Goodbye Stranger

It is three months and 21 days until Nonno Gio’s birthday, and Sherm writes to him tell him about eating cinnamon toast with Bridge. Sherm is doubtful everyone is put on earth for a special purpose and asks Nonno what he thinks.

Since the neighbor has her cell phone, the unnamed narrator stops in a copy shop to send her mom an email confirming she is safe. Staring at all the strangers interacting in the shop, the narrator remembers the “Apocalypse Game” Gina invented where they would pretend the world was ending and only the people left in the room survived. They would take turns pretending with whom they would partner to repopulate the world, but Gina insisted they would remain friends no matter what. The narrator thinks, “Best friends. You remember the happiness of that” (81). People leave the shop, and the game is over, and the narrator reaches for her phone, which is still not there.

Bridge is at Tab’s house to study French. She loves the unique décor of the home, which reflects Tab’s parents’ birthplace of India and their worldwide travels, as well as their food and the cat. Bridge and Tab stare at a picture on the internet of Julie Hopper, one of Em’s eighth-grade teammates. Julie is beautiful but dressed in a swimsuit, and Tab thinks the photo makes her look naked. Julie’s social media page is full of comments from people proclaiming her beauty, including Em. Celeste reassures them that they will look like Julie one day, but Bridge thinks to herself that she would rather look like Celeste. When she sees Celeste stick out her chest, Bridge realizes Celeste puts a lot of importance on her appearance. Bridge relates the story of a Twilight Zone episode in which a woman awakens in a hospital wrapped in bandages. When the doctor removes them, the woman is conventionally beautiful but the doctor and nurses in the room resemble pigs, and she screams at her appearance in the mirror. Celeste does not understand the meaning, and Tab is fixated on the doctor being male and the nurses being female. Celeste compliments Bridge’s hair and offers to show her how to do a messy bun or a sock bun style to go with her cat ears and chides Bridge for not using the Internet more often to learn about hair and makeup. Celeste is distracted by a blemish on her face and runs out of time for the makeover because she must pick up Evan from computer club. Tab reminds Bridge they should be working on French, and Bridge tells her Adrienne refuses to speak French because it is the language of love. Tab says Adrienne must be a woman, not a girl.

After a prolonged look into the mirror, Bridge dons her cat ears and inspects her Charlie Chaplin shirt and jeans. At breakfast, Jamie crawls to the fridge to conserve his steps since he has afternoon track practice. At school, Bridge waits outside with the other students, and when she sees Sherm, he smiles. Sherm introduces Bridge to Patrick, Em’s crush. Trying to keep her gaze upward, all she can think about is Patrick’s belly button. Patrick calls her “cat girl” (89) and misidentifies the person on her shirt as Houdini.

Sherm’s grandfather taught him how to do math by using a calendar to count down the days until his birthday. He gave Sherm the paper with his birthdate on it so he would never forget.

The narrator enters the copy store to email her mom. It is five dollars per minute of internet usage, and the narrator only has five dollars. She pays the cute store clerk and opens her email. Her mother has emailed several times, worried about where she is, and is on her way home. The narrator replies by saying she needs a “mental-health day” (93). The narrator leaves the store thinking about homeroom when they will hand out the flowers. “Mental-health day” is one of Vinny’s terms, and the narrator wishes she didn’t remember so many of Vinny’s words.

Tab, Em, and Bridge hold a Halloween costume meeting at the minimart. Em is distracted by a photo Patrick sent of his bedroom doorknob. Bridge suggests they find a group costume that resembles something that comes in threes like poison ivy. Tab insists they will not wear costumes that oversexualize women like nurses or maids. Patrick enters the store with a group of eighth graders, including Julie Hopper. When Patrick stops to say hello, Tab says, “Nice doorknob” (96), but he does not respond. Em is furious at Tab, who apologizes immediately, but Em will not let it go. Tab reminds her of their no-fighting pact. They hastily decide to be superheroes, and when Em assigns Bridge Cat girl, she takes offense. Both Tab and Em wonder why Bridge continues to wear the cat ears, and she tells them the ears make her feel like herself.

Bridge is studying French at Tab’s house, and Celeste serves them tomato and rice soup; Tab’s mom is fasting in observance of Karva Chauth, a Hindu holiday on which women fast until the moon rises to honor their husbands and bring good luck. Tab thinks the holiday is patriarchal, but Celeste thinks it is romantic. Celeste tells Bridge a Karva Chauth story about seven brothers who trick their sister into breaking her fast by shining a mirror at the moon. When she eats, her husband becomes ill and must be healed by a god.

Bridge accompanies Tab and her parents on a car ride to look at the moon. On the ride, Bridge and Tab discuss Em’s theory about how couples eventually find out they disagree on too many things to stay together. Bridge thinks of Sherm’s grandparents, who have been married for 50 years. When they find a good spot to view the moon, Mrs. Patel looks at it through a sieve and Tab’s father gives her water. Then he feeds her, and they speak French with each other. Bridge is entranced by the intimate ceremony and tells Tab she does not think it is sexist. Bridge stares out the window taking in the beauty of the night and thinks she can smell burnt marshmallows.

