another kiss. The girl gags, recoils, and yells about the smell. The whole party watches, laughing, and someone records it. Tally flees the room, mortified. Scottie is impressed by Irene's scheme, and Kevin and Danielle praise it.

The party continues. Danielle and Kevin talk with other smart kids about college applications, while Gunther and Honey-Belle hit it off, oblivious to a beer spill. Scottie finds Irene in the hallway and compliments her diabolical plan. Irene shrugs, saying she can be evil when she wants. They discuss Charlotte, with Irene predicting Charlotte will strike. Scottie dismisses her paranoia, but Irene insists Scottie doesn't know Charlotte like she does.

Minutes later, the music cuts off. Charlotte climbs onto a chair and gives a speech, reminding everyone to vote for her for Student Athlete of the Year. She then calls out Irene as another candidate, using the phrase “newly gay Irene Abraham.” Heads turn, and nervous laughter ripples through the room. Charlotte signals her boyfriend to play a video on the TV. The video shows a drunk Irene from about a year ago, slurring and denying she's gay. Charlotte's off-screen voice baits her, and video-Irene says she's straight, that half the people at school are only gay for attention, and that hooking up with a girl wouldn't mean anything. The video ends, and the room falls silent. Real Irene is frozen, her cheeks flushed, unable to speak. Scottie grabs her hand and pulls her outside into the cold air.

Key Events

Scottie intensifies basketball practice during Thanksgiving break.
Scottie, Daphne, and Thora watch a double feature; Irene texts about outfit coordination.
Thanksgiving dinner includes family praise for Scottie's supposed moving on, which triggers guilt.
Scottie arrives at Charlotte's party with Irene, Honey-Belle, and Danielle.
Irene refuses alcohol, using a lime wedge to disguise water.
Irene reveals Danielle's crush on Kevin.
Scottie sees Tally making out with another girl and retreats to the patio.
Irene follows and offers a mix of teasing and honest advice about the competition.
Irene executes a garlic-stick scheme that publicly humiliates Tally when her next kiss repels the girl.
Charlotte plays an old video of drunk Irene denying her sexuality, leaving Irene speechless.
Scottie pulls Irene outside, ending the chapter on a protective note.

Character Development

Scottie shows a mix of vulnerability and growth. Her initial excitement about the fake relationship is tempered by guilt when her parents praise her resilience. Seeing Tally with another girl devastates her, revealing that her feelings aren't as resolved as she pretended. Yet she also shows empathy and loyalty when she instinctively defends Irene after Charlotte's attack, pulling her away from the crowd.

Irene emerges as more than a sarcastic ally. She refuses alcohol to avoid judgment, showing self-awareness about social pressures. Her garlic-stick scheme is clever and protective, aimed at hurting Tally for Scottie's sake. But the video exposes her vulnerability—her past internalized homophobia and the pain of being outed publicly. Her silence at the end is a stark contrast to her usual sharp wit, making her more human.

Tally is portrayed as manipulative and self-centered. She deliberately makes out with another girl in front of Scottie, watching for a reaction. Her drunkenness and willingness to be baited by Irene show her arrogance and lack of consideration.

Danielle and Gunther get small moments: Danielle's crush on Kevin is revealed, and Gunther successfully connects with Honey-Belle, showing that side characters are also navigating relationships.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fake dating and revenge: The central plot device—Scottie's fake relationship with Irene—drives the chapter's conflict. The scheme backfires when Tally moves on, and Irene's garlic-stick plan becomes a counter-revenge.
Manipulation and competition: Both Scottie and Tally try to manipulate each other, and Irene points out that Scottie is no better. The chapter critiques the idea that winning a breakup is satisfying.
Public humiliation and outing: Charlotte's video is a cruel act of outing Irene without her consent, using her past words to shame her. This highlights the dangers of social hierarchies and the weaponization of sexuality.
Internalized homophobia: Video-Irene's denial of her sexuality reflects internalized shame, which Charlotte exploits. Real Irene's silence suggests she's still processing that part of her past.
Loyalty and protection: Scottie's instinct to pull Irene outside shows growing loyalty, even as their fake relationship begins to feel real.
Social hierarchy: The party is a microcosm of high school status, with Charlotte using her popularity to attack Irene, and the crowd eagerly watching.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel. It shatters Scottie's illusion that her fake relationship will give her closure, forcing her to confront her unresolved feelings for Tally. It also deepens Irene's character, revealing her vulnerability and the pain of being outed publicly. The garlic-stick scheme is a moment of dark comedy, but it's followed by a serious scene that shifts the tone. Scottie's decision to pull Irene outside signals a shift from using Irene as a pawn to genuinely caring about her. The chapter sets up the possibility of real feelings between them, while also raising the stakes for Irene's social standing and emotional well-being.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Scottie feel guilty when her parents praise her for moving on from Tally?

Scottie's guilt stems from the fact that her relationship with Irene is fake. Her parents believe she's genuinely moved on and is resilient, but Scottie knows she's only pretending to date Irene to make Tally jealous. She feels ashamed that she's about to dangle this fake relationship over Tally at the party, and she's careful not to meet her sisters' eyes because they'd see through her.

2. How does Irene's garlic-stick scheme reflect her understanding of Tally's character?

Irene knows Tally is arrogant and easily provoked. By pretending to guard the garlic sticks, she baits Tally into taking one, knowing Tally won't resist a challenge. Irene also understands that Tally will immediately return to the girl she was kissing, so the garlic breath will cause a public rejection. The scheme is clever because it uses Tally's own impulsiveness against her, resulting in humiliation without Irene having to directly confront her.

3. What does Charlotte's video reveal about Irene's past, and how does it affect her in the present?

The video shows a drunk Irene denying she's gay and making dismissive comments about people who are openly gay. It reveals that Irene once struggled with internalized homophobia and was willing to hide her identity to fit in. In the present, the video is used by Charlotte to publicly out Irene and shame her, leaving Irene speechless and vulnerable. It forces Irene to confront a part of herself she may have moved past, and it also shows the cruelty of using someone's past against them.