53 pages • 1 hour read
This Is Our Story
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Chapters 10-12
Chapter 10 Summary
Chapter 10 opens with another old text exchange between Kate and Grant. However, now Grant’s name has been crossed out and replaced with Shep’s.
Shep and Kate talk, and he explains how the mix-up happened. Basically, it was all a mean prank by Grant. Kate met Grant and Shep in the library, where she asked them to be quiet. Grant then chatted her up and put his and Shep’s numbers into Kate’s phone, but switching the names of the contacts. Shep didn’t realize this until the day of the Battle for the Paddle, when Kate sent him an angry text message along with a photo of Grant with his arm around Lindsey. When Shep confronted Grant, Grant laughed. It was part of his “Fuck With Shep” plan. Now, Kate knows why she’s “FWS” in Grant’s phone.
This revelation is a major shock for Kate, who has spent weeks mourning Grant. Shep made the revelation now because he realized how sad she’s been and because he misses talking to her. It’s difficult for Kate to accept the fact that Shep is the one she’s been writing with the whole time, however. What’s more, she’s not supposed to talk to any of the River Point Boys because of the ongoing investigation.
The chapter concludes with an excerpt of Shep’s interview with a detective, conducted directly after Grant’s death. Kate must provide commentary with the newfound knowledge that Shep was her secret text flirtation. Shep admits that he’d gotten angry with Grant for messing with a girl he likes. Kate now knows that this is her. As with the other interviews, this one is cut short when Shep’s parents show up, insisting he get a lawyer.
Chapter 11 Summary
Reagan and Kate go tailgating with some other students from their school before a football game. As they are getting ready, Kate tells Reagan the truth about Shep/Grant. She also tells Reagan that Shep denied any involvement with Grant’s death but expresses skepticism when Reagan asks Kate if she believes him.
During the football game, Kate is by the sidelines, taking photos. She’s distracted when a person dressed up as dead Grant walks up behind her. The people in the stands all see, including the River Point Boys, who climb down from the bleachers to chase after the perpetrator. Kate grabs the masked person and pulls him to safety under the bleachers. It’s a boy she knows, Mark. He says someone bet him money to pull the prank. She helps him dispose of the costume and covers for him when the River Point Boys ask her who the prankster was. Later that night, Kate sees Mark standing by Logan’s car, a conspicuous Tahoe. The person in the car, presumably Logan, gives Mark a handful of money. It seems that Logan is the person who bet Mark to dress up as dead Grant.
The chapter shifts to John Michael’s (anonymous) narration. He reveals that he paid Mark to pull the Grant prank because he wanted something to unite the River Point Boys. John Michael is surprised by Kate’s involvement in the situation. He’s not happy about it: “It won’t hurt to keep an eye on her” (136).
The chapter concludes with an excerpt of Rebecca’s interview with a detective. Kate is, as usual, providing commentary on body language. Rebecca reveals that her friend Lindsey had an on-again, off-again relationship with Grant, and even says she’s glad that Grant can’t torture Lindsey with his hot-cold antics any more. She also says that Grant had changed in the past year, becoming mean.
Chapter 12 Summary
Kate happens to be driving when she spots Logan in his car. She follows him and watches as he has a secretive meeting in an out-of-the-way location with two strange men she doesn’t know. Logan gives the men something. One of the men punches Logan in the gut. Kate takes photos of the incident but doesn’t manage to get footage of the actual punch. Then one of the men seems to see Kate, hiding and watching from her car. She speeds away, concluding, “I really suck at spying” (143).
Kate tries to do some cyber-stalking next. She looks through the Facebook profiles of the River Point Boys. When scrolling through Shep’s profile, she accidentally likes a picture of his from years ago. He responds by sending her a private message: “If you’re curious about me, I’ll tell you anything you want to know” (145). Mortified, she doesn’t reply.
The chapter ends with Kate’s commentary on yet another detective interview. This time it’s with Daniel Hardy, who was at the River Point Boys party the night before Grant died. That night, Daniel posted a video of a fight at the party. He tells the detective he doesn’t know what the fight was about. Kate watches the video clip. A dark-haired girl, Lori, shows up and is upset with Grant. Henry tries to comfort her. Daniel tells the detective that Henry was yelling something at Grant along the lines of “You better hope you didn’t do what I think you did” (148).
Chapters 10-12 Analysis
Shep’s revelation to Kate is the first evident breach of the “boys’ club” code. In his narration, John Michael refers to his buddies as brothers. Kate describes how the boys even wear similar outfits of khakis and button-down shirts when they arrive at school, as if they were in uniform. John Michael expresses optimism for the future, once Grant’s murder investigation is behind them, saying “There will be time to put things back together once this is over. We will be closer than ever. We will be like brothers again” (109). John Michael is not aware, however, that Shep already broke the pact of silence by confessing to Kate.
The book’s thematic focus on privilege is especially centered on white, male privilege. Given its setting in the south, the novel critiques the notion of the indestructible nature of the “good ol’ boys” club. The driving idea is that members of this imaginary “club” (white, male, wealthy, southern, privileged, often from “old money”) look out for one another. For example, if one buddy sees that another buddy of his is having an affair, he will stay silent on the matter. Shep’s disclosure to Kate is a major breach of this code of conduct. It is a subversive act, challenging not only his pact with the River Point Boys but also a broader societal notion of “men looking out for men.”
However, Kate cannot take Shep’s disclosure at face value. She can’t be certain that Shep is not the killer, and her distrust is fueled now that she must accept that Shep was her texting partner, not Grant. Even though Grant orchestrated the prank, the shock of the revelation shakes Kate’s worldview: For example, the text messages prefacing the chapter now have the name “Grant” crossed out and replaced with “Shep.” This visual image reminds the reader of the mix-up in a jarring manner and hints at how Kate is feeling. It’s a significant change for her to accept. As Kate explains, “I’ve been mourning Grant for weeks now. It’s not like a switch I can flip on and off” (116).
The narrative continues to gain in complexity as additional viewpoints are introduced through the detective interviews that Kate comments on for Mr. Stone. Through Shep’s interview, the reader learns that Shep is the latest “addition” to the River Point Boys’ group, having only moved to the area three years ago while the others were all born there. The detective suggests Shep may have felt like the odd man out, implying this would be a motive for murder. Meanwhile, other testimonies from individuals outside the group of the River Point Boys make it clear that Grant’s peers didn’t like him. It seems there are multiple people who wouldn’t mind if Grant were dead.
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