Love, Aubrey

Aubrey panics as she stands before the window and looks at the rain coming down outside. Gram tells her it’s okay: she can drive Aubrey to school after the rain clears. Aubrey considers this. Her hair is arranged in two braids, and Bridget has planned to wear hers the same way. Also, Aubrey has a meeting with Amy today. At last, Aubrey cautiously tells Gram she’s fine to take the bus to school.

Later, Amy thanks Aubrey for her note last week. It’s made her wonder if Aubrey keeps a diary. Aubrey says she doesn’t, but she admits that she sometimes writes letters, though she’s embarrassed as she admits that she writes them to Jilly, Savannah’s imaginary friend. Amy doesn’t see anything wrong about this, though she suggests that it’s not really Jilly Aubrey wants to talk to. She gives Aubrey “a tough assignment” to complete, whenever Aubrey feels ready: she wants Aubrey to write “[t]o the people you really want to talk to.” She thinks this will help Aubrey. She doesn’t have to do it right away: just whenever she’s ready. Before sending Aubrey on her way, Amy gives her an invitation to a party she’s holding in her office during lunch on Halloween. 

At lunch, Aubrey thinks about what Amy said, unwilling to accept that Amy might be right. Bridget pulls Aubrey out of her thoughts by pointing out a boy she thinks is cute, Christian Richards. Aubrey teases her about having a crush. At Bridget’s urging, the girls intercept Christian at the trash can, and Christian invites them to his Halloween party.

At the school Halloween party later, which is held in a classroom, Aubrey feels only dread when she sees Amy there, dressed in what appears to be a Little Bo Peep costume. There are lots of snacks laid out, but Aubrey just takes some vegetables. Seeing this, Bridget puts a sandwich and cupcake on Aubrey’s plate. From across the room, Aubrey watches a smile erupt across Marcus’s face as he talks to Amy. Later, when another kid throws an M&M at him, he laughs it off—but as soon as the kid walks away, Marcus’s smile falters.

Later, Aubrey and Bridget attend Christian’s Halloween party as cowgirls. Most guests are already there by the time Bridget’s mom drops the girls off. The party is in the basement, where Christian’s parents are setting up various decorations and activities. Christian invites them to “check out the coffin,” gesturing toward cardboard decorations. Aubrey tells them to go ahead—she doesn’t want to see a coffin.

Aubrey heads toward the snack table, where she runs into Marcus. She hesitates at first, unsure of how to broach the subject, then she mentions that she saw Marcus talking to Amy at the Halloween party yesterday. She asks if Amy helps him. Marcus says she does. “Family stuff,” Marcus answers when Aubrey asks why he’s seeing Amy. He explains that his dad left last year—“because I was bad.” Aubrey insists this isn’t true, but Marcus won’t listen. Not knowing what else to do, she takes Marcus’s hand and holds it tight. “It wasn’t your fault,” she tells him. Marcus only shakes his head silently.

The next day at lunch, Aubrey sees Marcus sitting alone and goes to sit with him. He says hi but doesn’t look up. After a pause, she tells him that her mom left. When Marcus asks if Mom left because of Aubrey, Aubrey replies, “She didn’t stay because of me.” Later that night, Aubrey starts some drafts of letters to Mom, then one to Dad, but she crosses out her writing, unable to finish them.