Kendra
- Kendra and her mom are on their way to the Miss Teen Spirit of the West pageant in Elko, Nevada, five hours from their home in Reno. It's just a regional pageant, but the prize money is good.
- Kendra's mom coaches her about keeping her chin up and shoulders back.
- The attention she gets at pageants is pretty awesome, but Kendra doesn't like the backstabbing and bribery often required to win.
- Sometimes pageant hopefuls offer sexual favors to the judges. Kendra says she wouldn't do that to win Miss Teen Spirit of the West… but she might do it for Miss America.
- She's not sure her mom would object. After all, "every crown puts you one step closer to the runway."
- Three hours into the trip, they've run out of conversation, and Kendra's mom asks if she wants to talk about Conner. Her mom asks if she thinks Conner shot himself over their breakup.
- Kendra thought the shooting was an accident—this is the first time anyone's told her it was a suicide attempt.
- Her mom found out the truth when she was "dealing with another Jenna issue" in the guidance counselor's office. She heard the counselor talking about sending Conner's homework to Aspen Springs.
- Kendra texts Cara to find out if all this is true.
- Cara texts back wanting to know who told; she tells Kendra not to tell anyone.
- Kendra's mad—she thought Cara was her friend. But then, the Sykes family doesn't really have true friends.
- She asks Cara why Conner did it, and Cara says she doesn't know.
- Kendra's mom checks them into a shabby hotel called the Thunderbird Motel. Kendra asks why they're not staying at the Holiday Inn.
- Turns out her mom has memories of staying there on a trip with Kendra's dad.
- Her mom wants to go to lunch, but Kendra says she wants a nap—she doesn't want to eat.
- Kendra lies in bed and wonders why Conner would attempt suicide; she guesses that he got tired of being afraid.
- The only other person she knows who's been to Aspen Springs is her fellow dance student Tiffany, who was bulimic. Kendra's determined not to let anyone know about her own eating disorder.