Summary
Part Two: Hide and Seek, Chapter 14
The chapter begins on Saturday with Addy’s narration. Ashton tries to take Addy’s mind off things by finding an activity she enjoys that does not involve Jake. She also reveals she has split with her husband Charlie. At first, Addy is stumped, but then she remembers she used to like to bike.
In addition, Ashton asks Addy why she told the police she’d forgotten her visit to the nurse’s office. Addy reveals that Jake actually asked her to go get Tylenol. Addy bursts into tears, telling Ashton that she feels like a doormat.
The narration resumes from Bronwyn’s perspective. She and Maeve visit the library, where Maeve hacks into the About That admin panel and finds an encrypted post about Cooper that she cannot open. Bronwyn asks if Maeve is so invested “because of what happened freshman year.” Maeve denies this accusation.
Finally, the chapter switches to Cooper’s perspective. He attends a party at Olivia’s house. Vanessa is hitting on Jake, and Jake is very drunk. He scolds Cooper for defending Addy, and reveals that his mom cheated on his dad. He laments Simon’s death and states that Addy “‘ruined everything.’” At the end of the evening, Olivia tells the two that the Bayview Blade wrote an article on the four persons of interest in the case.
Part Two: Hide and Seek, Chapter 15
On Monday, Nate leaves school to find a crew of news vans. He tells Bronwyn that he can hide her from their view on his motorcycle. The two ride to the mall, where he almost kisses her in the parking lot, but finds he is “off [his] game.” In the mall, people seem to recognize them until Bronwyn takes her glasses off. Bronwyn offers to call the nonprofit Until Proven to find legal representation for Nate. Maeve picks her up, and she kisses Nate goodbye on the cheek.
Meanwhile, Addy’s narration resumes Tuesday and reveals that she and Cooper were captured by the cameras. She goes to the girls’ room, where she notices Janae crying. Moreover, she is annoyed that her own hair looks so good despite her wrecked emotional state. Janae and Addy commiserate in the bathroom, and Addy invites her to sit with her at lunch.
Next, Addy runs into Bronwyn, whom she sits with at lunch. Later, on the way home, Addy gets all her hair cut off at a salon.
Analysis
These two chapters outline Addy’s transformation, using her hair as a symbol throughout. Her long, beautiful hair looks good even when she’s internally wrecked. It represents how appearances can be deceiving, and keeps her tied to the past—a past in which she let herself be controlled by her boyfriend, Jake. When she cuts it off, she turns her back on this part of her life, embracing independence and truth.
Meanwhile, Jake serves as a foil. While we see Addy moving past her relationship with Jake, Jake seems mired in the past—and not just his past with Addy, but also his parents’ past. His mom’s cheating echos Addy’s cheating, and now, he makes misogynistic comments to Cooper, as well as stating that his ex “ruined everything.” Jake increasingly becomes an antagonist in this mystery novel by insisting that Addy should suffer.
Meanwhile, these characters add to Maeve’s characterization, showing her hacking skills. We also learn that something happened her freshman year to make her and perhaps Bronwyn angry. These kinds of revelations serve as either clue or red herrings as the search for Simon’s true killer expands.
In addition, Bronwyn and Nate’s romance develops. Relating to the theme of stereotypes, these two characters are increasingly able to see each other in a new light as they work together to solve problems: how to avoid news cameras, how to solve Simon’s murder, etc. Freed from the preconceptions that might make them seem like opposites or foils, they recognize all they have in common.
