Restart: Chapter 16: Shoshanna Weber Summary & Analysis

Joel, deeply unhappy at boarding school, keeps calling Shoshanna and their parents to ask about things at home. Shoshanna still avoids telling him about the contest video, Chase, and Mr. Solway, though she’s started hanging out with Chase and Mr. Solway even when they’re not working on the project. Though it feels disloyal, Shoshanna can’t help but notice that Chase’s personality has totally changed: he’s become kind, almost like a “grandson” to the childless Mr. Solway. Chase’s friendship with Mr. Solway is much deeper than hers; Mr. Solway thinks of her as Chase’s friend or, possibly, girlfriend. When Mr. Solway calls her that, she and Chase both blush and correct him—but Mr. Solway just thinks they’re in denial.

Though Mr. Solway is much friendlier now, he’s still ornery, argumentative, and sometimes tiresome—even to himself. One day, after he falls asleep on himself, Chase and Shoshanna decide to leave him in peace, go get food, and watch the footage they’ve collected. Shoshanna suggests the frozen yogurt shop for food, promising not to dump hers on Chase this time. While watching footage, they agree that they’ll keep visiting Mr. Solway after the project is over.

Someone in the shop says Shoshanna’s name. It’s her mother, staring in shock at her daughter working comfortably with Chase. When Shoshanna tries to explain, her mother demands that Shoshanna go get in the family car. Chase tries to speak, and Shoshanna’s mother interrupts, criticizing his nerve and telling him not to come near anyone in the Weber family. As Shoshanna’s mother forces her out the shop door, Shoshanna asks whether they can at least talk—and her mother assures her that they will talk.

Shoshanna’s mother and father stage an intervention at home, telling Shoshanna she can’t be friends with Joel’s bully. Shoshanna explains that they aren’t friends, exactly—Chase joined the video club and found the subject for Shoshanna’s contest entry. When Shoshanna’s father suggests that Chase might have nefarious ulterior motives for working with her, she says that she hated the old Chase, but he’s changed since his amnesia, and she’s starting to like him as a person. Her mother says that it doesn’t matter whether Chase has changed, because what he did to Joel was “unforgivable.”

Shoshanna’s father speculates that Shoshanna hasn’t told Joel she’s working with Chase. Shoshanna admits she hasn’t—and then says that maybe she should: Joel hates boarding school, but since Chase doesn’t even remember the version of himself who bullied Joel, maybe Joel can come home. Though her parents are clearly struck by the idea, her dad asks what will happen if Shoshanna is incorrect in her assessment of the situation. Shoshanna isn’t sure, but she wants Joel to come home, so she messages him saying they have things to discuss.