Contents
Chapter 10
Overview
In a BEFORE chapter from Ella’s perspective, she is bullied in the school cafeteria but fires back with a cutting retort. Her isolation, poverty, and a broken washer deepen her shame and social stigma. Struggling academically, she envies a top student and escapes into fantasies about a caring, unknown father. The vignette reveals formative wounds and longing that shape Ella’s motivations.
Summary
In the school cafeteria, Ella is mocked by Anton Peterson, who calls her “Smella” and taunts her about hygiene and her body. Ella refuses to be cowed and humiliates Anton with a sharp comeback, then retreats to eat alone, wary he might retaliate.
Ella reflects on why she may smell: their washer has been broken for nearly a year, her mother won’t allow repair people inside, and money is tight. Without funds for the distant laundromat, Ella rewears clothes and tries to air them out. Her lunch—a stale turkey sandwich—reflects strict household rules about not discarding food unless packaging “puffs” from spoilage.
Nearby, Brittany Carter and friends giggle while Ella tries to ignore them. Ella studies her returned English essay with a D; although Mrs. Hecker promised extra credit for corrections, the criticism is vague, and Ella doesn’t know how to improve it.
Seeing Brittany’s A-plus deepens Ella’s feelings of inferiority and difference. The contrast in support and stability at home becomes stark in Ella’s mind.
To cope, Ella imagines the father her mother refuses to identify: a kind, respectable man who would welcome her and offer a better life. This fantasy underscores Ella’s isolation and yearning for rescue from her circumstances.
Who Appears
- EllaBullied student narrator; eats alone, rewears unwashed clothes, struggles academically, and fantasizes about an unknown father.
- Anton PetersonCafeteria bully who mocks Ella’s hygiene; is embarrassed by her sharp retort.
- Brittany CarterClassmate with an A-plus essay; giggles with friends, highlighting Ella’s social and academic contrast.
- Mrs. HeckerEnglish teacher who offers extra points to revise Ella’s essay but gives unclear guidance.
- Ella’s motherOff-page; refuses repair visits, leading to a broken washer and strict rules about keeping food.