If He Had Been with Me
by Laura Nowlin
Contents
Chapter 3
Overview
Autumn begins high school reinvented as the “Weird Girl,” reflecting on how silent drift and social shifts ended her childhood closeness with Finny. After losing The Clique over cheerleading, she bonds with Sasha. On the bus, Sylvie, a cheerleader, sits with Finny—foreshadowing their impending relationship and widening Autumn’s emotional distance.
Summary
On the first day of high school, Autumn waits nervously at the bus stop, self-consciously noting her silver boots, black hair, and torn dress. She sees Finny arrive but cannot bring herself to greet him, underscoring their growing distance.
Autumn recalls an end-of-summer barbeque where The Mothers gathered and Finny casually asked why she dyed her hair. She reflects on how their effortless childhood friendship eroded in middle school as schedules split, silences accumulated, and they drifted apart without an explicit decision.
Autumn revisits her brief popularity in eighth grade with The Clique—shared rituals, admiration, and time-consuming social expectations—while Finny joined a mild geek group. Their study sessions ceased and conversation faltered, each silence becoming “another brick” between them.
On the bus, Autumn sits with Sasha, her only remaining friend after they fell out with The Clique. Autumn explains the break: she failed to try out for cheerleading, Sasha didn’t make the squad, and subtle exclusions—like a secret braid day—made clear they no longer fit. Autumn embraced being the “Weird Girl” again, and Sasha followed.
As the bus fills, Autumn spots a cheerleader, Sylvie Whitehouse, sit beside Finny. Autumn anticipates that Finny and Sylvie will be dating by month’s end, signaling a new chapter in Finny’s life and deepening Autumn’s sense of separation.
Who Appears
- AutumnNarrator starting high school; adopts a goth-leaning look; reflects on drifting from Finny and leaving The Clique.
- FinnyChildhood friend now distant; politely present; asks about Autumn’s hair; sits with cheerleader Sylvie.
- SashaAutumn’s only close friend after The Clique; joins Autumn’s reinvention; shares bus ride and quiet support.
- Sylvie WhitehouseCheerleader who sits with Finny on the bus; foreshadowed to start dating him by month’s end.
- The MothersAutumn’s and Finny’s moms; host end-of-summer barbeque, observing the teens’ changing dynamics.
- Alexis MyersFormer Clique friend; makes cheer squad; participates in subtle exclusion like the secret braid day.
- TaylorClique member who makes cheer squad; part of excluding Autumn and Sasha.
- VictoriaClique member who makes cheer squad; joins in the group’s distancing behavior.