Lily and Dunkin

Dunkin and Bubbie run into Tim and Dare at Dunkin’ Donuts. Bubbie calls him Norbert, and Tim and Dare both assure him they will call him Dunkin if he prefers. When Dare laments the ways that parents mess up their kids, Dunkin feels himself start to think about his dad, so he shows them his new magic trick to change the subject. 

On a shopping trip with his mom, Dunkin wonders where they got the money to buy new school clothes and remembers his dad’s denture debacle. Dunkin describes the day his dad came home, disheveled and full of positive energy. Dunkin’s mom was immediately concerned, and when his dad revealed he had a plan to make them rich, she dropped to the sofa. Dunkin was infected by his dad’s enthusiasm, but when he claimed that he would become the “Denture King of South Jersey” (66) and sell dentures to the whole world, Dunkin realized that his dad, standing there in his rumpled suit, wasn’t making much sense. Dunkin’s dad revealed that he had used all of their savings to purchase ad space on a billboard. Dunkin recalls that he went upstairs and put on loud music to drown out his father talking to himself, but he wishes he had stayed to help.

Dunkin and his mom had passed that billboard on the way to Florida. His mom gave the billboard the finger because the billboard people had refused to refund the money; she wasn’t giving it to his dad because she “knew he couldn’t help it” (68). However, Dunkin recalls how sad she looked as they drove past. 

Lily tries on Dare’s clothes the day before school starts. As she looks at her flat boy chest in a low neckline, Lily worries about what will happen if she doesn’t start hormone suppression soon. When Dare asks whether Lily is “gonna finally do it” (70) and attend school as Lily, Lily hesitates, thinking of her dad, the “kids at school who already make fun of [her]” (70), and Dunkin. She tells Dare that she should probably wait until high school and allow the other kids to mature a bit more. Dare is disappointed and sends her home with some clothes, requesting that she at least think about it. 

Lily wakes early before the first day of school, allowing time to deal with her nerves. Sarah, Lily’s sister, pokes her head in and advises Lily to wait until high school for girl clothes because Sarah worries that school kids won’t be accepting. Lily is hurt that Sarah doesn’t “think it’s a good idea to be who [she] really [is] right now” (73) and compares her to their dad. At breakfast, Mr. McGrother is clearly relieved that Lily is in boy clothes. Lily feels defeated and when her mom comes down, and tears gather in her eyes. Her mom seems to understand her emotions, but Lily wonders if she can, as “she was born into the right body” (74). Lily watches Dare approach the house, knowing that as soon as she sees Lily dressed as a boy, Dare’s smile will disappear. Lily feels like she’s always disappointing someone. 

Dare is clearly annoyed with Lily, and when Lily’s mom takes their picture, a first day tradition, neither Lily nor Dare can find it in themselves to smile. However, when Lily’s mom breaks out the sign that they’ve stood behind forever, and it says, “Lily and Dare” instead of “Tim and Dare” (76), each of them smiles. 

On the walk to school, Dare encourages Lily to be “brave and honest” (78), reminding her that she is the only one in control of her life. Dare also points out that someone else at school might be going through the same thing, and Lily knows that she could help “the next person” (78), but she’s struggling to figure things out herself. Dare reminds her that if she isn’t “comfortable with who [she] really [is], then [she can’t] expect anyone else to be” (79), and Lily acknowledges that she’s right. Lily changes the subject, so she can concentrate on getting herself ready for the school day. 

On the way to homeroom, Lily sees Dunkin and smiles, but her happiness disappears when the Neanderthals, John Vasquez and some of his friends, step into Lily’s path. Vasquez calls Lily a fag and insults her long hair. Lily hates that she has to look up at Vasquez, as he grew a lot over the summer, and she feels sick about how casually Vasquez says the word ‘fag,’ in the hallway and how inaccurate it is. Lily recalls hearing that Vasquez and his friends have beat up kids outside of school, and she believes that if she’d worn girl clothes, she would be a victim of that same fate, wondering if her dad had been right. As the Neanderthals leave, Lily feels deflated, wishing she could go home or go sit in Bob. However, Lily refuses to let the Neanderthals win, so she stands up straight, shrugs off their insults with a single tear, and heads to homeroom. 

When Dunkin sees Tim, he feels relieved and excited to have an ally at school. However, that feeling turns to dread as a group of tall guys stand in Tim’s path, pulling his hair and calling him a fag. When Dunkin hears that word, he instantly thinks of Tim in the dress. Dunkin knows he should go over and help Tim, but he worries that the guys will call him a fag, too, and he moves away. Dunkin can see the pleading in Tim’s eyes, a look he recognizes from his time being bullied, but he doesn’t help. As he goes, he knows that his decision wasn’t one of a “halfway decent human” (84) and berates himself for being a coward. 

In Language Arts, Tim comes in, but Dunkin slinks in his seat, ashamed at how cowardly he’d acted earlier in the hallway. However, Dunkin realizes that by slinking down, he missed the opportunity to respond to Tim’s friendly wave. The Language Arts teacher calls roll at the end of class, and when Dunkin’s classmates chuckle at his real name, a note gets passed to him. When he opens it, it reads, “Hi, Dunkin!” and Dunkin realizes that Tim “is a better person than he is” (86).

