Summary

At the start of Chapter 21, “Skullcap,” Charles introduced Tara to “medical drugs” to relieve her earache (183). She returned to Utah to new roommates, including Robin, who seemed to understand Tara’s “missteps came from ignorance” (184). Tara struggled in algebra and her stress induced stomach ulcers at all hours and terrors that haunted her sleep. To cover rent, she spent early mornings doing janitorial work. Charles suggested she speak with her algebra professor, and when she met with him, he decided that any student who earned “a perfect score on the final” would earn an A in the course (186).

Shawn physically abused Tara at the start of Chapter 22, “What We Whispered and What We Screamed,” on Thanksgiving Day. He aggressively poked his finger in her ribs, and when she told him to stop, he sat on her chest and claimed he was disciplining her for...