I Know What You Did Last Summer

Julie and Ray talk in the car about Helen not being the one who called Barry, and Julie thinks about Megan and the picnic place. Ray suggests that someone impersonating Helen could have called Barry. Julie is unsure about this but then mentions that it could have been Elsa. She tells Ray that Elsa is terribly jealous of Helen and recalls the first time she visited Helen’s house. When Helen asked Julie to look at her prom dress, Julie was excited to spend time with her. Elsa was rude about the difference in class between their family and the families of Helen’s boyfriend and friends. As Julie admired the prom dress, Elsa declared that it came from a thrift store and went on about Helen being a princess who was too good to work for the money to buy a dress. Elsa emphasized how she works, but their mother gave Helen the money for a second-hand dress. After witnessing this resentment, Julie was uncomfortable and ready to leave.

This memory leads Julie to believe that Elsa could have called Barry and even shot him. Ray is unsure but wonders if Helen talked in her sleep about the accident. When they arrive at Julie’s house, Ray tells her to be careful and watches until she gets inside.

Once in her house, Julie notices her mother baking bread. She feels overwhelmed by the homey sensations, and her mother notices something is off. Julie asks about the recent uptick in baking, and her mother says Julie is getting too thin. Mrs. James asks where Julie was, and Julie says she was with Ray. Her mother likes Ray, saying he has become more mature but wishes he would shave his beard. Julie asks why her mother doesn’t like Bud being mature, and her mother thinks Bud is too old-fashioned.

Julie notices her mother’s hair turning gray and her hands looking older. She tells Mrs. James that she loves her and feels concerned about her mother becoming frail. Mrs. James asks Julie what’s wrong, and Julie almost tells her about the accident and the letters. However, Julie remembers the pact and does not reveal her secrets. Instead, she claims to be tired because of exams and getting into college. Bud calls and convinces Julie to see a movie with him the following night. While her mother is still concerned about her, Julie no longer feels she will let the secret slip over dinner.

Barry’s nurse brings in flowers from a girl named Crystal, who notes how many other girls have sent flowers. Barry is upset to be stuck in bed and tries to recall the events in the hospital. He remembers telling his father that Helen was the one who called and his mother condemning their relationship. The fact that he can’t feel his legs also upsets Barry.

Furthermore, Barry wishes he had already broken up with Helen. His mother told him she visited with a male friend, implying that Collie and Helen are dating. While Barry told his mother that his relationship with Helen isn’t serious, he is angry that Helen may be cheating on him, despite him dating several girls behind her back. He wanted to be the one to break up with her and tells the nurse to throw out the flowers Helen sent. Barry can’t get up to throw them out himself, which makes him even angrier.

Barry hates always having his mother around, talking about fixing up his room at home for his return from the hospital. Barry insists he still wants to go to Europe, and his mother does not argue with him about it, which makes him suspicious. However, he appreciates his mother keeping out visitors because he doesn’t want the different girls he is seeing to meet each other or have the frat boys around.  

Ray comes into Barry’s room. Ray walked up the stairs, and no one stopped him, but he probably only has a few minutes before someone throws him out. Barry notices that Ray looks older and larger, dwelling on how Ray’s beard seems to age him. Ray asks Barry how he is doing, and Barry asks if Ray has heard anything about the condition of his legs. Ray lies, saying he didn’t, and Barry calls him out for lying. Ray sticks with the lie, and Barry resents that Ray can stand and walk around.

Ray mentions that he wants to dissolve the pact, and Barry refuses. Barry believes he can avoid further injury. He claims it wasn’t about the accident because he was robbed after the shooting. Ray asks about the phone call, and Barry lies, saying it was a girl who called him and that he lied to his dad when he said it was Helen. However, Barry wants Ray to tell Helen he is seeing another girl. Ray again asks if the call could have had anything to do with the accident, and Barry gets angry, saying Ray is trying to get him in trouble. He tells Ray to leave. Ray does so, and Barry thinks that Ray is a traitor.

Barry recalls the phone call, which wasn’t from another girl. A muffled voice, claiming to be a friend, told him he knew “something that happened last summer” (139). The anonymous caller claimed to have a picture of the car and the bicycle that was taken with a special film that could shoot in low light. The caller offered to sell Barry the picture, saying they should meet on the field. Barry recalls how one of the frat boys, only hearing Barry’s side of the conversation, commented that his girlfriend would shoot him for talking like that. In retrospect, it seems like a premonition. Barry continues the angry rant in his head, believing he doesn’t owe Ray—or anyone else—the truth about the phone call.

Ray leaves the hospital. He believes Barry’s assertions about the robbery and the caller’s identity and feels relief. Ray thinks if someone tries to extort him, he will go to the police, even as he regrets not going to the police the night of the accident, as Julie suggested. Ray doesn’t believe Elsa is subtle enough for the letters.

Ray runs into Bud and says he visited Barry, pretending to be less shaken up about Barry’s condition than he really is. Ray thinks Barry knows he’s paralyzed even though no one has told him. Bud says he hates hospitals and asks if Ray wants to join him for coffee. Ray agrees and studies the man, wondering what Julie sees in him.

While waiting for Ray’s latte, Ray reveals his concerns about Barry. Bud says he was hospitalized after the war but won’t say more. He also asks if Julie is dating Barry. Ray explains that Julie barely likes Barry and that Barry dates Helen. They discuss how they both want to be Julie’s long-term boyfriend. Ray acknowledges Julie’s plan to go to Smith and says he didn’t apply to Ivy League schools. He plans to go into education and attend the local university. Bud bets that Julie won’t go to Smith, which Ray interprets as Bud announcing his plan to marry Julie.

Ray leaves and tries to call Julie. She doesn’t answer, and he wonders why. After thinking about it for a minute, he realizes he never told Julie he would see Barry, and she wasn’t expecting his call. However, Ray doesn’t want Julie to end up with Bud and feels highly competitive with him for her affection. His thoughts about Julie keep him from noticing the car following him home.