What to Say Next

Kit, seeking distraction, reads the posted journal pages, not realizing that they belong to David, while she daydreams about kissing David. When she sees a doodle of her own neck, she realizes that it’s David’s notebook.

Multiple pages in the book now track the digits of pi to hundreds of decimal places as David mentally recites them to avoid the feeling of “too much” sensation.

At the Pizza Palace, students gossip about David’s assessment of Kit in his notebook that keeps track of his impressions of everyone at school. Kit finds the assessment mostly “sweet” if sometimes “borderline creepy” (187). Otherwise, she finds the entries similar to the way she notes contacts in her phone if she fears that she will forget someone’s name. She insists that she will remain friends with David. Kit asks if Gabriel and Justin posted the notebook, but they deny it, though their attitudes show that they are proud of what they’ve done.

Kit muses that the notebook revealed that David is more “deeply different” than she realized but recognizes that her own journal would contain “some weirdo stuff” too (189). Kit marvels at her classmates’ shallow behaviors. Kit tries to flirt the truth out of Justin, growing openly angry when it doesn’t work. Justin is shocked when Kit threatens to report them to the principal. She realizes that she only has serious conversations with David and has never had similar interactions with her other friends.

Violet and Annie take Kit’s side, which makes Kit happy. They insist that Justin take down the post immediately, glowering until he does. Kit then takes back the notebook. As she leaves, Justin and Gabriel brag about the “Locker Room Incident.” Kit thanks Violet and Annie for supporting her, and Annie still cautions her about the “weird shit” in David’s notebook. Annie notes that the notebook, which Kit did not fully read, references the “Accident Project,” which Annie feels indicates that Kit is “ditching” her and Violet for David (196). She explains that she just likes spending time with David, to which Violet replies that spending time used to characterize the friendship between the three girls.

Mandip texts Kit that she should stay away from David, which infuriates Kit, who refuses.

David, convinced that Kit has read the full notebook, cannot calm himself using his usual systems. His phone buzzes with death threats from his classmates, as well as other insults. He feels overwhelmed by the vitriol and confused about where he went wrong in writing down thoughts that he had no intention of sharing, particularly about people who tormented him. Miney comforts him, reporting that the link to the online journal has been deleted. David does not feel calmed.

David doesn’t attend school for three more days. On Tuesday, Trey arrives, but David can’t stop rocking back and forth and can’t do his guitar lesson. He overhears Trey and Miney discussing the “work” that Trey and David have been doing. Later, David still feels overwhelmed but decides to go to school; his sister notes that it’s evening. He eats dinner with her and his mother, who welcomes him back from his episode.

On a walk, Miney confesses to David that something happened at school that led her to experience a similar public humiliation. His bravery has made her feel ready to soon return to college. He doesn’t press her to disclose what happened and admits that he is unsure of how he will approach Kit the next day at school, though he plans to ignore everyone else.

When David returns to school, Kit is relieved. She has missed him and feels exhausted pretending to be “normal.” She returns his notebook, admitting that she read some of it. She was relieved to find nothing “disturbing” and that the “Accident Project” details were sparse and non-revealing. She explains that she fled the crash site due to the location, not anything about David. They grow more comfortable with one another again when David jokes that Kit is a really fast runner.

The football team approaches and threatens David. Kit is impressed with David’s nonchalant response. Joe, the quarterback, threatens David in a way that Kit finds reminiscent of “bad movies.” A teacher interrupts, though she, too, seems annoyed. David confirms that he also wrote about teachers. Kit worries that David will get seriously hurt; he cites his proficiency in self-defense but also acknowledges his confusion that nobody has offered condolences for him being “wronged.” Kit does so.

David overhears his mom and Miney discussing Miney’s struggles at college. She confesses an embarrassing event where she publicly showed romantic interest in her physics tutor but was rejected. David thinks about the intense pressure that his dad has put on Miney.

The football team surrounds David in the school parking lot. They threaten to “beat the shit” out of David at some later date (220). Kit approaches when the football players refuse to let David pass. When they make suggestive comments about Kit, David warns them according to martial arts protocols and then “drop-kick[s]” the main football player, whom he calls “Meat Boy” (223).

David sits in the principal’s office, relatively unharmed compared to the football players. David argues that he is not at fault, as he offered a warning. His parents agree that the death threats that David received earlier in the week indicate that this was self-defense. He wonders if Kit was impressed with his defense of her. Amy is furious that the principal, instead of condemning the other students, continually suggests that David should attend a different school. She mentions that David has a “social skills tutor,” which surprises him (227). He later learns that this is Trey. David argues that he is neither violent nor “socially isolated,” citing his friendship with Kit. The principal is shocked to hear that they are friends.

Kit debates knocking on the principal’s office door. She blames herself for the fight, believing that her sitting at David’s lunch table was the inciting indecent that led to his notebook being published. When she overhears Principal Hoch’s disbelief at their friendship, she barges in to support David’s claim and accept blame. David rejects that she is to blame but argues that Kit’s support is evidence of their friendship. She feels anxious over the idea that David might be sent to a different school. David’s parents praise Kit’s defense of their son.

The Druckers and Kit go out for burgers to “celebrate” Kit’s successful defense of David. Kit is awed by Miney’s “cool” look. Later, Miney privately thanks her for retrieving the notebook and defending David. She laments the distance between the siblings while she is at college. Miney threatens to “ruin” Kit if she ever “hurts [her] brother in any way” (235).

Kit returns to school, where students gossip about David’s fighting prowess. Kit focuses on reviving her chances at being named editor-in-chief, which she sees as essential to her college applications. Before she can speak to her teacher, however, Violet and Annie are selected. Kit tries to be excited for her friends and saves her crying for her bedroom.