CHAPTER 3 in the grocery store

Grocery store and get some real food. He says he will.

He calls her back later that night, multiple times, and leaves messages telling her he wants to install a fireman's pole from her room to the bathroom.

In case you haven't noticed yet, he's manic—um, yeah.

It's a Friday night, and Cath's in her room trying to work on Carry On, Simon, but she can't stop thinking about Nick and how much Professor Piper loved their story.

Nick works at the library on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and he asks Cath if she wants to meet there and write during his shifts. She says yes, of course.

This necessitates a call to Wren, who actually answers.

Wren is—surprise—drunk. And when Cath says she wants to talk about boys, Wren thinks she means Simon and Baz.

Cath gets annoyed, hangs up, and worries about the fact that Wren's partying too much.

The next day in the dining hall, Reagan's so hung over she doesn't feel like snarking—or showering, for that matter. It's an epidemic.

Reagan decides to go to Target with her friend Eric that afternoon, who may be more than a friend.

Cath—surprise of surprises—decides to stay in their room and write.

Reagan puts up with it for the day, but that night she drags Cath out to go bowling with her and Levi.

Levi and Reagan are good bowlers. Cath is not.

Levi schmoozes everyone in the bowling alley, because he's the friendliest social butterfly ever, and after they're done bowling, Reagan and Levi decide to go to a bar called Muggsy's. They assure Cath she could get in too, even though she's underage.

Cath, as you've probably guessed, instead opts to go home and write alone.

Abel calls Cath from Missouri, which he never does.

He's breaking up with her for a girl named Katie, who got a 34 on the ACT, unlike Cath's measly 32, because that's a totally valid reason to break up with someone… not.

Cath wants to argue, but she's only halfhearted about it since she's just not that into him either.

When Nick comes walking around the corner, Cath tells Abel she has to go.

They go to Fiction-Writing together, and Cath texts Wren to come over after class.

That night, Wren gets Cath to admit that not only has she not cried over Abel, he was never really a real boyfriend.

What finally makes Cath cry, though, is that she thought she and Abel could stay together, unlike their parents.

Just as Cath is about to tell Wren about Nick, Reagan and Levi come bursting in.

Reagan is unimpressed; Levi oozes charm; Wren leaves to do something fun. Same as it ever was.

Y.E.S..M.O.R.E..I.N..N.E.X.T..P.A.R.T..L.E.T.S..G.O..

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