Chapter 63: Ada’s First Day – New Kid, Pink Dress, and a Missing Boy
⚠️ 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 63 is a flashback to Ada’s first day as a new student in fifth grade. She stands in front of the class wearing an itchy pink dress – her mother refuses to let her wear white. Mrs. Ratner, the elderly teacher, asks Ada to introduce herself. Ada says she is from New York City, likes to read, used to take ballet, and speaks Italian because her father is Italian. The class responds with a mix of odd questions, including one boy who repeatedly asks if Ada’s father is an alien. Another boy, Gabe, sits next to her and stares. During lunch, Gabe follows her through the cafeteria line and tells her about a missing child from a nearby town: Braden Lundie, an eight-year-old who vanished one day and was never found. Ada recalls hearing her mother say disappearances are usually committed by family members, but Gabe insists Braden’s parents were cooperative and the case remains unsolved. Gabe offers to walk Ada home, but she refuses, relying on the school bus. She finds Gabe creepy – his thin curly hair, his smell – and tries to brush him off with a noncommittal “maybe” when he invites her over. Yet Gabe continues to stick with her through lunch.
Key Events
- Ada’s Introduction – She stands before the class in an itchy pink dress, forced to share personal details. The students question her about being Italian versus an “alien.”
- Gabe’s First Interaction – Gabe stares at Ada after she sits down and makes an awkward compliment (“If you are an alien, you are the prettiest alien I have ever seen”).
- Lunch Conversation – Gabe follows Ada to the cafeteria and tells her about the disappearance of eight-year-old Braden Lundie, a camper from a few towns away.
- Gabe’s Creepy Persistence – He offers to walk her home and invites her over, but Ada deflects, saying she takes the bus and must go straight home.
- Ada’s Unease – Despite wanting to make friends, Ada finds Gabe off-putting and decides to avoid him, though she lets him sit with her at lunch to avoid being alone.
Character Development
- Ada (child) – We see her as a nervous but resilient new kid. She is aware of social pressure (the itchy dress, the need to fit in) and uses polite deflection to manage Gabe’s attention. Her memory of her mother’s rule about white clothing hints at deeper family secrets or fears.
- Gabe – Introduced as a fifth-grade boy who fixates on Ada. His excitement about the missing-child case, his bizarre alien comments, and his persistent offers to “protect” her establish him as an unsettling figure. His personal hygiene and physical description (thin curly hair) mark him as an outsider too.
- Mrs. Ratner – Portrayed as elderly and emotionally distant, she does little to ease Ada’s transition or interrupt the children’s strange questions.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The Color White – Ada’s mother forbids white clothing, which suggests a trauma or superstition. White often symbolizes purity or danger in thrillers; the prohibition hints at a past event the mother is concealing.
- The Missing Child Motif – Braden Lundie’s disappearance introduces a local mystery. Gabe’s glee in recounting it foreshadows that this case may be connected to the larger plot, and that small-town safety is an illusion.
- Creepy Outsiders – Gabe’s ambiguous role (potential friend or predator) embodies the thriller’s tension: not all threats wear obvious masks. Ada’s instinct to distrust him contradicts her desire for social acceptance.
- Alien Metaphor – The repeated “alien” questions reinforce Ada’s feeling of being foreign in a new environment, even though she is from the same state.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the backstory of Ada’s childhood, showing how her mother’s rules (no white) and Ada’s early encounters with unsettling people shaped her wary nature. The missing-boy anecdote introduces a plot thread that may resurface in the present-day timeline. Gabe’s persistent, awkward attention mirrors dynamics Ada likely faces later in the novel, underscoring the theme that danger can come from those who appear to be helpers. The flashback also humanizes Ada, making her more than a domestic worker – she has always been an observer of threat.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ada’s mother refuse to let her wear white?
The chapter does not give a direct reason, but Ada notes that her mother “never, ever lets me wear white.” This suggests a deep-seated rule rooted in a past trauma or a protective instinct. The white dress Ada wanted (“beautiful white floaty dress”) is vetoed in favor of a pink alternative, implying the mother associates white with danger or loss.
2. What does Gabe tell Ada about Braden Lundie, and how does Ada respond?
Gabe says Braden, an eight-year-old camper from a few towns away, disappeared one day and was never found. Ada initially suggests it could be a family member (repeating something she heard her mother say), but Gabe insists Braden’s parents were cooperative. Ada tries to rationalize that Braden might have run away, but Gabe dismisses that idea. The story leaves Ada uneasy, making her determined to stay with her brother Nico on the bus.
3. Why does Ada decide to sit with Gabe at lunch even though she finds him creepy?
Ada explicitly states: “I don’t really want to sit with him, but I guess it’s better than sitting alone.” This shows her social vulnerability – as the new kid, she fears isolation more than Gabe’s off-putting behavior. It also reveals her pragmatic side: she will tolerate a potentially dangerous companion to avoid the greater discomfort of ostracism.