Chapter 25

Before meeting Anton, Ella uses the school bathroom and studies her reflection, thinking about her plain looks, red hair, and blue eyes that make her wonder about the father she has never met. Resolute, she heads out to meet Anton behind the school, where he finishes a cigarette and masks the smell before they leave.

As they walk, Ella and Anton trade gossip and jokes about teachers, discovering unexpected ease together. At Anton’s low-income apartment, Ella meets his excited younger brother, Brad, and sees their mother asleep on the sofa. Brad trails them until they retreat into Anton’s small room to work.

They divide the rock project, aiming to finish before Anton’s father returns—timed by Anton’s uneasy comment that they must avoid his dad, hinting at volatility. Ella offers that she once stopped her mother’s drinking by dosing liquor with ipecac and proposes bringing some for him. Anton is surprised and receptive.

The conversation becomes personal as Anton admits to calling her “Smella” to provoke a reaction and apologizes, and Ella accepts the shift without committing trust. While Ella outlines their work, her sleeve rides up, revealing a fresh cigarette-burn blister. Anton notices and asks, but Ella deflects, determined to keep the abuse secret as they continue working under the shadow of his father’s imminent return.