Lena Timeline and Summary

•  Back
• More 

• We first meet Lena, who is "stunning" (1.58), while shopping at a Thrift Shop for her little sister, Effie's, school dance.
• She and Effie are going to Greece for the summer to visit their grandparents who they have never met—and she doesn't speak a lick of Greek, by the way.
• Effie has many qualities that Lena lacks, like an outgoing personality for starters.
• Lena is a little disappointed at her grandparents' appearances. Her grandfather doesn't speak any English, and this makes morning breakfast conversations, or lack thereof, a little awkward.
• The grandparents throw a party and can't wait for Lena to meet Kostos, the village hunk, but Lena's not interested—she is "not a romantic" (5.30).
• Lena avoids Kostos like the plague. A painter, she just wants to capture the area's beauty on canvas.
• She also wants to make some memories in the Pants, though, so while painting one day, she gets caught up in nature's reprieve and goes skinny dipping, only to hear Kostas's footsteps in the background.
• Lena jumps to the conclusion that Kostos has been following her, and embarrassed, she runs home and tells her grandparents (who have essentially raised Kostos) that he is a creepy stalker, and not the nice boy they think he is.
• Bapi is enraged; he rushes to Kostos's house and punches his grandfather.
• Guilt consumes Lena—she over reacted but she doesn't have the courage to tell the truth.
• The silent breakfasts with Bapi continue to be awkward, especially since he decked his best friend to defend Lena's honor.
• Still finding solace in her painting, Lena returns to her special spot, and this time sees Kostos swimming in the water—she realizes that he hadn't been stalking her; he was just visiting his special spot. Imagine that.
• Lena finally confesses to her grandmother, who pretty much knew the truth the whole time since she knows Kostos pretty well; in fact she and the rest the village helped raise him when his parents and younger brother died in a car accident.
• While attending the village feast, she watches Kostos dance with all of the grandmothers and realizes she has feelings for him. Who's the stalker now?
• Lena thinks of Kostos constantly.
• While staring at the stars from her bedroom window, she notices her Bapi doing the same. They seem to be a lot alike.
• Yay—the Pants finally arrive. Lena needs courage to tell Kostos how she feels.
• Wearing the Pants, Lena apologizes to Kostos. She tells him that she really likes him, and as luck would have it, he feels the same way.
• They share a kiss, and Lena realizes boys aren't so bad after all.
• Lena shares a final breakfast with Bapi and is ready to recite some Greek that she memorized so she can finally communicate with him—but then she realizes she doesn't have to talk to communicate with Bapi. He tells her, "You're my girl" and squeezes her hand.
• On the way back home from Greece, Lena takes a detour through Mexico to see Bridget, since Bridget's recent letters worry her.
• Lena makes Bridget's problems better just by being there, and she wasn't even wearing the Pants.