Scarlett Character Analysis in Tell Me Three Things

Scarlett is Jessie’s half-Jewish, half-Korean best friend. Scarlett is a tiny spitfire who works hard to make herself “undeniable” to others. She’s an exceptional cheerleader for Jessie and has been since Jessie’s mom died—she profoundly said in the aftermath that they needed to pretend that things were okay, even though they weren’t, in order to make it through. Jessie is extremely grateful to Scarlett for her support and her advice on everything from how to deal with SN to her clothing or makeup choices. They text almost constantly after Jessie moves, though most of their conversations are about what Jessie is experiencing in Los Angeles. Occasionally, Scarlett interjects with something about her life, such as that she’s befriending their former enemy Deena in Jessie’s absence and that she’s starting to date Adam Kravitz. Though Jessie is supportive when Scarlett offers these things, Jessie seldom asks about them. Scarlett goes back and forth on how she feels about possibly having sex with Adam. While she’s curious and wants to get her first time over with, she’s also very nervous—and more than anything, needs someone to talk to about her experiences and desires. Things come to a head between Scarlett and Jessie during Jessie’s visit to Chicago. Scarlett finally breaks down and insists that Jessie hasn’t been a good friend, since she hasn’t shown genuine interest in Scarlett’s life for months now. Scarlett reveals her insecurities about sex and her relationship with Adam once she and Jessie make up and not long after Jessie’s visit, Scarlett has a positive first sexual experience with Adam.

Scarlett Quotes in Tell Me Three Things

The Tell Me Three Things quotes below are all either spoken by Scarlett or refer to Scarlett. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

She looks to me to back her up, and I wonder if my existence is a problem for her friendship with Agnes. Scar and I always sat alone at lunch. We weren’t really interested in talking to anyone else. To be honest, I’m not sure how I’d feel if she had invited some new girl to sit with us. Dri not only invited me, but did so excitedly.

Related Characters: Jessie Holmes (speaker), Adrianna Sanchez/Dri, Scarlett, Agnes

Page Number and Citation: 90

Explanation and Analysis:

As Dri and Agnes debate something at lunch on the first day that Jessie sits with them, Jessie checks out of the conversation and instead wonders if befriending Dri will complicate Dri’s relationship with Agnes. With this, Jessie shows that she understands that friendship is extremely complex, and that making new friends is hard and should be done strategically. Her ability to compare what’s happening here to what would’ve probably happened with Scarlett also speaks to Jessie’s growing maturity and ability to empathize with others, something that she’ll continue to develop as she comes of age. Most importantly, she recognizes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti sol

Will I, one day, be able to sleep with a guy and not feel horribly awkward and tortured and not wonder what it all means? I assume so. But right now, the thought of that sort of exposure seems unimaginable, and mostly, if I’m totally honest, nothing short of terrifying.

Related Characters: Jessie Holmes (speaker), Ethan/Somebody Nobody/The Batman, Adrianna Sanchez/Dri, Scarlett

Page Number and Citation: 99

Explanation and Analysis:

As Jessie compares how she feels about sex now, at age 16, with how she assumes she’ll feel about sex as an adult, she makes it clear that when she thinks about intimacy, sex, and growing up, she thinks mostly about sexual contact—not necessarily all the other kinds of intimacy that people engage in. As far as Jessie is concerned, she’s not mature yet because she can’t fathom being naked and having sex with someone. While this is understandable given that she’s young and has never had sex before, this leaves little room for all the ways in which Jessie Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non invent

I will tell her about the mess I’ve made of things, how my new life feels on the verge of unraveling, and she will tell me how to fix it. [...]

And she’ll remind me that everything that is new always feels tenuous, that a lot of this, maybe even most of this, is in my head.

In T minus four hours, I will be home again. Even though my mom won’t be there, at least, finally, I will be someplace I recognize.

Related Characters: Jessie Holmes (speaker), Scarlett, Jessie’s Mom

Page Number and Citation: 247

Explanation and Analysis:

On the flight to Chicago, Jessie thinks through how her visit with Scarlett will unfold—and tellingly, it all has to do with what Scarlett is going to do for Jessie. Though Jessie doesn’t realize it yet, she hasn’t been effectively nurturing her friendship with Scarlett since she moved to Los Angeles. Jessie is getting a lot out of their friendship—after all, up until this visit, Scarlett has been the voice of reason and an on-call giver of advice for Jessie at all times of the day and night—but Jessie isn’t showing Scarlett the same kind of interest or respect by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus

For a moment, I switch things around: think about what it would have been like if Scar had been the one who took off and I’d been the one left behind. What it would have been like to start all over with the people we have known forever. All of those people we had already chosen, for one reason or another, not to be friends with. Until now, it has never once occurred to me that my leaving happened to anyone but me.

