Chapter 25: Alex — 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

Chapter 25 opens with Alex arriving late to a Friday-night rugby game, locking up her bike and jogging across the street to the field. She's dressed in all black, which Molly immediately teases her about, since Molly is wearing Pitt gear head-to-toe. Alex brought a paper bag of sugar cookies—the same kind Molly bought at the library before class earlier in the story—and admits she ate three on the way over.

Molly, leaning against an oak tree with her arms crossed, unwinds her scarf and wraps it around Alex's neck twice, a gesture that brings them close together. Alex briefly flashes back to the moment in the changing room but dismisses it, telling herself it was nothing and that they aren't each other's types.

They climb into the metal bleachers to join Abby. Alex admits she has no idea how rugby works, and Molly jokes that her near-death experience after three minutes of play makes her a certified expert. As the game unfolds, Alex watches the players pack into a scrum and is confused by the terminology. Molly freezes mid-bite of her cookie when she spots Cora jogging down the field, wearing a mustard-yellow sweatband and heavy eye black. Cora sends a small wave in their direction.

The game is brutal—two players are carried off by halftime, one with a concussion and one with a broken nose. Alex winces at the blood, and Molly teases her about wanting to be a doctor.

When Abby steps away to use the porta-potties, Alex tries to bring up their plan—she starts to say step—but Molly smacks her hand over Alex's mouth. Molly says she's not ready, that texting Cora is going well, and she doesn't want to ruin it. Alex pushes back gently, warning that Cora won't wait forever. She points out Cora on the bench, laughing with a teammate, her hand resting on the teammate's forearm—flirty energy Alex reads clearly. Alex tells Molly there's no rush, but she shouldn't wait too long and lose her chance.

During the second half, Alex pulls out her phone and texts her mom: Hey. Hope your day is going well. The text joins a sea of blue messages on the right side of the thread, with only occasional one-word responses from her mom. Her mom has been increasingly erratic about texting since their fight almost two weeks ago. Tonya has been checking on her and reports nothing seems out of the ordinary, but Alex is still worried—and, she admits, a tiny bit annoyed that she's worrying about her mom in the middle of a college rugby game.

The crowd erupts as a Pitt player makes a break for the end zone, slamming the ball down to score. Alex rips Molly's scarf off and swings it over her head, jumping to her feet with everyone else. Abby starts a Let's go, Panthers! chant.

As the game winds down, Cora jogs off the field, high-fiving her substitute. She gives Molly a small smile before taking the bench, and Alex feels an unexpected sensation in her chest. She rubs the spot and blames it on the three cookies she ate.

Key Events

Alex arrives late to the rugby game with sugar cookies; Molly wraps her scarf around Alex's neck.
Molly spots Cora on the field and visibly reacts, freezing mid-bite of her cookie.
Two players are carried off by halftime with serious injuries.
Alex tries to discuss their plan, but Molly stops her, saying she isn't ready to text Cora.
Alex warns that Cora won't wait forever, pointing out Cora's flirtatious behavior with a teammate.
Alex texts her mom, whose responses have been erratic since their fight nearly two weeks ago; Tonya has been checking on her.
Pitt scores, and the group celebrates together.
Cora smiles at Molly as she leaves the field, and Alex feels an unexpected sensation in her chest.

Character Development

Alex continues to show growth in this chapter. She's at a rugby game on a Friday night—a far cry from the parties she used to go to—and she's brought snacks as a thoughtful gesture, remembering the cookies Molly bought at the library. Her attempt to discuss the plan with Molly shows she's trying to be a good friend and wingwoman, but her warning about Cora not waiting forever reveals her practical, deadline-driven side. At the same time, her worry about her mom shows a more vulnerable dimension: she's carrying guilt and annoyance simultaneously, texting into a void of one-word replies. The unexpected feeling in her chest when Cora smiles at Molly is a subtle hint that Alex's feelings may be shifting in ways she hasn't fully acknowledged.

Molly is caught between readiness and fear. She's clearly invested in the texting phase with Cora—she says it's going so well—but she's terrified of ruining it by taking the next step. Her physical reaction to seeing Cora on the field (freezing, eyes widening) shows how much Cora still affects her. Molly's refusal to discuss the plan, even when Alex pushes, highlights her anxiety about timing and her fear of losing something good.

Cora appears briefly but meaningfully. Her wave to the group, her flirtatious body language with a teammate, and her small smile at Molly as she leaves the field all reinforce that she's an active participant in this dynamic—and that she may not wait forever, just as Alex warns.

Alex's mom is a presence even though she never appears on the page. The erratic texting and Alex's reliance on Tonya for updates paint a picture of a parent who is struggling, and Alex's mixed feelings of worry, guilt, and annoyance are realistic and relatable.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fear of ruining a good thing. Molly's central conflict in this chapter is her fear that texting Cora is going well and that pushing further could ruin it. This fear keeps her frozen, even as Alex warns her about the cost of waiting.

Timing and missed opportunities. Alex's urgency—she isn't going to wait forever—directly contrasts with Molly's hesitation. The chapter frames timing as a real stakes issue: Cora is visibly flirting with a teammate, and the window of opportunity may be closing.

Parental worry and guilt. Alex's text thread with her mom is a quiet counterpoint to the rugby game's noise. The sea of blue messages with only occasional one-word replies visualizes a one-sided relationship, and Alex's guilt about being annoyed while also being worried adds emotional complexity.

The scarf as a symbol of connection. Molly wrapping her scarf around Alex's neck twice is a physical gesture of care and closeness. Later, Alex rips the scarf off and swings it over her head during the celebration—a moment of shared joy that ties them together even as Alex's attention is elsewhere.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter advances the central romantic plot by putting Molly's hesitation in direct tension with Alex's urgency. Alex's warning about Cora not waiting forever—backed up by visible evidence of Cora flirting with a teammate—raises the stakes and sets up the next phase of the plan. The chapter also deepens Alex's character through the subplot with her mom, showing that she's carrying emotional weight beyond the matchmaking scheme. Finally, the unexpected feeling in Alex's chest when Cora smiles at Molly plants a seed of romantic ambiguity that complicates the story's direction.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Molly refuse to discuss the plan with Alex at the rugby game?

Molly says she isn't ready to text Cora. She's worried that the texting is going well and that pushing forward could ruin it. Her fear of ruining a good thing keeps her from acting, even though Alex warns her that Cora won't wait forever.

2. What does Alex's text exchange with her mom reveal about their relationship?

The exchange shows a one-sided dynamic: Alex sends a sea of blue messages while her mom responds only occasionally with one-word replies. Alex is worried, guilty, and a little annoyed. Tonya has been checking on her mom, which suggests Alex can't be there in person and is relying on someone else for updates. The fight they had nearly two weeks ago still hangs over the relationship.

3. What is the significance of the unexpected feeling Alex feels in her chest at the end of the chapter?

Alex feels something when Cora smiles at Molly as she leaves the field. She rubs the spot and blames it on the three cookies she ate, but the narrative suggests it's something more—possibly jealousy, attraction, or a growing awareness of her own feelings. The chapter leaves this ambiguous, setting up potential romantic complications ahead.