I'll Give You The Sun Chapter 2 Summary

The History of Luck (Jude, Age 16, 3 years later)

• Jude's in class at art school. Her work is about to be critiqued in clay class. Oh, the pressure.
• Jude's sculpture is…a blob of clay that's broken and has been glued back together. No one seems terribly impressed.
• In a passing comment about her watch, we learn that Jude's mom died two years ago. She drove off a cliff. That's pretty intense for a passing comment.
• Sandy, the teacher, is trying to get the kids to talk. Finally, a boy says that it's hard to critique Jude's work because it's always broken.
• Another boy chimes in and says it would be easier to critique if the breaks were intentional. Jude thinks that's fair.
• Jude seems to think that the ghost of her dead mother has been breaking all her sculptures. She's really superstitious, just like Grandma Sweetwine.
• Oh, and by the bye, Grandma Sweetwine's ghost talks to Jude. At the moment, she's talking about pickles.
• Jude says that 22 percent of people see ghosts. That number seems high, doesn't it?
• "Fish"—which seems to be the name of a classmate?—raises her hand and says that a ghost has been breaking Jude's work. Interesting, if a little fishy (har har).
• Another girl speaks up, saying that the piece is sad. When she finishes speaking, the table collapses and Jude's sculpture breaks. As far as making these people less superstitious about ghosts, it's not very helpful.
• Class is over, but Jude has a meeting with Sandy. He's worried about her. He says the school has tried to be understanding, but she needs to pull herself together.
• Jude reflects on the fact that Noah deserves her spot at the school. Hm, guess that means he didn't get in. She thinks that her mother is breaking the sculptures because she's mad about that.
• Sandy says that he knows Jude belongs at the school. Her sand sculptures from her admission portfolio were amazing.
• Jude's confused. She didn't submit photos of the sand sculptures as part of her admission portfolio. In fact, she didn't know the photos existed.
• Did Noah send the pictures? She doesn't think so.
• Ghost alert?
• Proof it wasn't Noah: she remembers how devastated he was when he didn't get into the school. So devastated he destroyed all of his artwork.
• Sandy asks Jude if there's an artwork she needs to make. ("Need" as in feeling that deep, primal artistic urge.) At first, she's unresponsive. Then she says she wants to start working in stone. Her mom won't be able to break that.
• One small problem: the school's stone guy is out of town. Sandy's going to try to contact another artist, but he's not sure it'll work out. He gives Jude the guy's name.
• After school, Jude and Grandma Sweetwine are on their way to see Guillermo Garcia. That's the artist's name.
• Jude's supposed to wait until Sandy contacts Garcia, but she's decided to go anyway.
• Grandma Sweetwine doesn't approve of Jude's outfit. Also, she thinks Jude should date more. For a Grandma she's a real hustler.
• Jude spots a church and decides to go in. She wants to warm up and plan what she's going to say to Garcia.
• Jude's sitting in the quiet church. Suddenly, a hot Englishman makes a ruckus. She startled him. He was taking photos.
• He starts to take Jude's picture, but she resists. He really wants to take her picture, though. He's chattering away, but she's not saying much.
• Finally, Jude agrees that he can take her picture. She can't resist. He's really hot when he's taking pictures.
• He finishes. "You're her," he says. Who's her? Jude wonders, but he doesn't answer. He leaves the church.
• Not your typical religious service.
• Jude leaves the church and heads to the artist's house. She's thinking about her boy boycott. She's not dating right now. (Hence Grandma's hustlin'.)
• She remembers the night before her mother died. She was dressed in a revealing outfit, and her mother didn't approve.
• That same night she lost her virginity to Zephyr. She didn't say no (at least out loud), but it was pretty rape-y.
• After the incident, she cut her hair and swore off boys. She thinks there was a connection between the sex and the death of her mother. Kind of extreme as far as cause-and-effect works, but that's what trauma can do to you.
• Jude's at the artist's studio now. She knocks three times. Finally, a crazed troll answers the door. Presumably, this is the artist?
• Correction: the drunk artist. Garcia's three sheets to the wind.
• Jude asks Garcia if he's okay. He isn't. Alrighty then.
• Garcia tells her to go away and goes back inside. After she collects herself, Jude knocks again.
• This time, the hot English guy from the church answers the door. Well hello, handsome. He tells Jude it's not a good time as something crashes in the background.
• Jude and Grandma Sweetwine are at the beach now. She gets a text from Heather about Noah. Jude seems worried he might drown.
• Sounds like he almost drowned a few years ago, after the death of their mother. Jude saved his life.
• Jude spots Noah and Heather. He jumps from the cliff. Jude thinks that time slows down while he's in the air.
• Sounds kinda like Jude and Noah have grown apart over the last few years. Make that far, far apart.
• Noah swims to shore. Jude's relieved.