Lily is glad to see Dunkin in her class. She hopes he didn’t witness her encounter with the Neanderthals earlier because she still wants to be friends with him. When someone makes fun of Dunkin’s real name, Lily passes him a note and is glad when it makes Dunkin smile. Lily understands Dunkin’s discomfort, as she hates that she has to answer to Timothy McGrother instead of Lily Jo. 

Gym class doesn’t require changing clothes today. Lily notices how afraid the sixth graders look and considers the way the Neanderthals make her “feel small and terrified” (87). As the gym teacher finishes the tour, Lily watches the girls head into the girls’ locker room and knows that she should be with them. 

The kids who bullied Tim are in Dunkin’s math class, and he glares at them for Tim’s sake. When one of them turns and waves to Dunkin, he’s surprised and waves back. He feels guilty being friendly to Tim’s bullies, but questions whether Tim started things. When another one of them turns and nods, Dunkin wonders whether they’re being friendly or messing with him. It feels like they’re being nice, which makes him sit up a bit straighter and feel good about being included.

At lunch, Tim and Dare call Dunkin to their table, but the Neanderthals call him over, too. Surprised that they aren’t throwing things at him, Dunkin heads to the Neanderthals table, hoping that these guys will help him fit in. He figures he can’t give that up even for Tim. When the biggest guy asks if he’s friends with Tim and Dare, Dunkin makes sure Tim can’t see his mouth and says he isn’t. Dunkin feels terrible about the lie he’s just told. 

Lunch is fine until Dunkin decides to defect and march “right over to enemy territory and set up camp” (93), a move Lily didn’t see coming. Seeing Dunkin sitting with the enemy, Lily wishes she could spend her eighth-grade year in Bob. Dare gives Lily a Pop Tart, her favorite, to soften the blow of Dunkin’s defection, and its deliciousness gives Lily hope that all is not lost. 

The guys at the table ask Dunkin if he plays basketball. While Dunkin is tall, he is not coordinated or athletic, but he enthusiastically lies and tells them that he plays. The guys pummel him in the back, and Dunkin feels good until he sees how sad Tim looks. When Dare gives Tim a Pop Tart, Dunkin wishes he could’ve been the one to make Tim happy again. 

Lily heads to the public library after school and climbs up in Bob’s branches with a book in tow. The book is about a father and daughter, and Lily sighs at the fact that dads sometimes aren’t who you need them to be. In the book, the protagonist eventually accepts her father “for who he is and it all works out” (96). Lily isn’t sure the same will happen for her, as she doesn’t know if her dad will let her get hormone blockers or love her as Lily. 

Dunkin admires how cool Vasquez is and is shocked that Vasquez wants to be his friend. He figures he’ll just have to work on his basketball. Experiencing caffeine withdrawal, Dunkin heads to Dunkin’ Donuts after school. When he passes the public library, he looks up and sees Tim. Tim refuses to hang out with him, citing Dunkin’s rejection in the cafeteria. Dunkin knows Tim is right to be angry, but he doesn’t regret his decision. Back at Bubbie’s house, Dunkin’s mom tells Dunkin that she will get herself together soon and get a job again. Dunkin only thought she was sad, which makes sense given what happened with Dad. When he tells her about his new friends, he leaves out the negative stuff, and his mom brightens. 

After telling her mom about the Neanderthals, Lily’s mom encourages her to tell her if it ever “becomes a problem” (101). Lily thinks about how the Neanderthals hurt her but how Dunkin hurt her even more. Lily changes the subject to the silly flamingos being taken off lawns in the neighborhood. Lily wonders if Dunkin is behind them, as they started appearing when he came to town. Lily doesn’t think Dunkin seems the type, but she didn’t think Dunkin would be friends with the Neanderthals either. Lily notes that “everyone has secrets” (102).

Dunkin sees Vasquez knock Tim’s notebook out of his hands. Dunkin doesn’t like what Vasquez did, but he excuses it by saying at least Vasquez didn’t hit Tim. Dunkin doesn’t dwell on it because he has “to figure out how to play basketball” (103) by tomorrow.

Lily figures it’s a good sign when Vasquez only hits her notebook out of her hands. It’s also a good sign when they watch a video in gym class and don’t have to change clothes. In Language Arts, Lily looks forward to reading her classmates’ stories, especially Dunkin’s because even though he’s been a jerk, Lily would “like to get to know him better” (103). Lily thinks Dunkin might be similar to her, but she doesn’t understand why he sat with the Neanderthals if that’s the case. Lily wishes she could make another friend, as Dare has been busy with other things. When Lily arrives at Bob after school, the sign on the wooden post in front of him sends her running to the restroom to vomit. 

Dunkin asks Bubbie to help him with basketball. She agrees, making it clear that she doesn’t know whether he’ll get much better. While Dunkin eats his grandmother’s healthy cooking, he realizes how lucky he is to have her. After all, he has to be good at basketball or Vasquez and the guys probably won’t be his friends. 

Bubbie throws the basketball at Dunkin, and it bounces hard off his chest. Bubbie starts the drills, but Dunkin struggles. When Dunkin is sore and craves caffeine, he stops his session with Bubbie and heads to his room. He knows he can’t go to practice with the guys on the following day. Bubbie comes in to talk to him, and Dunkin worries she’ll be disappointed that he quit the drills. Alternatively, she encourages Dunkin to keep working and reminds him that he won’t get better without time and practice. Dunkin practices his new magic trick and tries to figure out how to avoid basketball practice the next day.