Night Road

In 2000, Lexi Baill studies a map of Washington State while riding a bus with Ms. Watters, Lexi’s caseworker. The bus eventually stops at a terminal in Washington, and the women get off. They wait in an empty parking lot until a Ford Fairlane parks and a woman gets out, calling to Lexi. Eva Lange introduces herself as Lexi’s grandmother’s sister. Lexi and Ms. Watters embrace, and Lexi gets into Eva’s car. Eva drives away and offers her condolences about Lexi’s mother’s death. Lexi looks out the window as they enter the Port George reservation, seeing many Indigenous American symbols throughout the landscape. They arrive at a mobile home park, and Eva parks in front of a trailer. The two women enter the trailer, and Lexi begins to feel a sense of hope when she learns that Eva quit smoking for her. Lexi thanks Eva, telling her that she won’t be any trouble.

Jude Farraday gets out of bed before dawn. She can’t sleep out of anticipation for her twins’ first day of high school, so she works in her garden. Her husband, Miles, appears shortly after. Jude is nervous about how dangerous high school can be, but Miles tells her that she must let go. However, Jude feels that, if she lets go, everything will fall apart and that she must protect her children. The couple goes back into the house and gets ready for the day. Jude goes to Mia’s room to wake her up and gives her a pink leather journal, telling her daughter that writing things down can be therapeutic.

Lexi wakes early and sees that she’s pale and puffy-eyed from crying in her sleep. Eva gives her a pink sweatshirt with a butterfly on it, believing that every girl should have something new to wear on the first day of high school. Lexi instantly loves it and thanks her Eva. Eva then offers to drive Lexi to the high school on Pine Island, although she’ll have to ride the county bus the rest of the time. When they arrive, Eva reminds Lexi that she’s as good as the other students, and the two say goodbye. Lexi enters Room 104, and the students stop talking and stare at her. A good-looking boy stands and takes Lexi’s arm, reassuring her about the girls giggling at Lexi’s shirt. The boy then stares at Lexi until another girl pulls him away, allowing Lexi to rush to a seat in the back row.

At lunch, Lexi avoids the cafeteria and goes outside. She meets Mia, who is sitting under a tree reading Wuthering Heights. Lexi sits next to Mia and shows her copy of Jane Eyre. Lexi asks Mia what her book is about, and Mia comes alive as she recounts the novel’s plot. When the bell rings, the girls walk inside together, and Mia invites Lexi to her house after school; Lexi accepts. When school ends, Lexi follows Mia into a black Escalade and meets Jude. When they arrive at the Farradays’ house, the two girls talk as they eat quesadillas, learning they have much in common. At five o’ clock, a group of about 10 teenagers enters the house, and Lexi sees Zach, the good-looking boy from her first-period class. Mia introduces Zach to Lexi, but he acts disinterested, leaving Lexi to wonder what she’s done wrong.

Jude is happy to see Mia has made a friend, though she worries about her daughter getting hurt. Jude decides that she needs to get to know Lexi, so she walks into the yard where the girls have talked for hours. She tells Lexi that she’ll drive her home while Mia starts her homework. Jude drops off five other kids, leaving Lexi for last. She’s surprised when Lexi says that she lives in Port George but follows the girl’s directions to Eva’s trailer. Jude asks Lexi about her mother, so the girl explains that her mom died three years ago and that she lives with her aunt. Lexi also explains that she lived in foster care before moving here, telling Jude that she understands if she can no longer hang out with Mia. Jude then tells Lexi how fragile Mia is and that she needs to be able to count on Lexi. Lexi says that she’ll never hurt Mia, so Jude invites her to join them for a girls’ day in the city, refusing to take no for an answer.

It’s now 2003, and Mia, Zach, and Lexi are entering their senior year in high school. Jude stresses over which college the twins will attend, hoping that a prestigious school will accept them both, allowing them to stay together. During dinner in October, Mia and Zach ask Jude if they can go to a party at a classmate’s house, but Jude only says that she’ll think about it. The teenagers leave the table, so Jude and Miles discuss the party; Miles tells Jude to trust the twins and let them start making some decisions. Jude allows her children to go after they promise not to drink and to be home by one o’ clock in the morning.

