What Happened To Rachel Riley?

“Then Principal Howe read the next name: Rachel Riley. And nobody did anything. Not a single person clapped for her! It was so, so weird—like, total silence. Nobody was even talking…I mean, it was so strange. She didn’t have a single person who would even pity clap for her? Even though there were people who would cheer for me?”

Anna describes the moment when she is first drawn to the mystery of what happened to Rachel—when she discovers that her classmates are willing to acknowledge her birthday, despite being a newcomer, but completely ignore Rachel’s. Anna’s curiosity also underlines her inherent sense of justice. Even as she wonders what happened to Rachel, she also feels strongly that nobody, including Rachel, deserves this kind of treatment.

“Peace begins with us, after all.”

Maja reflects on the school motto in her email to Anna’s social issues teacher, Ms. O’Dell. The phrase “Peace begins with us” is a refrain that repeats across several of Principal Howe’s emails and underlines The Complexity of Holding Boundaries and Exerting Bodily Agency. One of the reasons that the girls, especially Jordan, find it difficult to speak up is because of the idea that “peace” is the most important thing and that social conflict must be avoided at all costs, even when people violate boundaries.

“Why did I care? That’s what Bee had asked. I don’t know. Why did anyone in books care? Because there was a right and a wrong, and people should care.”

Anna persists in asking questions about Rachel, even when Kaylee, Jordan, and Bee meet her with resistance. She reflects on how she cares because she believes in right and wrong, an idea developed from the stories she reads.

“‘It’s about spreading information,’ said Malika. ‘Having hard conversations. Not just talking about the weather.’”

Malika tries to recruit Anna to join the Global Leaders club. While the girls who run the club are extremely passionate about global issues, they are unhelpful when Anna later approaches them about addressing the sexual harassment situation within their school. This underlines the irony of how people can passionately advocate for causes more removed from their situations but cannot see that they can have an impact on problematic situations in their immediate environment.

“Here’s the thing, Babcia. Us girls are told to speak our minds and be all that we can be. […] But…eighth grade just isn’t like that. Most girls I know have some kind of girl-power quote in their Instagram bio but still won’t answer a question in history even if they know the answer because they don’t want to look like a nerd. Or you can answer one question, but not two or three. Everything is, like, a calculation, or a game you play in gym class, one with rules and regulations.”

Anna describes the self-consciousness and insecurity that comes with being an eighth-grade girl. Anna, who begins the book as a self-assured, if socially withdrawn, young girl, begins to grow more aware of the middle school social dynamics. She is not free from the pressure that is a normal part of the transitional, middle school years. Her experiences contribute to the theme of The Interaction of Social Pressure and Identity Formation in Middle School.

“You’re too nice for this school, Rachel had said. But I wasn’t all that nice, really. There was a difference between caring and nice.”

When Anna explains why she is so interested in what happened to Rachel, Rachel claims that Anna is “too nice.” However, Anna knows that this is not true, and the distinction between “caring” and “nice” is an important one in the book. Caught up in the pressure of having to constantly be “nice,” Jordan, who is the most well-liked girl in the eighth grade, cannot stand up for herself, speak her mind, or exert boundaries and bodily agency. Rachel, while not typically “nice,” truly cares about the issue and her friend; she holds her silence for Jordan’s sake despite the social ostracism she faces and continues to stand up to the boys when the “game” resurfaces.

“Usually, Nik and I would both be home, the two friendless wonders, but now Nik had a whole group of nerdy coder friends, and I was here trying to be friends with Bee Becker.”

Anna reflects on how much Nik has changed after the move to Madison. Anna believes that it is the move that had such an impact and worries that she is doomed to forever feel unsure and unconfident. However, Nik is older and has passed through the transitional stage of middle school with which Anna is currently grappling. Despite this, Anna feels distant from her sister, evidenced by them no longer being “two friendless wonders.”

“I was thankful, in that moment, for Jordan Russell and her attempted kindness. […] Jordan was always trying to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome and happy.”

When Anna feels awkward and self-conscious about the present she got Bee, Jordan immediately comes to her rescue and compliments the choice of book. Anna’s reflection on Jordan underlines how Jordan is genuinely nice, as she extends kindnesses to people even when it is of no real benefit to her. However, Jordan’s desire to make everyone else feel comfortable also ends up stifling her own discomfort in ways that are destructive to herself and others.

“Could I tell my sister about the podcasting summit? On one hand, she’d probably be helpful. […] But on the other hand, she’d sold me out to Mom for heinous crimes such as forgetting to take the dogs out or finishing the last of the milk. Who knew what she’d do with information I actually found important?”

