Note: These pages contain the poems “Alex, Alyx, Alexx: It’s not just our eyes,” “Kate: I made you a thing,” “Tam: Does it matter,” “Kate: We’re standing in the hall,” “Tam: Nothing makes me late to practice,” “Tam: Shazam,” “Tam: I though Mom might not notice,” “Tam: Frankie stares,” “Tam: Practice today,” “Kate: We’re too far away,” “Tam: My sneaker,” “Kate: Her sneaker,” “Tam: There’s a light in her eyes,” “Kate: What if we were walking to class,” “Tam: Her pinkie bumped my pinkie,” “Kate: What does holding hands even mean,” “Tam: Energy force,” “Kate: Here’s the thing,” “Tam: I see her over there,” “Alex, Alyx, Alexx: What’s cookin’,” “Tam: You want me to bake today,” “Kate: Oh, come on, silly,” “Kate: I’m bringing Tam home,” “Tam: “A museum,” “Tam: Oh,” “Kate: I can’t help but laugh at Tam,” “Tam: A poof,” “Tam: I hear them,” “Tam: I want to explain,” “Kate: She would have expected more,” “Tam: Kate comes back to the kitchen,” “Tam: William looks up at me,” “Kate: I don’t feel like talking to Mom,” “Kate: The saw is so loud,” “Tam: Mom calls me homegirl while,” “Kate: “I told Mom I have a group project,” “Kate: Jill is quiet, then,” “Kate: “Jill’s eyes move to the window,” “Alex, Alyx, Alexx: Alyx,” “Kate: I guess Becca called,” “Kate: Hey, Becca,” “Tam: I see Kate,” “Kate: She’s not that bad,” “Tam: [side-eye],” “Tam: I look around after school, “Kate: I guess this is it,” “Tam: Rumbling, stumbling tumbling chaos,” and “Kate: Rogue.” 

Everyone at school watches, bemused, as Kate gives Tam a bracelet she made for her. Tam wears the bracelet, confused by her own feelings. Whenever she sees Kate in the school halls, she gets butterflies. One day, she and Kate are so engrossed in a conversation after school that Tam is late for volleyball practice. One day, Levi remarks on Tam’s bracelet, insisting it doesn’t seem like her style. Tam feels self-conscious. Later, her mom questions her about the bracelet, too, and is intrigued when Tam reveals it’s from Kate. Tam gets defensive and races over to Frankie’s house, venting about her frustration with her mom. Frankie listens and reassures her.

The next day, Kate and Tam sneak away from their respective practices to sit under a tree outside school. Their sneakers, elbows, and hands touch, both of them wondering what they are feeling and what is happening. While working together afterward, their pinkies brush, and they end up holding hands. Afterward, they wonder what this means.

At lunch the next day, Tam watches Kate with her volleyball friends from afar. Just seeing her, Tam feels as if the room is slanting. Kate catches up to her and invites her over to help bake something for the squad bake sale. Tam is once again shocked by Kate’s pristine house. This time, however, she hears the machinery from the flooring renovation. In the kitchen, the girls bake until Tam starts a food fight. They are laughing and making a mess when Kate’s mom returns home, furious. She scolds Kate, and Kate walks Tam to the door. Tam retreats to Frankie’s house, where she tells Frankie what happened. Meanwhile, Kate tells her mom that she is meeting up with Jill that night, but her mom doesn’t hear her over the renovation. She ends up making an excuse about “a group project” and meets up with Jill at a diner (178).

The next day, Kate’s mom confronts her about her relationship with Becca. Becca called while Kate was with Jill to ask why Kate hadn’t been spending time with her. Her mom reminds her that Becca is her best friend. The next day, Kate sits with Becca instead of Tam at lunch. Tam jealously watches them from afar. Afterward, she confronts Kate about her relationship with Becca, but Kate is defensive; she also insists her mom doesn’t really hate Tam.

That night, Kate attends her last football game as the Falcon. Sad that she’ll have to give up the role because her mom doesn’t approve, she thanks the stinky Falcon head before going out onto the field. A shocked Tam watches from the stands as an imposter chicken mascot races out onto the field and ruins Kate’s performance. Everyone is laughing, but Kate is upset. She realizes that she doesn’t want to quit being the mascot.

“Alex, Alyx, Alexx: Everyone is talking,” “Tam: I’ve never seen her like this,” “Kate: Fine,” “Tam: Volleyball juggernauts,” “Kate: Obviously, Mom does not know,” “Tam: Like three words,” “Kate: “Jill’s sofa is so lumpy,” “Kate: Well, finding the chicken was a bust,” “Tam: It’s time for me to,” “Kate: If I could snap my fingers right now,” “Tam: I waited for her,” “Kate: Can we stop for a milkshake, Jill,” “Kate: Ships as big as cities,” “Kate: My heart pounds,” and “Tam: It’s probably too late.”

At lunch the next day, Tam tries to talk to Kate about what happened, but Kate is unreachable. Finally, she admits that she was offended by the fake mascot, announcing that she is going to find and punish the culprit. She has also decided to tell her coach she wants to stay on as the Falcon. Tam tries to be supportive, but Kate isn’t in the mood.

After school, Tam tells Frankie what’s going on with Kate, worried Kate is mad at her and wanting to invite her to the volleyball game. Frankie encourages her to give Kate space to “feel her feelings” (198). Meanwhile, Kate goes over to Jill’s and tells her about the mascot imposter. The sisters decide to attend Tam’s game to see if the fake is there, too. Then they can confront them.

At the game, the sisters don’t see the mascot, but Kate has fun watching Tam. Meanwhile, Tam sees Kate in the stands but is worried that Kate is with another girl. She wants to say hello afterward, but Kate leaves too quickly. Kate and Jill go out for milkshakes and talk about their lives. Jill tells Kate about the four years she spent in the Navy, and Kate tells Jill about her feelings for Tam. Jill urges her to come out to their mom and to be honest with her about the mascot and cheerleading. Finally, they agree that if Kate tells their mom the truth, Jill has to tell their mom that she is back in town.

Late that night, Tam and Kate text. Tam is relieved to learn that the girl with Kate at the game was her sister Jill.