Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

In March, Nancy invites Margaret to spend the day in New York with her family and Moose. Margaret is delighted, especially at the thought of sitting so close to Moose during the car ride. They go to Radio City Hall and are treated to a steak dinner. At the restaurant, Nancy and Margaret go to the bathroom, and Nancy suddenly starts to moan and cry for her mother. Margaret fetches Mrs. Wheeler, who goes into the stall to ask a tearful Nancy what is wrong. After a moment, Mrs. Wheeler asks Margaret to get them a sanitary napkin because Nancy got her period. Margaret is puzzled by the dramatics and asks if Nancy “always act[s] like that” when she gets her period, but Mrs. Wheeler explains that “it’s her first time” (123). Margaret is stunned to realize that Nancy lied about getting her period. When Nancy comes out of the stall, and her mother returns to the dining room, Nancy begs Margaret not to tell Gretchen and Janie. Margaret is pleased to sit next to Moose during dinner and decides that Moose is number one in her Boy Book, even if she never tells the other PTS. Margaret tells God all about how “Nancy Wheeler is a big fake” (124) and how she isn’t sure if she can ever trust anything Nancy says ever again.

On March 8, Margaret turns 12 years old. She decides to start using her mother’s deodorant “just in case” (126). Her mother promises to buy Margaret her own, and Grandma’s presents are waiting for Margaret when she comes down to breakfast: a savings bond, three new sweaters, and a ticket to Florida for April 4. Margaret is delighted. When she arrives at school, Mr. Benedict wishes her a happy birthday, and the whole class sings to her. The four PTS give Margaret presents, and Nancy writes a heartfelt card calling Margaret “the best friend a girl could ever have” (127). Mr. Benedict splits the class into pre-assigned groups, explaining that these groups will be working together for the next few weeks. Margaret learns that she has been put in a group with Norman Fishbein, Philip Leroy, and Laura Danker, and she is horrified to think that she will “have to talk to Laura Danker” (128), although she is pretty excited to work with Philip Leroy. However, Philip sings a rude song to Margaret, then pinches her hard and claims that it’s “a pinch to grow an inch” and that Margaret “know[s] where [she] need[s] that inch!” (129). Margaret decides that she doesn’t like Philip Leroy after all and that Nancy can have him. Margaret is also jealous when she looks at Laura Danker, who looks so grown-up and mature. She decides that her birthday got off to a great start but turned out to be a “pretty rotten” day, and she looks forward to leaving for Florida because she is “sick of school” (130).

As Margaret works with her assigned group on their project, she learns that Philip Leroy isn’t a good partner, and Margaret, Norman, and Laura do almost all of the work. One day, Laura and Margaret are working after school in the library, and they get into a fight because Laura chides Margaret for copying sentences word-for-word out of the encyclopedia. Margaret becomes defensive and snaps that Laura “think[s] [she’s] so great” (132), and she accuses Laura of going behind the A&P “so [Evan and Moose] can feel [her] or something” (133). Laura is outraged and calls out Margaret and her friends for making fun of her behind her back, and she tells Margaret that it was hard going through puberty at such a young age and being made fun of for how she looks. She then storms off and goes to confession, and Margaret tries to follow her and apologize. When Laura enters her church, Margaret trails after her and is mesmerized by the sight of Laura going into the confessional. Laura leaves, but Margaret enters the booth. When the priest begins to speak to her, Margaret momentarily thinks she is hearing the voice of God, but she can’t bring herself to say anything. She leaves the booth in a hurry, and when she goes home, her mother thinks she is sick. Margaret prays to God and tells him that she “did an awful thing” (137), and she thinks she is “the most horrible person who ever lived and [she] [doesn’t] deserve anything good to happen to [her]” (138). She is upset that she didn’t feel God’s presence in the confessional and asks why he allowed her to treat Laura so terribly.

Right before Margaret leaves for Florida, an unexpected letter arrives from Margaret’s maternal grandparents, Mary and Paul Hutchins. Margaret’s father is furious and doesn’t understand how his wife’s parents got their address, and reluctantly, her mother explains that she sent them a Christmas card. Margaret’s parents argue, and she hides in her room until her father comes and explains that Margaret should read the letter from her grandparents. Margaret’s grandmother explains that she and her husband are getting older and want to see their daughter “more than anything else” (141). Grandmother Hutchins wonders if they made a mistake when they decided to cut contact all those years ago, and her pastor has urged them to make amends. The Hutchins intend to fly East and visit, but Margaret’s father explains that their visit will overlap with Margaret’s plans to visit Grandma in Florida. When it becomes clear that Margaret’s parents want her to stay in Farbrook to meet her maternal grandparents, Margaret is furious and declares that she doesn’t want to meet them. Although her mother promises that Margaret can go to Florida some other time, Margaret refuses to be the one to tell Grandma about the change of plans. Margaret’s mother calls Sylvia and tries to explain, but she insists on talking to Margaret. Margaret tearfully tells Grandma that she won’t be able to come because they’re “having company,” although “nobody invited them” (144). Margaret prays to God and asks if this is her punishment for being so awful toward Laura. Still, she begs God to pull off a miracle and keep her mother’s parents away so she can go to Florida as planned.