Related Characters: Jessie Holmes (speaker), Scarlett

Page Number and Citation: 250

Explanation and Analysis:

When Scarlett finally forces the issue and makes Jessie aware of how hard things have been for her since Jessie moved away, Jessie takes a moment and realizes that Scarlett is right. By extension, Jessie begins to understand that she hasn’t been a great friend to Scarlett. While Scarlett has spent much of her time since Jessie left coaching Jessie through her new life in Los Angeles, Jessie has only engaged in conversation about Scarlett’s life when Scarlett has brought things up—and even then, it’s been fairly cursory. In this moment then, Jessie has to grow up a little bit Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusa

I turn off my phone. Run up the stairs to the small bathroom. Throw up my DeLucci’s pizza and six cans of beer and don’t even feel the tiniest bit of nostalgic relief when I see Scar’s map of the world shower curtain or even the Cat in the Hat soap dispenser that has been there for as long as I can remember.

Related Characters: Jessie Holmes (speaker), Scarlett, Ethan/Somebody Nobody/The Batman

Page Number and Citation: 257

Explanation and Analysis:

After fighting with SN and having a horrible time at Scarlett’s get-together in her honor, Jessie vomits and feels totally unmoored. It’s especially telling that Jessie makes note of what exactly is around her and what she’s throwing up. She’s throwing up pizza that should be amazing and familiar, and she’s in a bathroom that she’s been using since childhood and that hasn’t changed a bit since then. Despite the familiarity of all these things, it’s impossible for Jessie to feel nostalgic or at home—an indicator that when she’s at odds with the person who makes this place home, the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum vo

And as stupid as it is, I admit I think about SN that way too. Not Caleb, not the real-life version of SN, but the one on my screen. The one who is always there for me.

He’s not real, of course. We’re all better versions of ourselves when we get that extra time to craft the perfect message. The SN I know and obsess about can’t translate into real life. He’s a virtual soul mate, not a real one. I do realize that.

Related Characters: Jessie Holmes (speaker), Scarlett, Adam Kravitz, Ethan/Somebody Nobody/The Batman, Caleb

Page Number and Citation: 261

Explanation and Analysis:

As Jessie and Scarlett talk about Scarlett’s obsession with Adam, Jessie clarifies for the reader how she sees her relationship with SN: as something that exists entirely online, in a different realm that she believes doesn’t count as real or meaningful. Though there’s certainly merit to what Jessie has to say—she’s right that talking online can give people extra time to craft a persona that shows off one’s best qualities, rather than a person’s dark or unattractive sides—she also grossly underestimates and undervalues what she’s getting out of her relationship with SN. Whoever SN is, he’s still giving Jessie a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligen

“I think he’s Liam.”

“No way,” I say.

“It explains why he would dump Gem for you.”

I smile at Scar but not because any part of me hopes SN is Liam. [...]

“You’ve been listening,” I say, and feel so grateful she’s still my friend, that she will be, hopefully forever.

Related Characters: Scarlett (speaker), Jessie Holmes (speaker), Gem, Ethan/Somebody Nobody/The Batman, Liam Sandler

Page Number and Citation: 268

Explanation and Analysis:

As Jessie and Scarlett discuss who SN is, Jessie is thrilled not by their conversation itself, but by the realization that Scarlett has been truly listening to her for the last two months. This drives home one of the novel’s main points about friendship: that in order to make friends and keep them, one must be willing to listen. Having Scarlett confirm that she has been honestly listening to all of Jessie’s ramblings for the last few months gives Jessie the courage to trust that Scarlett will continue to be there for her going forward. It also gives Jessie an Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesc

Scarlett Character Timeline in Tell Me Three Things

The timeline below shows where the character Scarlett appears in Tell Me Three Things. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Wealth, Fitting In, and Bullying Theme Icon

...everyone wears designer sunglasses, they need them. Most of all, Jessie misses her best friend Scarlett, who can come up with biting comebacks on the fly. Jessie wishes she knew more... (full context)

Jessie’s face burns and she tries not to cry. She texts Scarlett that everyone here is size 0 or 00. Scarlett refuses to assure Jessie she’s not... (full context)

...it. He assures Jessie she’ll get an A and leaves. Jessie is flabbergasted. She texts Scarlett, who offers condolences and says that SN is totally a secret admirer. Scarlett also suggests... (full context)

...the tightness in her chest from Dri’s mention of a mother. Jessie also thinks that Scarlett would like Dri and repeats one of SN’s lines to test if Dri is SN.... (full context)

Jessie shares that before her mom died, she and Scarlett used to talk about what would make the perfect day. Jessie’s perfect day wasn’t anything... (full context)

