How It All Goes Down
A Brief and Sparse Plot Summary in Paragraph Form:
Carmen begins the story by telling us about the Pants. She buys them at a thrift store, and they are faded and worn; she tosses them aside without giving them a second thought. Spending the summer apart for the first time, she and her friends use the Pants as a way to keep connected.
The Sisterhood takes a vow to take turns wearing the Pants, sending them between the group of friends as a way to share experiences—and then the four girls separate for the summer. Carmen goes south to visit her father; Lena and her sister visit their grandparents in Greece; Bridget goes to Mexico for soccer camp; and Tibby's stuck home working at Wallman's Drugstore.
Along the way, of course, conflicts arise. Carmen learns her dad has been keeping a tiny secret—he's engaged, and his fiancé has two teenaged kids—and she becomes rude and confrontational in response. In Greece, Lena—who doesn't trust boys—is annoyed by Kostos, a hot family friend whose got the hots for her, while Bridget lusts after Coach Eric in a major way at soccer camp, flirting with him relentlessly. Poor Tibby is barely surviving as a clerk at Wallman's, and then—to make matters worse—she meets a twelve-year-old girl who has cancer.
The plot thickens. Carmen hates her new family, and since she also has a bit of a problem with her temper, she winds up throwing rocks through her father's window. Oops. With her tail between her legs, she returns home.
Lena, swept up by the beauty of Greece, goes skinny dipping, but Kostos accidentally sees her, and Lena jumps to the wrong conclusion, and tattles on Kostos to her grandparents. Did you know some grandfathers have a mean left punch? Because Lena's sure does, and it's not pretty. Poor Kostos.
Back in Maryland, Tibby and Bailey—the girl who has cancer—become friends. They film a "suckumentary" about people they meet during the summer, and while it's a great way to fill their time, it's also kind of sad since Bailey is dying.
Carmen finally talks to her father about her feelings—and then she swallows her pride, throws on the Pants, and attends his wedding. They wind up sharing a tender moment on the dance floor, and when she tells her father they both need to be honest with each other, he agrees. Yay.
Speaking of honesty, Lena tells her grandparents that she was wrong about Kostos, and—wearing the Pants (of course)—she apologies to him. They kiss, and not only is it lovely, but it's about time too.
Down in Mexico, Bridget shares an intimate moment with Eric (regrettably). It leaves her feeling empty, and she loses all desire to eat, hang out with her friends, or play soccer—in other words, major depression sets in. Back home, Tibby also withdraws from life, though for a different reasons—she really doesn't want to face Bailey on her deathbed, nor does she want to admit her guinea pig died (so she hides her in the freezer). The Pants come to the rescue, though, and Tibby throws them on and musters the strength to comfort Bailey in the hospital. Phew.
The book ends just as it began—with Carmen's final thoughts. It's September and the Sisterhood has reunited, and while the girls have changed over the summer, their love for each other has remained the same, thanks to the Pants. The girls decide they'll pull them out again next summer, and that, Shmoopsters, means there's a sequel.