The Running Dream

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2011

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Part 4, Chapters 7-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 4, Chapter 7 Summary

Because she isn’t ready to get on a bus again, Jessica doesn’t go to the league preliminaries with her team. Instead, she stays home and helps her mother in the flower garden. This time with her mom allows Jessica some reflection on life in general. She wonders if older people look at their life in terms of seasons. Right now, Jessica sees her life as sixteen years of spring that is interrupted “by a sudden, deep freeze” (237). She wonders if things will change enough for a thaw to happen. Her mother is happy in her garden, and Jessica tries to “hold onto the warmth of her sunshine” (237).

Part 4, Chapter 8 Summary

Fiona has qualified for the 800-meter league finals, and Jessica congratulates her for her achievement. At first, Fiona is hesitant to celebrate because she doesn’t want to hurt Jessica’s feelings, but Jessica insists otherwise, although deep down she feels isolated from the team. Fiona then tells Jessica about the meet, including Vanessa Steele’s winning races, but notes that Vanessa could not break Jessica’s record from the previous year.

What did annoy Fiona was that Merryl didn’t show up for the meet. When the coach called home, Merryl’s mother said she was ill. Fiona equates not showing up and being part of the team as a form of cheating.

Jessica ends up seeing Gavin a few times that day and asks him how Merryl is feeling. He wants to eat lunch with her and Fiona outside, but Jessica decides she wants to eat lunch with Rosa. Fiona and Gavin join her in Room 402, but Jessica tells them they can go. Gavin wants to know who Rosa is, and when Fiona defines Rosa by her illness, Jessica angrily says, “She’s my friend and a math genius […] She’s been great to me through this whole thing” (240). Although she tells them to go, Gavin and Fiona walk into Room 402 with Jessica to eat lunch with Rosa. Gavin doesn’t have a lunch with him, so Jessica splits hers with him. He seems to be smiling at her when they part ways afterward.

Part 4, Chapter 9 Summary

At school the next morning, Ms. Aloi reads announcements about the upcoming prom, which Jessica immediately dismisses: who would ask her to a dance when she can’t dance? Then the teacher asks the students to watch Channel 7 news that night to see the special report on Jessica. At first, Jessica is happy, but then she worries that her father’s complaints will make it into the program and embarrass her coach and teammates.

During math class, Rosa writes a note telling Jessica that she will be watching the news. Suddenly, Jessica writes a lengthy note to Rosa confessing everything that is bothering her. Rosa writes back, “The truth is always okay” (243). As Jessica is reading Rosa’s note, Ms. Rucker appears at her side and demands that Jessica turn the note over to her. Jessica tries to hide the note, saying, “It’s personal” (243), but is forced to turn the note over to Ms. Rucker who opens the note and reads it.

Part 4, Chapters 7-9 Analysis

Jessica begins to learn the importance of reflection and peace while gardening with her mother, instead of getting on the bus to travel with her team to their away match. At school, the announcement is made about the Channel 7 news special about Jessica that will run that evening. She is worried that her father’s complaints about the insurance difficulties will make the cut and cause embarrassment for her friends and coach. Rosa tries to assuage Jessica’s fears in math class, but their note-passing is interrupted by Ms. Rucker, who takes Jessica’s note and reads it to herself.