Contents
November
Overview
Summer lies to Savanna to avoid Julian and rumors, then notices August acting distant after Halloween. When August accuses Summer of being assigned to befriend him, she pushes back and demands trust. He confides that he overheard Jack insulting him, and Summer promises secrecy as they reconcile.
Summary
After Halloween, Summer tells Savanna she left the party sick and claims a secret crush to stop pressure to date Julian. With a stomach bug going around, Savanna believes her, and Summer hopes the rumor reaches Julian so he will back off.
When August returns to school, Summer notices he is withdrawn at lunch, avoiding eye contact and barely speaking. She tries to engage him by discussing their Egyptian Museum assignments—August has the Step Pyramid of Sakkara and Summer has Anubis—and invites him to work together.
August abruptly suggests Summer doesn’t have to pretend to be his friend, claiming Mr. Tushman told kids to befriend him before school. Summer firmly denies this, presses him to stop accusing her, and proves her honesty. August apologizes.
To explain his mood, August tells Summer he overheard Jack saying cruel things about him on Halloween, which is why he stayed home “sick.” Summer promises not to tell anyone, asks for mutual respect, and they pinky swear, restoring their friendship.
Who Appears
- Summer DawsonNarrator; lies to Savanna to avoid Julian, defends her genuine friendship with August, learns about Jack’s betrayal, and reconciles with August.
- August "Auggie" PullmanWithdrawn after Halloween; suspects Summer was assigned to befriend him, then reveals Jack bad-mouthed him and makes peace with Summer.
- SavannaParty host; believes Summer’s excuse and probes about a crush, pressuring her about Julian.
- JulianMentioned; target of Savanna’s matchmaking that Summer avoids by claiming a secret crush.
- Mr. TushmanReferenced; August believes he recruited friends for him, which Summer denies.
- Jack WillAbsent from scene; reportedly insulted August on Halloween, triggering August’s withdrawal.