Anna’s dilemma about what she can trust Nik with underlines the normal and healthy sibling relationship she shares with her. While Nik and Anna have had conflict in low-stakes situations—which Anna describes hyperbolically—she supports and helps her sister in times when Anna needs it most. Nik is entirely trustworthy as a confidant when Anna tells her about the podcasting summit, the investigation into Rachel, and even the “game.” Nik, like the rest of Anna’s family, is an important source of strength and support to Anna.

“Anna: I bet you guys got really mad. Kaylee: I mean, it was weird. But it was a joke, you know? They’re our friends. It was funny. <silence> Actually, I mean, it wasn’t that funny. I don’t know why I said that. I guess that’s just…what you say when something makes you feel weird. That it was funny.”

Kaylee finally talks to Anna about the “game” to help repay Anna for finding her dog. Kaylee’s initial assertion that the “game” was funny, followed by her immediate correction, describes the dilemma that exists within the minds of the eighth-grade girls. It also shows why no one speaks up. Kaylee felt compelled to pretend like the “game” was funny because she had no space or means of expressing her discomfort. Despite feeling weird about the situation, Kaylee feels like she doesn’t have the language to describe or confront it, evidenced by her saying “funny” instead. This demonstrates the lack of agency that the girls feel.

“‘That kind of stuff—it happens all the time.’ It did. A million and one times. Comments on butts, jokes about bra straps. […] These things were just folded into our everyday lives, part of walking and breathing and doing math homework and eating lunch.”

When Nik questions Anna about whether she told anyone about the “game,” Anna retorts that this kind of thing happens all the time. Like Kaylee, Anna doesn’t feel like she has a way to voice her displeasure or discomfort with the sexual harassment she witnesses and experiences. Despite the boys not currently playing the “game,” there are still comments and interactions of a similar nature in the girls’ lives. Anna compares the boys’ harassment to everyday tasks like walking, breathing, doing homework, and eating lunch to show how normalized and pervasive the predatory behavior is.

“I should have. I know that. I should have gotten off my butt and walked my two legs back into that locker room to make sure she was okay. You can know the should of a moment, but you can also choose not to go through with it.”

Anna describes her inner conflict after not checking on Chelsea after she saw a boy snap her bra strap. Anna’s decision paralysis in the moment is a result of both internal and external factors: She actively chooses not to act on what she knows is right, which is an internal factor. However, fear, an external factor, also motivates her decision, as she has seen the lack of support and active social retaliation that people who speak up have faced. Both of these factors perpetuate the kind of harassment that the girls continue to face, and Anna understands that this needs to change. 

“That I wasn’t being kind. That he obviously had troubles at home, and he liked me, so I should be nice to him or just ignore him. Apparently, his right to creep me out was more important than my right to not be creeped out. Apparently, him trying to hold my hand was kind and me saying no was not kind.”

Rachel describes how the teacher dismissed her discomfort and prioritized the boy’s needs when she spoke up about harassment in the past. Messaging such as this from adults in positions of authority contributes to the kind of silence and isolation that Rachel faces when she chooses to stand up for herself. Society repeatedly teaches girls to put their feelings aside and be “nice” and “kind,” even at the cost of giving up any agency they have over their bodies. When such messaging comes from figures of authority, like teachers, it makes it harder for girls to stand up for themselves, as they receive no support and feel additionally powerless after their feelings are dismissed.

“‘I know you wish the world were a fair place, Anna,’ Nik said quietly. ‘But sometimes, it just doesn’t work that way. Sometimes, fairness has to be demanded instead of waited for.’”

Anna is frustrated that the onus of speaking up falls on the girls rather than the boys. Nik, however, reminds Anna that despite the exhaustion and frustration she feels, the reality is that some situations demand The Pursuit of Justice and Truth in the Face of Social Resistance. While it can be the easier option to not say anything and bow to pressure, it is important to stand up for what is right even in the face of resistance. Nik shows Anna the importance of actively demanding for change rather than passively waiting for it to happen.

“We’re more focused on global issues. It’s important for us to concentrate on things affecting the planet and people all over the world. Not Blake Wyatt being annoying. That’s more the guidance counselor, Dr. Fayen’s, lane than ours.”

When Anna reaches out to the Global Leaders club, they tell her that addressing Blake’s behavior is not their concern. This response underlines the irony in the club focusing on important issues, as they ignore something fixable taking place within their present environment. It also highlights how normalized certain problematic behaviors are, as they do not see Blake’s behavior as something serious or worth addressing; they simply view it as “annoying,” which trivializes the issue.

“That my tough, brave sister could be sent creepy letters by boys she knew—it just didn’t seem right. But then again, wasn’t Rachel Riley tough and brave? Tough and brave doesn’t necessarily equal protection.”

The fact that Nik receives letters from a boy who makes her uncomfortable upsets Anna. Nik’s situation and Anna’s reflection in this passage highlight that the difficulties that girls and women face in exerting boundaries and bodily agency are a universal issue that transcends life stages and generations. It also shows that a girl or woman standing up for herself is not enough to stop the issue, as Rachel being tough and brave didn’t keep the boys from targeting her. Broader societal and community change must occur.

