Every Day

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Chapters 16-18Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 16 Summary: “Day 6009”

A goes to Rhiannon’s school as Adam Cassidy. Unlike the previous chapters, A does not try to learn too much about Adam: “I know I should spend [time] getting to know Adam Cassidy, but he seems incidental to me right now” (173). A is focused on his/her own pressing needs—being able to see and talk to Rhiannon, and not just through email.

A drives to her school and quickly finds Rhiannon: “I let the universe tell me where to go” (174). When A sees her walking into a classroom, she seems to sense his presence and looks up. This is the first time A has ever been recognized by someone else.

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They go to an empty classroom, just the two of them, for an honest conversation. A takes her hand, and she lets him/her. A wonders if things have changed, or if it’s easier for Rhiannon to hold A’s hand when A is a guy. A apologizes for his/her behavior as Ashley. As A talks, he feels unable to reach her. Rhiannon says she can’t “throw everything away for something uncertain” (176). She doesn’t want to make any big decisions about their relationship, but she also needs some time, so she asks that they limit their exchanges to email: no more face-to-face conversations for now. A is crushed.

Chapter 17 Summary: “Day 6010”

This is one of the shortest chapters in the book. As Chevelle, A feels unable to go to school, depressed over his/her interaction with Rhiannon. A pretends to be sick, and the hours at home feel endless. A checks repeatedly for an email from Rhiannon, and every time, “Nothing from her. Nothing. Nothing” (178).

Chapter 18 Summary: “Day 6011”

Today A is Valeria, “an underage, illegal maid” (179). Like the previous chapter, this is also a very short chapter. A is still depressed, but knows s/he can’t stay home from work because this could have consequences for Valeria. Because Valeria doesn’t speak English, A struggles to access her thoughts, which are in Spanish. But A knows s/he’s late to work, so s/he hurries to get ready. A feels stomach pains; it takes A a while to realize they are menstrual cramps. However, it doesn’t matter; she and the other women must go to work. A is tempted to take Midol from a medicine cabinet, but s/he knows this is too risky.

As A is scrubbing a bathroom, s/he sees the owner of the house is still in her bedroom: “What a shock it would be were Valeria to stomp right in and start talking to her about the laws of thermodynamics, or the life of Thomas Jefferson, in flawless English” (180). Of course, A doesn’t do this. It’s exhausting work, and when A gets home, s/he eats and goes to bed.

Chapters 16-18 Analysis

When A is Adam, it’s the fifth time A and Rhiannon have talked since A has revealed him/herself to Rhiannon, but they already are trying to figure out their expectations of each other, due to their unusual circumstances. Rhiannon keeps repeating the question: How can this ever work out? A refuses to throw away their relationship. But A’s hopes plummet when Rhiannon says they should slow down and think about what their relationship should be like. She thinks they should not see each other for a while, and just stick to email for now. Although A’s communication with Rhiannon is often based on email, that type of technology now seems too limited to A.

The next two chapters following this conversation are very short. A struggles through the days, taking a sick day as Chevelle and working while suffering cramps as Valeria. There is no excitement when A doesn’t have a meeting with Rhiannon to look forward to. A’s work as an illegal underage maid, where s/he is made invisible by Valeria’s status and her job, tempts A to speak up and show off his/her knowledge. A has a strong desire to be seen and recognized, just as s/he was seen and recognized by Rhiannon for the first time ever.