If He Had Been with Me
by Laura Nowlin
Contents
Chapter 52
Overview
Autumn asks Finny to attend her Halloween party to reassure his mother, sparking resistance from her friends. Despite objections, Finny agrees and will bring Sylvie. Finny admits he mostly shepherds Sylvie at parties, which chills Autumn and underscores their emotional distance. The chapter ends in quiet awkwardness.
Summary
In gym class, while trading Ping Pong volleys, Autumn tells Finny she plans a Halloween party while her parents are away and asks him to come. She hopes his presence will make his mother more lenient if the party gets big. Finny teases her but listens.
A flashback shows Autumn arguing with her friends on the steps that morning. Jamie and Sasha resist inviting Finny’s group, fearing they will dominate the party. Noah and Brooke are indifferent, and Alex jokes about driving them off with candy corn. Autumn insists she will invite Finny to keep Aunt Angelina calm.
Back in gym, Finny agrees to come. Autumn jokes about his party reputation, and Finny says he usually stands around and stays sober to drive Sylvie home. His admission shifts the mood; Autumn feels a cold distance as she pictures Finny and Sylvie’s public closeness as Homecoming royalty.
Grateful yet uneasy, Autumn tells Finny he doesn’t have to stay long. He says it’s fine, and they lapse into silence, the unspoken tension between them sharpening as class ends.
Who Appears
- AutumnNarrator; invites Finny to her Halloween party to appease his mom, faces friends’ objections, feels renewed distance over Sylvie.
- FinnyAgrees to attend Autumn’s party; reveals he babysits and drives Sylvie at parties, heightening Autumn’s discomfort.
- JamieOpposes inviting Finny’s group, not wanting to hang out with them.
- AlexJokes about pelting the other group with candy corn; supports Autumn pragmatically.
- SashaVoices dislike of hanging out with Finny’s friends.
- SylvieAbsent but central; Finny’s girlfriend whom he looks after at parties, emblem of the couple’s public status.
- NoahUnbothered by inviting the neighbors; expects Finny’s attendance.
- BrookeNotes their own group also does everything together.