“I would also like to formally apologize that the frosting on the cookies did include artificial food coloring. And let’s not forget to remind our children every day as they head off to school—peace begins with us!”

Principal Howe’s email to the parents following the Winter Ball recounts the events of the night, contains reprimands about Rachel and Anna’s behavior, and ends with this apology and reiteration of the school motto. Principal Howe’s emails are a consistent reminder of the school prioritizing the wrong things. She is more concerned about things like the food coloring in the cookies than the serious issue of sexual harassment, which students brought up at the ball. The principal’s repeated use of “peace” is ironic, as she is in a position to improve the safety and harmony in the school.

“‘I get it. You wanted to do something immediate. But there are other ways. Better ways.’ ‘Turn the other cheek,’ I said in my solemn Father Andrew voice. ‘Yes and no. Forgiveness, sure—that’s important. But so is justice. I’m talking about a justice that involves words, and love, and accountability.’”

The Hunts discuss Anna’s behavior at the Winter Ball. Maja, who believes that Anna was justified in standing up for Rachel, stresses both accountability and forgiveness. She shows that it is important to hold people accountable for their actions while forgiving them for mistakes and allowing them room to grow and change. This is the approach that Anna helps the other girls take when they approach the school guidance counselor and set up a community meeting, which fosters open dialogue rather than shaming and blaming.

“Penguin fun fact of the day: penguins huddle together not just for warmth, but to protect themselves from predators. There’s strength in numbers. Those little birds are smart.”

Anna’s penguin fact in her email to Babcia after the dance represents the advantage of coming together in a group. This mirrors her experience of standing up for Rachel at the dance because Rachel believes in the same things she does. The references to penguins are a recurring and evolving motif throughout the book, mirroring both the journey of Anna’s investigation into Rachel’s story and her journey with identity formation amid social pressures.

“It’s like, that’s what boys do. They have locker-room talk. That’s what I heard a guy say on the news. But I don’t know if we’ve ever stopped to be like, Maybe that shouldn’t be locker-room talk. And we weren’t in a locker room!”

Cody describes his experience of being pressured into participating in the “game” on Anna’s podcast. Characters like Cody and the perspective he brings offer insight into how boys are also conditioned to believe certain harmful beliefs about girls’ boundaries and bodily autonomy. By identifying harmful beliefs as “locker-room talk” or repeating what men say on the news, Cody highlights the pervasive nature of these deep-seated beliefs. This shows that they are products of problematic societal attitudes and conditioning, just as the girls are. Thus, just as the girls can change their responses, boys can change their behavior. Cody’s experience provides an additional window into The Complexity of Holding Boundaries and Exerting Bodily Autonomy.

“'We’re supposed to be honest, and we’re supposed to be kind. Honesty plus kindness equals your responsibility,’ said Mom. ‘How other people respond? Their emotions? Their opinion of you? Not your job.’”

Once Anna comes clean about the “game” and her investigation into Rachel, Maja validates Anna’s feelings about the situation and helps her see that there is a place for her anger. Maja’s response to Anna’s feelings counters the messaging that Anna and the other eighth-grade girls get from the adults at their school: that they must constantly moderate their feelings and responses to things happening to them in the name of “peace.” Maja instead offers Anna the much-needed perspective that she must uphold the truth of what she feels, albeit in a kind and responsible manner. She highlights that the emotional reactions or opinions of others are not Anna’s responsibility.

“Rachel Riley is what my English teacher would call an antihero—a person who does the right thing but lacks conventional heroic qualities. She’s not loud or even that nice all the time. But she’s maybe one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.”

Anna describes Rachel as an “antihero” to Babcia. Rachel started out this way, standing up to the boys defiantly and judging the other girls, especially Jordan, for not doing the same. She is even prickly toward Anna when she initially begins her investigation, refusing to answer Anna’s questions and expressing her cynicism at the adults’ ability to help. However, she softens over time, forgiving Jordan, reconciling with Cody, and joining forces with Anna and Jordan to address the sexual harassment issue in a productive manner.

“‘I mean, who knows? Maybe nothing will change.’ ‘Maybe it will,’ said Babcia in her thick Polish accent, pointing her fork at me. ‘It’s hard to say,’ I admitted. ‘When things have been the same and the same and the same…’ She shook her head. ‘Don’t you think people felt that way throughout all of history, Anna Maria? Communism!’”

Babcia comes to visit, and Anna tells her about the community meeting at school. Anna is doubtful that things will change; however, Babcia brings up her experience of growing up in communist Poland and how things eventually changed. Babcia reminds Anna that with consistent effort, change is possible. This gives her much-needed encouragement.