Lexi is working a shift at an ice cream shop, waiting for Zach and Mia to pick her up for the party. When the twins arrive, Lexi promises her boss that she’ll be good and joins her friends. They arrive at the party, and Lexi encourages Mia to talk to Tyler, Mia’s crush. All three walk up to Tyler, who offers Mia some raspberry-flavored vodka. Mia drinks it without thinking about it. Tyler and Mia walk to the beach, leaving Lexi and Zach alone. Zach’s girlfriend pulls him away, so Lexi finds other people to hang out with. Mia then finds Lexi and is already drunk, so Lexi looks for Zach so they can leave, offering to let Mia spend the night at her house so Jude doesn’t find out. Zach drives the girls to Lexi’s trailer, and Mia collapses on the living room floor. Lexi then takes Zach to the hill where she and Mia like to talk. The two sit on the ground overlooking the ocean and talk about college. Lexi leans in to kiss Zach, and he asks what she’s doing. Embarrassed, Lexi runs back to the trailer.

The next morning, Lexi feels guilty about the previous night’s events. When Mia wakes up, she tells Lexi that Tyler asked her to the Homecoming dance. Lexi tries to tell Mia about almost kissing Zach, but she doesn’t get the chance. Zach arrives to pick up Mia, and Lexi and Eva chat at the kitchen table. Lexi promises that she didn’t drink at the party, and Eva reminds her that she’s not like the Farradays and can’t make any mistakes.

Five days after the party, Jude is working in her garden when her mother, Caroline Everson, arrives. The women go inside for lunch and engage in stilted conversation. They get together once a month for lunch but still don’t have a genuine relationship. After exactly two hours, Caroline leaves, and Jude meets her best friend, Molly, for drinks.

Days later, Jude goes into Zach’s room and says that he should take a friend to the Homecoming dance since his girlfriend will be out of town. Zach says that he doesn’t care about the dance, so Jude leaves with Mia to pick up Lexi to go dress shopping at the mall. Both girls find a dress to try on, and Jude thinks that they’re perfect. Lexi says that she’s not going to the dance because she has no date, so Jude suggests that she go with Zach. Lexi says no and goes back into the changing room. Jude buys both dresses, feeling insensitive to Lexi’s lack of money and opportunity. She apologizes to Lexi but talks again about her going to the dance with Zach. Lexi reminds Jude of what happened when one of Mia’s friends used her to get to Zach, leaving Mia devastated, but Jude says that this is a different situation. Lexi reluctantly accepts the dress that Jude bought for her and agrees to let Jude talk to Zach about taking her to the dance.

On the day of the dance, Lexi gets her makeup done and is shocked by how beautiful she looks. She knows that it won’t be enough to change Zach’s mind about her, and she thinks that going to the dance will be a disaster. Back at the Farradays’ house, the girls get dressed and descend the stairs together when Tyler arrives. Zach and Lexi are awkward together, standing rigidly as Jude takes pictures of both couples. The teenagers finally leave for the dance, and Lexi feels that Zach is angry with her because he stares at the road and ignores her as he drives to the school. The couples enter the gym, and Zach takes Lexi onto the dance floor. Lexi apologizes that Zach has to be her date, and Zach suddenly takes her hand and leads her outside. He asks why Lexi tried to kiss him, adding that he had wanted her to. Zach kisses Lexi, causing her to cry. Suddenly, Mia appears and tells Zach to get inside because they’re crowning the Homecoming king and queen. Lexi lies when Mia asks what she and Zach were doing as they walk back inside.

Lexi stays home from school on Monday, unable to face Zach or Mia. She returns on Tuesday and listens to Mia talk about her experience with Tyler, including how they made out. Lexi then spends the rest of the day at work. At nine in the evening, Zach walks into the ice cream shop and tells Lexi to meet him at a nearby park in an hour. Just before ten o’ clock, Lexi walks to the park. Seeing no one in the parking lot, she walks to the beach, where Zach is waiting. He takes her hand, leads her to a blanket on the sand, and tells her that he pretended not to like her to protect Mia, but he can’t pretend anymore. He kisses her and asks if they can meet here again tomorrow, and Lexi agrees.