Samantha McAllister finds herself at a crossroads, grappling with her feelings for AJ Olsen and the familiar pull of her anxieties. As she navigates these challenges, her friendships and newfound passions are tested, leading to significant moments of self-discovery and change. These chapters mark a turning point where Sam begins to actively shape her life rather than passively coping with it.
Chapter 21: The Batting Cage
In the theater with Caroline Madsen, Sam is distracted by a photograph she saw of AJ with his ex-girlfriend. She confesses to Caroline that she's worried she's sabotaging her connection with AJ, turning something good into something unhealthy. Caroline agrees, pointing out Sam's pattern of making positive things—like her new car or poetry—feel toxic. Sam admits she wishes she could stop her spiraling thoughts but doesn't know how.
Caroline offers a powerful metaphor: She describes Sam as being in a batting cage, where baseballs (intrusive thoughts) are constantly hurled at her. Instead of swinging a bat to hit them away, Sam is just standing there, letting the balls smack her in the head. Caroline urges Sam to "swing the bat," to fight back against her negative thought patterns, let her guard down, trust the good things, and try to be happy. This conversation grounds Sam, and the two friends return to writing their poem.
Chapter 22: An Awkward Encounter
Over the next week, AJ becomes distant, avoiding Sam's gaze and even rushing out of Poet’s Corner to avoid her. She wonders if she imagined their connection. The distance makes her question everything, and she feels the sting of social anxiety and confusion.
On Wednesday, their paths cross in the hallway. Instead of his usual nod, AJ stops her, seeming nervous as he asks how she is. The conversation is brief and stilted, but before he leaves, he deliberately brushes his thumb against her arm. The small, intentional touch sends a jolt through Sam, reigniting her hope. She watches him walk away, confused but thrilled by the charged moment that proves their connection wasn't just in her head.
Chapter 23: A Compromise with Sue
Sam has her weekly therapy session with Sue. She discusses her guilt over keeping Caroline a secret from the Crazy Eights, but admits Caroline has no interest in meeting them. Sue seems to approve of this separation, suggesting it might be for the best. The conversation shifts when Sue notices how tired Sam looks. Sam confesses a major secret: she stopped taking her sleep medication two months ago, right after she discovered Poet's Corner. She explains that she's been staying up late to write poetry, needing the darkness and quiet to feel creative. This revelation touches on the themes of Secrets and Honesty and Mental Health and Illness.
Sue is firm, reminding Sam that she cannot alter her treatment plan on her own. Sam reflects on how essential her primary medication is for controlling her thought spirals, reassuring Sue she would never stop taking it. Seeing how important poetry has become to Sam, Sue offers a compromise: a new, fast-acting sleep medication that Sam can take at midnight, allowing her to write for a few hours while still getting enough rest. Relieved, Sam agrees. For the remainder of the session, she opens up about her "eight new friends" from Poet's Corner, describing how they make her feel safe and how her obsessions have shifted from social anxieties to a passion for words and poetry. She tells Sue everything except the location of the secret room.
Chapter 24: Show Me
That night, Sam goes for a late swim at the club, her favorite place to write. After her workout, she sits by the empty pool and writes a new poem. As she's in the locker room, she receives a text from an unknown number: "you were really good today." It’s AJ. A tentative, then increasingly flirtatious, text conversation begins. He compliments the vulnerable poem she read at the last meeting, which was about unreliable friends.
Wanting to keep the conversation going, Sam brings up her favorite writing spot. When AJ expresses his curiosity, she feels a surge of confidence and, remembering his advice to "blurt," texts: "want me to tell you or show you?" His immediate reply—"show me"—makes her heart race. They make plans for him to pick her up the next night. The conversation ends with Sam playfully telling him to bring his swimsuit, leaving them both with a sense of excitement and anticipation for their "non-date."
Chapter 25: Itty-Bitty-Titty-Gate
The next morning, Sam is excited to tell Caroline about her plans with AJ but is immediately pulled into drama with the Crazy Eights. Hailey has posted an old photo of the group from third grade in which Kaitlyn is topless. Kaitlyn and Alexis are publicly screaming at a tearful Hailey by her locker. In a pivotal moment of character growth, Sam steps between them, physically pushing Kaitlyn back and defending Hailey. She firmly tells Kaitlyn to calm down and that they will discuss it later.