...(Liam’s mom) approaches Jessie. Jessie is surprised—the woman has wrinkles and looks normal. Thinking of Scarlett’s advice to be “undeniable,” Jessie asks if the woman is hiring. The woman studies Jessie... (full context)

...fine on the PSAT, even if she doesn’t have a tutor like Theo. Jessie texts Scarlett on her way out the door. (full context)

...the guy who traveled India and interned at Google. Jessie again channels her inner undeniable Scarlett and makes her case for getting a job. (full context)

...keep texting him, but she reminds herself that there’s no chemistry between them and texts Scarlett instead. Scarlett complains about having to sit next to Deena and makes Jessie promise that... (full context)

...good—he’s the second person today to offer to defend her. She offers that she thinks Scarlett and SN would get along and asks SN how his day was. He says that... (full context)

...Jessie wonders if she’s a problem for Dri and Agnes’s friendship. She knows that if Scarlett had invited the new girl to sit with them in Chicago, she wouldn’t have been... (full context)

...a girlfriend, which makes Jessie wonder why Agnes is being so mean. Jessie always supported Scarlett’s questionable crushes. Dri mentions in passing that Liam is dating Gem, which shocks Jessie given... (full context)

...that Ethan hears what Gem says. Today, Gem insulted the stickers on Jessie’s laptop, which Scarlett designed. When Jessie thanks Ethan for defending her, he reminds her that he didn’t and... (full context)

...sister at UCLA is sleeping with lots of guys to “own her sexuality.” Jessie thinks Scarlett would love this. (full context)

Scarlett texts and asks if she should have sex with Adam after homecoming; it’d be nice... (full context)

...Jessie to stop trying to figure out who he is. A bit later, Jessie texts Scarlett and wishes her a good time at homecoming. Agnes does Jessie’s makeup that evening. Dri... (full context)

...but Jessie can’t sympathize. Jessie assures Dri she doesn’t have a crush on Liam, texts Scarlett, and notices Ethan sleeping alone as she leaves the party. (full context)

...that she works at Book Out Below! She suggests that SN visit. A bit later, Scarlett texts to announce that she didn’t have sex after homecoming, but Adam has turned into... (full context)

...won’t be able to go through their bad-day ritual of cocoa and cookies. Jessie texts Scarlett and asks if her basement couch is available next term. Scarlett says it is, but... (full context)

...Rachel picks up the photo of Mom and Jessie, which bothers Jessie. Rachel says that Scarlett’s parents called Dad and it’s understandable that Jessie is homesick—this has been a big change... (full context)

Scarlett and Jessie text. Scarlett says that her parents were concerned when Scarlett mentioned that Jessie... (full context)

As the plane takes off, Jessie thinks about how Scarlett will pick her up in four hours. They’ll eat pizza and share inside jokes. Jessie... (full context)

Scarlett interrupts Jessie’s sputtering to say that Adam and Deena are coming over later. She says... (full context)

Later, Scarlett sits with Adam as Deena whispers in Scarlett’s ear as though to broadcast that they’re... (full context)

Scarlett wakes Jessie up. Scarlett is in pajamas but looks put-together; Jessie is in Scarlett’s bed... (full context)

Jessie pulls the blanket away when Scarlett pulls it over her head and tells Scarlett to tell her what’s going on. Scarlett... (full context)

Later, as they power through spicy soup that’s supposed to cure hangovers, Scarlett says that Adam wants her to make him stickers for his computer. Jessie is thrilled... (full context)

Jessie asks who SN is then, and Scarlett hands Jessie’s phone back to her. SN messaged her multiple times throughout the night. Early... (full context)

Scarlett drives as Jessie rambles about how SN could be anyone. They drive past Jessie’s old... (full context)

...it’s technically a lie to say no if Liam is SN. Reading over Jessie’s shoulder, Scarlett tells Jessie to not tell Dri that she’s the reason Liam broke up with Gem.... (full context)

...as the plane takes off. She tries to figure out whether she’d rather stay with Scarlett and Scarlett’s new life or go home to Rachel’s house, Dad, Liam, and SN. She... (full context)

...true. She doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere. Ethan then compliments the new sticker from Scarlett. Jessie wants to crawl into his lap and ask him so many things, but she... (full context)

Minutes after, Scarlett texts—she just discovered she can order birth control online and doesn’t want to go to... (full context)

Scarlett texts that she and Adam just had sex. It was awkward, but they did okay—she’s... (full context)

Scarlett Character Analysis

Scarlett Quotes in Tell Me Three Things

Chapter 11 Quotes

Chapter 12 Quotes

Chapter 27 Quotes

Chapter 28 Quotes

Scarlett Character Timeline in Tell Me Three Things