When You Reach Me

It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, and a naked man is running down the street outside Miranda’s school so all the students must stay in the school cafeteria for lunch. In the middle of lunch, Annemarie appears suddenly distracted, “like she was still there but was doing something else in her head” (89). Julia recognizes Annemarie’s blank stare and gently guides the conversation in a general direction, showing Miranda “how to help Annemarie” come back to the present (90). Once Annemarie seems to be herself again, Julia politely leaves. A few minutes later, Annemarie is called to the school nurse’s office and doesn’t return.

Julia rudely informs Miranda that Annemarie has epilepsy, and all the bread she’s been eating at the sandwich shop is not on her approved diet. Julia also confronts Miranda for how she treats her: “You’ve been giving me dirty looks since like third grade! Are you going to pretend you haven’t?” (93) The confrontation makes Miranda uncomfortable, and she’s happy when Julia’s watch falls off her wrist and cracks. She expects Julia to scream, but Julia calmly puts the watch in her pocket and observes, “This whole day just stinks” before walking away (93).