A Little Less Girl Chapter 16 Summary

Dani

  • That night, Dani wakes up around 2:00AM and hears her mom singing along to Janis Joplin downstairs.
  • Her mom mentions that Blister stopped by to visit while Dani was in the shower before bed. Dani can't help but feel a little disappointed that it wasn't Jake knocking at her door.
  • Dani and her mom listen to some more records and her mom starts to tear up. These were Grammie's records, but she hid them in the bottom of her closet under a Bible and some knitting needles. Grammie also saved some pictures and a report from when Dani's mom was in third grade.
  • Mom feels like a total failure, first as a daughter and now as a mom.
  • Dani assures her she's done all right.
  • Back in her room, Dani decides to look through Amy's diary a little bit more.
  • More swooning over Jake, who holds the door for a teacher, and then Amy wonders how Dani is doing and whether she'd gotten away from that creepy guy and his son.
  • Dani knows exactly who Amy is talking about: Dani's mom invited a guy and his son to live with them. The son, Cody, was two years older than Dani and it turns out both father and son were drug dealers. Good times.
  • When Dani's mom found out and confronted the guy, he threatened to stab her. Dani ended up getting punched in the face. That's how she really got her scar.
  • Amy goes on about what she's been eating and then mentions Ryan Wilford again; he looks even worse, like he's going to die. Amy thinks knowing you're going to die is terrifying.
  • Dani doesn't think these sound like the words of a girl who is about to commit suicide.
  • Then Amy mentions something else that she found out: Ryan and Jake are friends. So she wasn't the only person who noticed him. See? Jake isn't just beautiful, he's kind and caring, too.
  • Dani closes the diary but can't shake the feeling that everything is off. Her mom is turning more motherly, Amy sure doesn't talk like someone who wants to die, and mean Jake West seems to be anything but.