Pep Talks
- The next morning at school, Joci comes running up to Corinna and asks why Corinna didn't answer her phone last night.
- Corinna says she was tired, and Joci says they need to have "a major catch-up session."
- Corinna is less than enthusiastic, and Joci reminds her that best friends share everything—but Corinna doesn't answer; she just heads off to class.
- In English class, Miss Beatty asks for volunteers to read their assignments. Kids read about the usual vacation-y stuff; Corinna doesn't volunteer, obviously.
- After school, Corinna has soccer practice, and it feels good to kick something.
- Coach Montgomery gathers the girls around after practice and tells them Corinna's mom died over the summer and that they need to be supportive. Corinna thinks she's glad he said something, but it feels pretty intense, and she starts crying as soon as she gets into her dad's car.
- When they sit down to dinner, Corinna asks her dad what's going to happen now that it's just the two of them. He hugs her and says it's not going to be easy, and it might take a while, but they'll be okay.
- However, things definitely aren't okay the next morning at school. Corinna gets called into the office, where one of the secretaries (whom the students call Norma the Storma) asks if her mother sent in her proof-of-residency form.
- The other secretary has to explain to Norma that "there is no mother." Hey there, clueless adults…
- That evening, Corinna calls Joci and tells her the whole story.
- Joci says she knows how Corinna feels, because those secretaries are creepy, but of course Joci has no idea how she feels.
- Joci changes the subject and talks about her new, cute tennis coach. Corinna just wants to get off the phone and have it be the weekend.
- The next morning, the doorbell rings, and when Corinna answers, she sees a cupcake box on the steps. It's a single cupcake from Georgetown bakery, with a candy heart embedded in the frosting. On the heart are the letters BFF.
- Corinna assumes it's from Joci, and she wonders if things will ever be normal between them again.