While waiting for her father, Coley feels overwhelmed by a sense of abandonment, reflecting on how everyone eventually leaves her: Curtis, her mother, Sonya, and now Blake. When Curtis arrives, he’s deeply concerned and gives her a much-needed hug. During the drive, Coley confesses her feelings of self-hatred and her pain over her mother and Sonya. She reveals her fear that her mother hated her and that she may have missed the school bus on the day of her mother’s death just to have a few more moments without that feeling.

Curtis pulls the car over to comfort her, insisting that her mother loved her and revealing that he read the most recent of his wife’s journals, covering the last year before she died, to understand what happened. He proposes that they start their relationship over with honesty. Coley then confesses that Sonya betrayed her by telling friends about her mother’s death. Curtis reassures Coley of her own worth, advises her to channel her love into herself, and promises to help her heal. For the first time, Coley feels like her father is beginning to earn her trust.

This chapter consists of Sonya’s public and private LiveJournal entries from dance camp in July 2006. In public posts, she projects a happy, confident image, thanking SJ for a care package and teasing Trenton.

Her private entries reveal deep turmoil. She feels alienated at camp and avoids Faith, whom Sonya sees as a dangerous yet enviable model of authenticity. Sonya is consumed with thoughts of Coley, simultaneously blaming Coley for their fallout while also admitting to an intense, painful longing for her. She masturbates to memories of their time together, believing that such moments are all she will ever have. As her dance performance suffers, her instructor, Madame Rosard, becomes frustrated, even having Faith demonstrate a routine for her. Sonya feels humiliated and resents Faith for ruining her sense of belonging at camp, declaring, “This is my camp! My place!” (252).

Sonya’s LiveJournal entries from late July and early August continue to document her internal conflict. In a drunken private post, she claims that she only told SJ about Coley’s mother because she needed advice, but Brooke overheard it, so the secret spread. In an unsent email to Coley, Sonya apologizes and confesses how much she misses her, writing, “You make me want to throw my life away, and I can’t” (258).

One night, Sonya secretly observes Faith kissing another girl, Orion, in a dance studio. She’s struck by how beautiful and natural they look, wondering if she and Coley ever appeared so happy. Later, Faith tells Sonya that she had forgotten to log out of the computer lab, implying that she may have seen Sonya’s private entries. Faith tries to offer solidarity, referring to Sonya’s turmoil as a “self-loathing closet-case” phase (260). Sonya is mortified and enraged, feeling that unlike Faith, she can never have that kind of open love and is trapped with only her memories.

To rebuild their relationship, Coley and Curtis create a list of activities to do together. Their first outing is to a hibachi grill called Makoto’s. There, they meet Curtis’s friends, an older couple named Myra and Dan. Curtis mentions that he’ll teach Coley how to drive, which thrills her. The meal is a warm, comforting reminder of Coley’s mother. As they leave, Coley sees a “HELP WANTED” sign in the restaurant’s window. Recalling that getting a job was one of the items on her list, she goes back inside to get an application.

This chapter contains another unsent email from Sonya to Coley. Writing while drunk, Sonya lashes out, blaming Coley for her misery. She states that she needs to hate Coley because it would be easier than confronting her own confusing feelings. She wonders how she could have been so wrong about her own identity before meeting Coley and ends with a desperate question: “Fuck, what do I do if I can’t?” (268).

Coley gets the job at Makoto’s and quickly settles in, enjoying the work and the company of her colleagues, Kendrick and Jackie. She stays one evening for “family meal,” a staff dinner after closing. There, she meets Kendrick’s boyfriend, Tye, who supplies mushrooms to the restaurant. Coley is struck by how normal and accepted their relationship is among the staff; no one treats their affection as anything unusual. Tye shows Coley a pair of matching bracelets that Curtis made for him and Kendrick, reinforcing Coley’s growing sense of a supportive community.

Work provides a welcome distraction as Coley dreads Sonya’s return from camp. Her relationship with Curtis continues to improve, and he gives her a driver’s manual to study. Before a shift, Coley confides in Kendrick about her messy relationship with a girl. Kendrick listens without judgment, and Coley expresses admiration for the open way he and Tye live their lives.

On her day off, Coley goes to a piercing shop and is surprised to find Blake working there. The encounter is awkward, but Blake gives Coley an employee discount and offers a hesitant apology for her past behavior, which Coley cautiously accepts.

While working at Makoto’s, Coley discovers that Sonya and her family are there to celebrate the birthday of Sonya’s younger sister, Emma. Sonya and Coley lock eyes, both shocked. Sonya, whose hair now brushes her shoulders rather than hanging below them, follows Coley to the hostess stand and insists that they talk. Coley reluctantly agrees to meet after her shift.

In the parking lot, they share a tense but emotional reunion. Sonya confesses how much she likes Coley but says, “I know you’re wrong, but this feels right” (286), infuriating Coley. As Coley tries to leave, Sonya admits that Coley has turned her world upside down but that she’s too afraid of her family’s judgment to be with her. Coley tells Sonya that she can’t wait for someone who’s too scared to love her. As they part, seemingly for good, Sonya tells her, “One day, I’ll be as brave as you” (290).

Seeking a sense of “rebirth,” Coley goes to the lake alone to swim, embracing the idea of loving herself. As she leaves, Sonya and her friends arrive. They share a silent, bittersweet smile across the parking lot before Coley rides away.

SJ chases Coley down and invites her to a party that night. SJ explains that Sonya didn’t gossip about Coley’s mother; she confided in SJ seeking advice because SJ’s own sister survived a suicide attempt and is now doing better. Brooke overheard and spread the story. SJ tells Coley that Sonya has been miserable since returning home and hopes that seeing Coley will make her happy.

Coley goes to SJ’s party, determined to prove that she can be near Sonya without feeling bad about their history. Sonya is overjoyed to see her, but their reunion is cut short when a drunk Trenton aggressively pulls Sonya away. Deciding to leave, Coley is stopped by Alex, who apologizes for his behavior during the break-in.

Before she can go, Coley sees Sonya sitting alone by the pool. She joins her, and Sonya confesses that she’s tired of running and wants to be with her. As they lean in to kiss, Trenton appears, grabs Coley by the hair, and throws her back, causing her head to hit the concrete. He then violently grabs Sonya’s jaw. Enraged, Coley attacks Trenton, punching him until Alex pulls her off.

As their friends argue, Coley slips away. Sonya runs after her, and they collide in the street, kissing passionately. Sonya declares that she will stop running and says, “I love you, Coley” (301). Coley reciprocates. As Coley rides home, she’s filled with hope.