Summary
Part Two: Hide and Seek, Chapter 10
Part Two begins on Monday, October 1, a week after the events that began the novel. Bronwyn narrates her first meeting with her lawyer, Robin Stafford. Robin assures her that there is no evidence tying her to the crime, and advises her to stay away from the other kids involved—especially Nate.
At school, though, she runs into Nate and strikes up a conversation right away. She asks why he stopped by her house the night before, and he tells her he wanted to “‘apologize for stealing Jesus.’” He gives her a burner phone so that they can continue to communicate. The phone is similar to the ones that were planted in everyone’s bags before detention a week before.
Next, the narration switches to Cooper’s perspective. During gym, Jake punches TJ in the face, and suddenly, everyone realizes Addy must have cheated. Keely is disgusted with Addy, but Cooper reminds her that they “don’t know the whole story.” At lunch, Vanessa and Keely begin excluding Addy, but Cooper thinks Vanessa in particular is a hypocrite—she’s come onto him recently.
Cooper receives a phone call from a “Kris.” He tells his friends Kris is a German man he knows from baseball. It is suggested that he, too, is cheating. After lunch, he meets with Coach Ruffalo, who tells him about his college prospects. Afterward, he runs into Mr. Avery, and wonders about his teacher’s potential guilt in Simon’s death. Finally, he receives a text that his Nonny is in the hospital.
Part Two: Hide and Seek, Chapter 11
On Monday, Nate tells his suppliers he’s no longer dealing drugs. Close to midnight, he calls Bronwyn. He admits to Bronwyn that he’s been selling drugs, and she admits that she cheated in chemistry. Bronwyn tells him that her dad is especially upset, since “he’s always pushing against stereotypes” as an immigrant.
Bronwyn tells Nate that she knows he couldn’t have killed Simon. She saw the way he acted as a kid when his mother showed up to school on drugs; she still remembers his understanding and care for her. Bronwyn also tells him that his mother told her that he only teased her because he had a crush on her. Moreover, she reveals that she had a crush on him. Despite Nate’s clear interest, he responds to a text from his hook-up Amber, telling the reader, “Brownyn’s naive if she thinks there’s more to me than that.”
The narration resumes on Wednesdays with Addy’s perspective. Ashton has found a lawyer, and Addy’s father will help pay. Addy is humiliated upon returning to school, as everyone knows she cheated. In fact, her supposed friend Vanessa has written “WHORE” on her locker. Now, she cries in the bathroom alongside Janae, who looks terrible.
Addy runs into TJ, who tells her he’s never mentioned their hookup to anyone. He comforts her, telling her that her friends are acting like “assholes” and inviting her to eat lunch with him.
Analysis
While Part 1 of the book focused on a high school highly affected by Simon, Part Two, “Hide and Seek,” focuses on the post-About That world, as well as the way that the four students suspected of murder begin to reveal and conceal their secrets from each other. This develops each of their characterizations, investigating how they begin to change when they’re able to be truly honest with other people.
As Nate and Brownyn admit their truths to each other, we see their respective vulnerability. While Nate is viewed as a “criminal” by his peers, Bronwyn remembers his early struggles with a mother who suffered from addiction—as well as his protectiveness of his own parent. Nonetheless, Nate is somewhat unable to fully accept her kindness, responding to a text from a girl he doesn’t care about (Amber) and telling the reader that’s all there is to him. Viewed as a drug dealer and “manwhore” by his peers, he cannot see what Bronwyn sees.
On the other hand, Bronwyn is viewed as a “brain” by her peers. Her characterization as Latinx person and child of an immigrant is further developed in this chapter: although her high school peers view her through the lens of one stereotype, she sees her life through another. This relates to the theme of stereotypes.
The deepening relationship between Brownyn and Nate relates to the rising action of the novel. Meanwhile, while their relationship develops, it is paralleled by the dissolution of the romantic bond between Addy and Jake. Here, the novel highlights the double standards used to treat men and women, where Addy is slut-shamed while TJ is still embraced by his peers.
Finally, while the main action of the novel focuses on the four narrators, some peripheral characters are increasingly interwoven into the plot. In particular, Janae’s crying in the bathroom parallels Addy’s, and once again suggests she may have additional information about Simon.
