Words on Bathroom Walls

Halloween at St. Agatha’s is not a big deal. Only the younger kids are allowed to wear costumes, and most don’t. Maya tells a story about a kid who wore a giant rose costume and then called their mom crying because they were the only one in costume. Adam thinks the kid in the story is actually Maya and that telling it in the third-person helps her deal with the event. He doesn’t blame her because he likes to pretend “weird shit happens to other people, too” (90)

Adam makes a list of things that annoy him. It includes things like people dog-earing pages of his books and people who chew with their mouth full (like Ian). The last item on the list is “when people ask me how I feel today” (94).

Maya has a bad day, and when Adam tries to talk to her about it, she runs off. Adam gets the idea to cook dinner for her family, and Rebecca shows her approval by twirling and doing cartwheels. While Maya’s family is excited, she is quiet all through the meal. Later, she asks Adam why he cooked for her, accusing him of feeling sorry for her situation.