Tell Me Three Things

On Wood Valley Giving Day, the school closes, and the students meet at a Habitat for Humanity site to help construct a house. When Theo and Jessie arrive, Gem purposely and forcefully walks into Jessie, but Theo uncharacteristically defends her and threatens Gem. Liam arrives, oblivious to the incident, and Theo tells him to “keep [his] girl on her leash” (215), prompting the couple to argue. Jessie finds Caleb, who she still thinks is SN, and is about to cancel their coffee date, but he insists they have it on Thursday. A moment later, she receives a message from SN. Jessie has lunch with Ethan, who apologizes for not defending her against Gem. 

Jessie expresses her gratitude to Theo on the way home, and he shares that Gem once called him a faggot when they were younger. He describes how supportive his father always was, and the memories make him emotional. He asks Jessie if she ever wishes that “it was the other way around,” that her dad died instead of her mother. They both admit that they consider the alternatives often, and Jessie wonders for the first time if “[her dad] wouldn't switch [them] too—[Jessie] for [her] mother” (222). Theo changes the topic to Jessie's friendship with Ethan, warning her to be careful, because “his family is just so screwed up” and he might be using drugs like his brother (223).