Chapter 12: Molly — Summary, Themes, 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 following week, Molly is waiting in line at the coffee stand on the main floor of the Carnegie Library when a lanky figure in a black hood cuts in front of her. Molly decides not to make a fuss, but the figure turns around—it's Alex, who teases Molly for pretending not to like her. Alex shows Molly a fantasy novel she grabbed at random from a shelf on the top floor, a thousand-plus-page book with knights and mythical creatures on a faded cover. Molly is incredulous that Alex would pick a book with no idea what it's about, but Alex shrugs, saying the point of reading is to find out for yourself. She then pivots to the real topic: has Molly gotten Cora's number yet?

Molly is flustered, pulling Alex into a quiet corner and asking her to stop shouting Cora's name in public. Alex argues that Molly likes Cora because of her nice cover—that she's attractive—but Molly insists she likes everything about Cora. Alex presses further, pointing out that Molly has barely said two words to Cora despite being in school with her for four years. Molly counters that she sat by Cora all night at the party and that they both want to be writers. Alex compares Molly's knowledge of Cora to knowing a celebrity through Instagram: you know what they put out to the world, but you don't actually know them.

Molly pushes back, saying Alex wouldn't understand because she clearly doesn't feel strongly about her girlfriend, given that she flirted with Cora at the party. If Alex felt the way Molly does, she wouldn't have wanted to flirt at all. Alex's face shifts from anger to hurt to indifference, and she concedes the point, though Molly can tell it's not what she really wants to say.

Alex asks again if Molly has gotten Cora's number. Molly admits she hasn't. She's been trying all week, coming up with game plans every time she sees Cora, but she can't get out of her own head. The closest she came was Wednesday, when she saw Cora outside Market and tripped over nothing, falling flat on her face at Cora's feet—hardly the moment to ask for a number.

Alex warns that every day Molly doesn't get the number is a day Cora could give it to someone else. Molly's heart sinks. She begs Alex to help her make the moment happen, reminding Alex that she's supposed to be the mastermind behind the plan. Alex confirms the plan is airtight and solid, like concrete.

A text from Molly's mom—a picture of Leonard in a yellow raincoat—makes Molly realize she's late for her Intro to Fiction class, which is on the third floor of the Cathedral building. She starts heading toward the south exit, but Alex grabs her shoulder and turns her in the opposite direction, correcting her. Molly lies that she knew the way.

As she hurries across the street, Molly tries to leave Alex's words behind—all that talk about not really knowing Cora. She reminds herself that Alex is only supposed to be around for the plan, to teach her how to do things she's never done before. She checks her phone again and realizes she's probably going to be late to a class she already missed the first week of.

Key Events

Alex cuts in front of Molly in the library coffee line and reveals herself
Alex shows Molly a random fantasy novel, sparking a conversation about judging by appearances
Alex challenges whether Molly actually knows Cora, comparing it to knowing a celebrity through Instagram
Molly confronts Alex about flirting with Cora despite having a girlfriend
Alex concedes the point, showing visible hurt
Molly admits she hasn't gotten Cora's number and describes tripping at Cora's feet on Wednesday
Alex warns that Cora could give her number to someone else
Molly asks Alex to help create the right moment; Alex confirms it's part of her plan
Molly realizes she's late for Intro to Fiction and Alex corrects her direction
Molly hurries off, late to a class she already missed

Character Development

Molly: This chapter reveals the depth of Molly's anxiety around Cora. She's been trying all week to find the right moment, but her self-doubt keeps getting in the way. Her idealized vision of a future with Cora—both becoming writers, watching Wynonna Earp reruns, moving back to the suburbs—shows how much she's invested in a fantasy rather than an actual relationship. Her defensiveness when Alex challenges her knowledge of Cora suggests she's aware, on some level, that Alex might have a point.

Alex: When Molly accuses Alex of not feeling strongly about her girlfriend, Alex's reaction—shifting from anger to hurt to indifference—reveals a vulnerability beneath her confident exterior. She concedes the point even though Molly can tell it's not what she wants to say. This moment hints at deeper feelings Alex may be suppressing. Her correction of Molly's direction also shows a practical, almost protective side.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Knowing someone vs. knowing about them: Alex's Instagram comparison is the central argument of the chapter. Molly knows facts about Cora—that she wants to be a writer, that they have things in common—but Alex argues this is surface-level knowledge, like following a celebrity online.

Judging by appearances: The fantasy novel's cover serves as a metaphor. Alex picked a book without knowing what it's about, and she uses the don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover idiom to challenge Molly's approach to Cora. Molly admits the book looks interesting but dismisses it as something her brother would like—judging it before reading.

Idealized fantasy vs. reality: Molly's imagined future with Cora is detailed and romantic, but it's built on observation rather than interaction. The gap between her fantasy and the reality of her inability to even ask for a number is the chapter's central tension.

Missed opportunities: Molly's trip at Cora's feet on Wednesday and her lateness to a class she already missed both illustrate a pattern of moments slipping away.

Reading as discovery: Alex's approach to the random book—reading to find out for yourself—mirrors what she's pushing Molly to do with Cora: actually engage rather than observe from a distance.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the central conflict of Molly's storyline: she wants Cora but can't bridge the gap between her fantasy and reality. Alex's challenge forces Molly (and the reader) to question whether Molly's feelings are based on who Cora actually is or on who Molly imagines her to be. The chapter also adds complexity to Alex, showing a moment of genuine hurt beneath her bravado. The plan is reaffirmed as the mechanism that will drive the plot forward, and the chapter sets up the next stage of the story: Alex helping Molly create the moment.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does Alex's comparison of Molly's knowledge of Cora to knowing a celebrity through Instagram reveal about Molly's approach to the relationship?

Alex argues that Molly knows Cora the way someone knows a celebrity through Instagram—only what she puts out to the world, not who she actually is. This reveals that Molly has been observing Cora from a distance, building a fantasy around what she's seen and heard rather than actually getting to know her. Molly's detailed imagined future with Cora is constructed from limited information, suggesting her feelings are based on an idealized version of Cora rather than a real, lived connection.

2. How does Molly's accusation about Alex's girlfriend reveal Molly's values about relationships?

Molly tells Alex that if she felt as strongly toward her girlfriend as Molly feels toward Cora, she wouldn't have wanted to flirt with anyone else—she'd already have everything she could ever want. This reveals that Molly views relationships as all-consuming and exclusive, where strong feelings should make other attractions irrelevant. It also shows Molly's judgmental side, as she uses this standard to dismiss Alex's perspective on knowing Cora.

3. What does the fantasy novel's cover symbolize in this chapter, and how does it connect to Molly's situation?

The novel's faded cover, with knights and mythical creatures under a green sky, serves as a metaphor for judging by appearances. Molly dismisses the book based on its cover, assuming it's not for her, just as Alex argues Molly is drawn to Cora's nice cover without knowing what's inside. Alex's point about reading to find out for yourself parallels what she's pushing Molly to do with Cora: stop judging from the outside and actually engage to discover who she really is.