Tell Me Three Things

Jessie is with Ethan at “their” Starbucks, working on their project. He quotes Gertrude Stein, which reminds Jessie of her mother, and she is surprised to find herself sharing memories of her with Ethan. He expresses his sympathy to Jessie, which she appreciates. He resents people who ignore things out of discomfort and tells her: “Not knowing the right thing to do is not an excuse for not doing anything” (183). They start to chat about Oville, and Ethan shares he wishes the band would not take their music so seriously, because he finds being up on stage “isolating” and “tiring.” When Jessie pointedly asks him about the “harem” of girls that bother him at lunch, he says that “has nothing to do with [him],” which is a “long story” (185). 

Ethan tells her that Caleb sometimes helps him and Liam write their songs, which further confirms Jessie's suspicions that Caleb is SN.

That evening, SN tells Jessie that his day was “memorable.” She remembers seeing Caleb in the hall, whose phone-waving gesture she took to mean as a symbol of their online messages. It saddens Jessie to think she will never talk to SN in person, and that night, she dreams of both Ethan and Caleb, who are wearing each other's shirts, and do not notice Jessie sitting next to them.

Jessie, Agnes, and Dri sit outside during their free period, where Agnes reassures Jessie that she is attractive and cool, telling her she gives off “this badass, above-it-all vibe” (192). Jessie finally admits to her friends that she has a crush on Ethan, and while Dri is excited by this news, Agnes tells her “he's kind of damaged” (194). Dri explains that he has never dated anyone, which makes Jessie even more self-conscious about his interest in her.

Jessie gets caught up in chatting with SN, which makes her late to English class. Gem insults her under her breath, and trips her as she walks by. Ethan leans down to help her up, but she ignores him out of embarrassment. Mrs. Pollack keeps Jessie after class, concerned by the bullying. Despite her good intentions, she asks Jessie if she has done anything to warrant Gem's aggression, which angers Jessie even further before she storms out of the room.

Deeply upset, Jessie tells herself the solution is to drive all the way back to Chicago. Liam tries to stop her on her way to her car, and after insisting that he leave her alone and ask Gem what caused her to be this upset, he reminds her she must work this afternoon. When Jessie tells SN she had a difficult day, he asks her to promise she will not leave LA. She remains certain that SN is Caleb, who still only “phone salutes” her in the hallway. She promises SN, which she admits is a lie.

At work, Liam's mom expresses her concern when she notices Jessie's tear-streaked face. She tells Jessie she is beautiful “inside and out,” prompting Jessie to think about the differences between being “hot” and “beautiful”: “Hot seems to be about guys liking you. Beautiful is about liking how you look” (207). Mrs. Sandler's kindness makes Jessie long for her mother's comfort, especially on a bad day, and she daydreams about moving into Scarlett's basement.

Jessie's dad texts her, asking if they can talk that evening. They have not spoken in more than a week since their fight at breakfast, but she still feels indignant, wondering: “What about when I need him? Where is he then?” (211) She uses work as an excuse to avoid him, and when he tells her he misses her, she has “nothing to say at all” (211).