Chapter 14 Summary: Morgan's Secret

⚠️ 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

Morgan Emery has been carrying a devastating secret since before the bike trip began: she is pregnant. She had sex twice with Brody, who has since left for basic training, and a pregnancy test confirmed her fears. Knowing her deeply religious parents would never consent to an abortion—they are anti-choice Christians who believe life begins at conception—Morgan has made a secret plan. Using a burner phone purchased by her friend Olivia, she called Planned Parenthood in Syracuse, one of the trip’s stops, and scheduled an appointment for an abortion. She saved money from babysitting and decided to tell no one, not even Brody, whom she doesn’t want to marry, and not her parents, who she knows would forbid the procedure. On the trip, Morgan feels nauseated at the sight of food and fears her mother will somehow discover the truth. She considers confiding in another older rider, like Abby or Andy Presser, but ultimately resolves to keep her secret and save herself alone, like a princess locked in a tower.

Key Events

Morgan recalls buying a pregnancy test at a drugstore with her friend Olivia and taking it in Olivia’s bathroom.
Using a prepaid burner phone, Morgan calls Planned Parenthood and learns the difference between surgical and medical abortion; she schedules an appointment for the day the group reaches Syracuse.
Morgan reflects that her parents believe abortion is “killing a baby,” and she knows they would never give permission if they knew she was under eighteen.
She considers telling various people on the trip, including Abby, Andy Presser, or Andy’s mother, but worries they would either judge her or tell her parents.
Morgan remembers begging her mother to keep the trip on when her father nearly canceled it, even though she feels too terrified to spend time with her now.
At a group picnic, Morgan feels nauseated by the smell of tuna salad and cannot eat.
Andy invites her to sit with him, and Morgan thinks about whether he could be the prince who saves her, but she concludes she must save herself.

Character Development

Morgan Emery: Morgan emerges as a frightened but determined young woman. She is isolated by her secret, unable to trust her parents because of their rigid beliefs, and unwilling to burden her friend Olivia further. Her internal monologue shows her weighing every possible confidant and rejecting each one out of fear of exposure or judgment. The chapter deepens her resolve: she will carry out the abortion alone and push through the pain, even though she knows she should rest for a day. Her self-reliance is born from necessity, not choice.
Lily Emery (mentioned): Though not present in the chapter, Morgan’s mother is a powerful off-page presence. Morgan imagines her exact words of condemnation, and the memory of her father’s sermons about “murder” haunts her. Lily represents the looming parental censure that forces Morgan into secrecy.
Olivia (off-screen): Though absent, Olivia is crucial as the only person who knows Morgan’s secret. She helped Morgan get the burner phone and urged her not to go alone. Olivia’s caution and support contrast with Morgan’s family environment.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Secrecy and Isolation: Morgan repeats the internal question “Can you keep a secret?” obsessively, symbolizing her desperate need to confess and the impossibility of doing so. She feels utterly alone, comparing herself to Rapunzel in a tower.
Autonomy vs. Parental Control: The conflict between Morgan’s bodily autonomy and her parents’ religious authority drives the chapter. She must clandestinely make a medical decision because her parents’ beliefs override her own.
Bodily Change and Shame: Morgan’s nausea and disgust at the sight of food mirror her shame about pregnancy. Her body is betraying her secret, making her fear that her mother will “just know” by looking at her.
The Fairy-Tale Motif: Morgan explicitly invokes the fairy-tale image of Rapunzel, casting herself as the imprisoned princess and Andy as the would-be prince. But she rejects that fantasy: no prince will save her; she must rescue herself, subverting the typical trope.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter reveals the hidden crisis at the heart of Morgan’s character, shifting her from a seemingly quiet teenage rider into a girl with a concrete, urgent problem. It establishes the stakes for the remainder of the trip: Morgan must carry out her plan in Syracuse while maintaining a normal facade. The chapter also deepens the novel’s exploration of reproductive rights and religious fundamentalism, showing how a young person can be forced into dangerous secrecy by a lack of support. Morgan’s decision to save herself foreshadows the strength she will need later in the story.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Morgan refuse to tell her mother about the pregnancy? Morgan knows her parents would never consent to an abortion. She imagines her mother saying, “It’s a baby… I can’t let you kill a baby,” reflecting their anti-choice Christian beliefs. Because she is under eighteen, state law requires parental permission, which she is certain they will not grant. Telling them would also mean likely losing her father’s job as a pastor and facing shame in her community.
What steps does Morgan take to prepare for the abortion in secret? She uses a burner phone bought at a drugstore with her friend Olivia to call Planned Parenthood, avoiding leaving a trail on her regular phone. She saves money from babysitting to pay for the procedure. She makes an appointment for the day the group is in Syracuse, the only urban stop on the trip where the clinic is accessible. She also deliberately asks her mother not to cancel the trip when her father’s retreat nearly forces it.
What is the significance of Morgan comparing herself to Rapunzel? The fairy-tale imagery highlights Morgan’s feeling of being trapped and powerless. She initially wonders if Andy Presser, who looks at her admiringly, could be the prince who rescues her. But she quickly realizes that telling him would risk exposure and that no one is coming to help. The princess must save herself, reinforcing the chapter’s theme of forced self-reliance.