Sam pulls Hailey away to the bathroom to help her calm down. Hailey laments Kaitlyn's hypocrisy, noting that Kaitlyn would have done the same thing to any of them and expected them to just take it. Hailey then expresses a deeper fear: she's worried Sam is disappearing from the group, just like their former friend Sarah did. "It's Sarah all over again," she says, revealing that Sam has been missing their lunches more and more frequently. Shaken by the comparison and Hailey’s vulnerability, Sam promises to be at lunch that day. The chapter ends as Sam waits by her locker for Caroline, who never arrives.
Key Events
- Caroline's Metaphor: Caroline introduces the "batting cage" metaphor to help Sam visualize fighting her intrusive thoughts.
- AJ's Mixed Signals: AJ acts distant for a week before a brief, charged hallway encounter where he touches Sam's arm.
- Confession to Sue: Sam admits she stopped taking her sleep medication two months ago to write poetry at night. Sue prescribes a new medication as a compromise.
- The "Non-Date": Sam and AJ make plans via a flirtatious text exchange for her to show him her favorite writing spot—the pool.
- Sam Stands Up to Kaitlyn: Sam intervenes in a fight between the Eights, defending Hailey from Kaitlyn's verbal assault.
- The "Sarah" Warning: Hailey compares Sam's recent absences to how another friend, Sarah, slowly disappeared from their group.
Character Development
Sam undergoes significant development, actively seeking advice, opening up to Sue, taking a bold social risk with AJ, and standing up to Kaitlyn.
- Samantha McAllister: She moves from a passive victim of her anxiety and social group to an active agent in her own life.
- Caroline Madsen: She is solidified as Sam's anchor and voice of reason. Her "batting cage" metaphor provides Sam with a tangible tool for managing her OCD, demonstrating the depth and wisdom of her friendship.
- AJ Olsen: His character gains more dimension. We see his vulnerability and nervousness in the hallway, contrasting with his confident stage persona. His decision to text Sam and initiate plans shows his interest is genuine.
- The Crazy Eights: The group's toxic dynamic is starkly illustrated. Kaitlyn's explosive anger, Alexis's role as an enabler, and Hailey's desperate act for attention highlight the instability and conditional nature of their friendships, which is a key element of The Nature of Friendship theme.
Themes & Symbols
Mental Health and Illness is a central theme, symbolized by Caroline's batting cage metaphor, which represents cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Sam's decision to stop her medication and Sue's compromise highlight the complexities of managing mental illness and the importance of a proper treatment plan. Sam's growing confidence allows her to Find Her Voice and Self-Acceptance. She "blurts" her feelings to AJ and uses her voice to de-escalate the fight with the Eights, acting on her feelings rather than just writing them down. The contrast between Sam's supportive friendship with Caroline and the destructive interactions within the Eights highlights The Nature of Friendship. Sam's defense of Hailey marks her first attempt to inject genuine loyalty into the group.
Key Quotes
"You have a perfectly good bat."
Caroline's batting cage metaphor is a central symbol for cognitive behavioral therapy techniques—actively fighting back against intrusive thoughts rather than letting them dominate. It transforms her fight from an abstract mental process into a physical, winnable game.
"It's Sarah all over again."
Hailey's ominous comparison of Sam to a former friend, Sarah, introduces a key piece of backstory and foreshadowing, suggesting that the Eights' toxic dynamic has a history of pushing people away and hinting that Sam's departure from the group may be inevitable. This line serves as a critical piece of foreshadowing, planting a seed of mystery about the group's past and Sam's future that will drive the narrative forward.
Why This Matters and Section Significance
These chapters mark a crucial turning point for Samantha, as she transitions from passively coping with her life to actively shaping it. Her decision to stand up to Kaitlyn is the first concrete evidence that her internal changes are manifesting in her external life. This act fractures the established power dynamic of the Crazy Eights and sets the stage for future conflict. Furthermore, the romantic plot with AJ accelerates from a quiet crush to a tangible possibility, giving Sam a source of positive excitement.