The Thing About Jellyfish

In this flashback chapter addressed to Franny, Suzy relates how her home life has changed now that her father has moved into his own apartment and how she mentally begs Franny not to change. Franny, however, seems to care more and more about her hair, clothes, and shoes. Franny tries to encourage Suzy’s hair to be less frizzy with the use of hair products, but Suzy washes the products out when Franny leaves. Also, Suzy relates how Aaron brings Rocco to dinner with Mom and Suzy for the first time, and Suzy recognizes that Aaron’s relationship with Rocco is more special than Aaron’s other friendships. When Suzy tells everyone that she is having trouble relating to Franny nowadays, Mom disregards Suzy’s worry as a “phase,” but both Aaron and Rocco acknowledge the significant difficulty of middle school years.

Suzy tries to communicate with Jamie, but she cannot think of what to say in an email; she tries to write the message out on paper first. She tries different openings, different ways of telling the story about Franny, in different words to explain what she wants from Jamie. She watches the video of Jamie’s sting experience repeatedly throughout her attempts. Finally, late one night, she calls the James Cook Center for Biodiversity, where Jamie works. She cannot, however, bring herself to say a word, and eventually the woman who answers the phone hangs up.

Suzy narrates in flashback. It is now sixth grade; three elementary schools have merged to form Eugene Field Memorial Middle School, a school so large that Suzy sometimes gets lost. Early in the year, Suzy and Franny still sit together in the cafeteria, but soon, Franny starts to chat with others, eventually choosing one day to sit with Aubrey, Jenna, and some other “pretty” girls. She gestures for Suzy to join, but Suzy does not go. The next day, Suzy insists that she and Franny sit alone together.

After a few days, Franny announces that she wants to rejoin Aubrey’s group; she insists that Suzy should come too. Suzy is not comfortable with their sharing of makeup and their discussion of each other’s complexions, and she “scowls” when Franny tells her that she, Suzy, has a “heart-shaped” face. The next day, Suzy tries to join the conversation, but she does so awkwardly, sharing scientific facts about sweat and urine; the other girls go silent and avoid looking at Suzy. When Suzy references Franny’s old nickname “Strawberry Girl,” Franny becomes embarrassed and cuts Suzy off: “Some people don’t know when it’s time to grow up, that’s all” (131). Franny is visibly angry and demands in front of the other girls to know why Suzy is “so weird.” She storms away and the other girls follow her, leaving Suzy alone at the table.

At appointments, Dr. Legs asks Suzy if she “prefer[s] sound or silence” (133). After several silent visits, Dr. Legs breaks the quiet by asking Suzy if she has ever really thought about communication before. Dr. Legs explains the need to be understood and recommends that when anyone has something important to communicate, that person should say it straightforwardly and in person. For Suzy, in-person communication with Jamie seems impossible, but the thought of speaking to Jamie face-to-face makes her smile.

Suzy researches jellyfish for her science class report. She learns fascinating facts, such as the way jellyfish can divide “the same way cells do” (140). As she learns about jellyfish, Suzy wants more and more to talk with Jamie about jellyfish and to hear him confirm that she has correctly guessed how Franny really died. She wonders briefly about meeting Jamie in person, though it sounds “cray-cray, as Franny would say” (142).

In a flashback addressed to Franny, Suzy relates how she moves back to her old lunch table, alone. Franny stays at the table with the other girls. Suzy tries to call Franny for weekend get-togethers, but Franny always gives some excuse: she is tutoring, shopping, visiting relatives. Suzy rides her bike to Franny’s house one Saturday, intending to apologize and to promise to “not be weird anymore, if [they] can just start over” (144), but Franny is playing with the hose with other girls from school. Suzy thinks Franny sees her, but Franny does not invite Suzy to stay. Suzy realizes that the girls look “almost like teenagers” (145). Suzy feels like she does not belong with this group and that she is “out of place in this world” (145).

The seventh grade year continues; the weather turns colder. In science class, students deliver their reports. Justin talks about mutated cats, and Dylan explains types of lightning. Sarah Johnston gives her presentation on zombie ants: “A fungus takes over the ant’s brain […and] begins to control the ant’s mind, making it do things that no any would do otherwise” (147). Justin compares the zombie ants to middle schoolers. Suzy anxiously anticipates her assigned day, nervous about speaking and yearning to make the class “understand that the world is so much bigger than Eugene Field Memorial Middle School, and how much there is to still figure out” (150). To Suzy, the delivery of the report is a crucial step towards helping the class understand better “what happened to Franny” (150), with Jamie’s help.

This flashback occurs at the end of sixth grade, when the class attends an overnight campout. Suzy sits alone on the bus. After group activities, Mr. Andrews gathers the students, quiets them, and asks what they hear. Suzy hears the music of sounds all around her, near and distant, natural and man-made, and responds “[i]t’s an orchestra” (154). The teacher unkindly rejects this response, and classmates laugh at Suzy. Later, Suzy witnesses Dylan Parker throw a frog against a tree, killing it, to impress Franny. The scene sickens Suzy, especially because Franny does nothing to stop him. That night, someone—probably Franny—spits on Suzy’s face after lights-out when everyone is supposed to be sleeping.

Suzy cannot sleep the night before her presentation. She is nervous to speak in front of the class and anxious to make her classmates understand the sheer importance of her information. She recognizes that if she can’t make them understand, “Jamie really would be the only one left” (163).

A brief flashback conveys how Suzy cannot forget the sight of the frog splatting on the tree. She recalls how Franny made her promise to send a big, secret sign if she, Franny, ever began acting like Aubrey. Suzy realizes that with summer fast approaching, she needs to act quickly.