THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS: FREE ONLINE NOTES / BOOK SUMMARY

CHAPTER 9


Sometimes You’re the Windshield; Sometimes You’re the Bug. - Mark Knopfler

Summary

This chapter opens with Carmen. Carmen watched her future step-sister struggling with geometry at the kitchen table while her Dad got ready to play tennis with her, the first time in five days that they were doing something together. She realized as she went out the door with him that if Krista hadn’t been connected to her the way she was, she might have offered to help her.

Carmen’s next letter to Bee revealed how she loved to torment Paul’s girlfriend - whom she called Skeletor - by pretending to be attracted to Paul. She told Bee that she had only a tiny piece of her heart left to miss her friends desperately.

The scene shifts to Tibby. Bailey showed up the next day at Wallman’s and told Tibby she had decided to give her another chance. They spent a few minutes sparring with each other, and then Bailey offered to buy Tibby ice-cream after her shift. Tibby didn’t know how to say no, so she agreed, even admitting that she was only going, because Bailey had cancer, an answer that seemed to satisfy Bailey with its honesty.

Tibby said that she had learned the ground rules with Bailey: 1.) Don’t lie; and 2.) Don’t ask how she’s feeling. She found herself then being able to talk to Bailey about all kinds of topics, even the movie she was making. While they talked, Tibby saw Tucker Rowe, her sophomore crush, which made her face screw up in a kind of scowl. She was one of the few girls who ran away from the boys she liked rather than flirting with them. Bailey noticed the look on her face and questioned her as to why it was there. Being quick to understand other people, Bailey realized that Tucker was the object of the look on Tibby’s face. However, instead of being impressed by him, she was critical, saying he looked stupid and tried too hard to look cool. Tibby was surprised to realize that a lot of what Bailey said was true, but she didn’t want to admit it.

The scene shifts to Bee. She had talked her cabin mates into riding bikes to the Hotel Hacienda in Mulagé where the coaches gathered at night. They decided that they would leave only if Connie were there. The other coaches seeing them didn’t bother them at all. Once they were inside, Bee headed straight for the dance floor where she showed a side of herself that was especially flattering: Bee could really dance! When she finally took a breath, she saw Eric sitting there watching her. She played it coy, something she didn’t usually do with boys, but she wanted him to take his time admiring her body and her dance moves. She and her friends even waved at the coaches who just turned and pretended they didn’t see them. After another round of margaritas, the coaches moved onto the dance floor, and Bee found herself dancing close with Eric. He then whispered quietly into her ear, “We can’t do this.”

The scene shifts to Lena. The time is right after she had been seen naked in the pool. She heard her grandmother and grandfather arguing downstairs, and when she went down, Bapi’s face is practically purple with rage. She followed him to the Dounas’ residence. Kostos’ grandfather opened the door, and they began yelling at each other. Bapi began to yell for Kostos who soon appeared behind his grandfather. Then came shoving and punches. Only Kostos stepping in stopped the two old men from continuing their fight.

The chapter ends with a letter from Bee to her father. She asked him to send her more clothes. She assured him that she loved her time at the soccer camp.

Notes

This chapter really fulfills the quote that opens it. Bee and Carmen seem to be the windshields, enjoying the moment even if, in Carmen’s case, it’s based on spite. However, for Lena and Tibby, it’s more like they’re the bugs: Tibby slams into the windshield of Bailey’s sarcasm, realizing she only has one friend for the summer, and she’s twelve years old; Lena must watch two men fight over her being seen naked by Kostos when really Kostos had done nothing wrong.

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