The Bean Bar is off-limits because Mr. Barsamian knows the narrator’s parents, but she is hungry and thinks he might give her free food. The narrator has not been to the Bean Bar recently, and there is a new cashier at the register who has blonde dreadlocks and is wearing a shirt featuring boxing gloves. The narrator claims to be a friend of the family and asks for a bagel. Adrienne looks skeptical, and the narrator says she can return with money later. A woman in a red cap sitting nearby asks the narrator if she is okay. The narrator lies and says it is a half day at school but thinks to herself, “Anyone who knows you would know you’re not all right” (105). Adrienne gives her the bagel and offers her halvah. The narrator sits in the corner of the coffee shop eating her bagel and thinking about how Vinny will receive a lot of flowers in homeroom, and though she still looks like Snow White on the outside, the narrator hardly recognizes Vinny’s personality anymore. One time, Vinny brought her an orphaned kitten and begged her to keep it because Vinny’s dad wouldn’t let her have pets. The kitten had worms and a dairy allergy, but the narrator’s parents let her keep it.

Jamie is running low on steps after track practice, and Bridge offers to fix him a bowl of cereal for two dollars, but Jamie claims it is extortion. Jamie agrees that she will add toast and wash his dishes. Bridge tries to assuage his anger by quoting Hermey, but Jamie tells her to stop. When Alex arrives wearing Jamie’s Rolling Stones t-shirt, Bridge asks him to define extortion, and he says, “Using threats to get what you want” (109). Hearing Alex’s response, she shouts to Jamie that her deal is not extortion. Bridge overhears Alex asking Jamie if he really doesn’t know what extortion is and if he told Bridge what he bet on the step challenge, but Jamie silences Alex. Bridge decides to bring Jamie one of his favorite apples from the fridge for free.

Em, Tab, and Bridge decide to dress as a Bollywood Indian wedding party instead of superheroes, and they borrow Celeste’s traditional clothing for their costumes. Celeste teaches Bridge how to create the messy bun, and when she sees herself in the mirror, Bridge likes the way she looks but worries people will think she is conceited. Em and Tab ask Bridge to leave the cat ears, but she insists she will wear them. Em checks her phone and sees that Julie Hopper is wearing a Playboy bunny costume to the eighth-grade spring dance. Tab is happy the seventh grade has a separate party, so she does not have to see the costume. Celeste is in ninth grade and is staying home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters; she takes a photo of the three friends before they leave so Em can send it to Julie.

Bridge hides backstage in the school auditorium during Wednesday’s tech crew meeting, looking through pictures on social media from the party. Even though she likes the way she looks, Bridge knows she cannot wear make-up and clothing like that every day because it would look like a costume. Classmates have left comments stating how beautiful they all look, and Em has responded to each one. Patrick left the comment “Your turn” and Em responded “Soon” (115). Sherm appears, and Bridge feels tingly being behind the curtain with him in the dark. Sherm says he did not attend the Halloween party because he did not have a date, but Bridge says it wasn’t that much fun anyway. They both agree they like how cozy it is behind the curtain and agree to meet there for lunch the following day. Mr. Partridge pulls back the curtain to expose the light control box and switches on the lights.

Tab is collecting Halloween candy wrappers at recess for the Human Rights Club recycling effort. While she watches Em play soccer, Tab laments to Bridge about having to get four teeth pulled before she gets braces; she is late getting them because her mouth was too immature when she was younger, and now she will have them in high school long after everyone else’s have been removed. Bridge is distracted by seeing Sherm across the field and misses Em scoring a goal.

Sherm writes to Nonno Gio and says he hates Halloween now. His Nonna gave him his grandfather’s navy uniform to wear, but he felt foolish and faked a headache, so he didn’t have to go to the party. Sherm remembers when he and his grandfather dressed up for Halloween together as Tintin and Snowy. It’s three months and 11 days until Nonno Gio’s birthday and Sherm has decided to ask Mr. Partridge how to work the stage lights.

Em tells Bridge she and Patrick are playing “chicken” with photo sharing. After Julie goaded her to do it, Em wrote “Make me crazy” (121) on her thigh and sent the picture to Patrick. He responded with a photo of himself in his underwear that he took in the bathroom at Julie’s house on Halloween. Bridge cannot believe what she is seeing and begs Em to stop the game. Em says she can’t because she doesn’t want to be the chicken and because she kissed Patrick. Bridge is shocked and hurt that Em did not tell her and Tab, but Em worries Tab will judge her; she told Julie because she thought she would understand. Em asks Bridge to help her take a photo to send in response, but Bridge begs her to think about it first. Em is resolved, claiming Bridge and Sherm’s relationship is not on the same level as hers and insists Bridge come to her house the next day to take the photo. Later, Em tells Bridge she kissed Patrick in the hall in between classes.

The mystery narrator watches Adrienne clean up the café. Finally, Adrienne approaches, introduces herself, and offers the narrator use of her cell phone. The narrator insists she is okay and waiting on a friend. Adrienne likes working at the Bean Bar, claiming it is better than babysitting her brother. She is 18 and finished high school to work and pursue boxing. The narrator explains that she is acquainted with the Barsamians and tells Adrienne that Mr. Barsamian quit his other job after the accident to be home more since Bridge had to endure so many follow-up surgeries. After lying multiple times about her age, the narrator admits she is only 15. Adrienne offers for her to keep her company while she waits on her friend.

Em has Bridge photograph her wearing jeans and her mother’s black, lacy bra. Bridge tries to talk her out of it, but Em insists it is no different from wearing a swimsuit. Tab refused to help Em, and Bridge feels uneasy without the third member of their set being absent but takes the photos anyway. After the photo shoot, Bridge feels awful and stops by the Bean Bar to see her father. He can tell something is off, but Bridge swears she is okay and decides to walk home alone in the dark. To distract herself, Bridge counts her steps and remembers how she and Jamie used to play the game Mother, May I? At home, Bridge goes straight to Jamie’s room and demands he tells her what he bet Alex, promising to make him soup in return; Jamie refuses.