The Twister
A major event takes place about halfway through the story that badly shakes up the narrator. "There is a tornado of people around me, screaming in all directions, and I can’t go anywhere. After several minutes of pandemonium, the flow steadily softens into one direction rather than a whirlpool, and I am torn out of the house in the current." This imagery of being caught up in something beyond one's ability to control is palpable. Tori finds herself suddenly victimized by consequences not totally unlike a sudden natural disaster.
The Prank
The all-time classic school prank for more than fifty years has been the stink-bomb. It also shows up often in fiction because imagery is so easy to use to put the reader right into the aftermath. "They’re all pinching their noses because Solitaire stink-bombed the entire school approximately one hour ago...The smell in this corridor is moldy egg. I cover my mouth and nose with my jumper."
A Serious Girl
Tori engages an especially creative, succinct, and insightful bit of imagery to describe the fundamental psychological aspect of her character. "As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain." That phrase makes it easy to picture Daria Morgendorffer listening to "I'm Only Happen When It Rains" on the radio. It is not a perfect match for Tori, but it gets pretty close.
Arson
Just when she thinks that an arson has been avoided thanks to a monumental effort by a friend, something catches her eye. "And then he sees the orange glow lighting up one side of my body. The orange glow coming from the fire that is raging through Kent’s classroom...There’s a horrific crack. The door to the classroom has split and is burning happily." The glowing of the flames is obviously imagery here. But the specificity of the description of the fire as "raging" while it burns "happily" is imagery that connects the arson directly to the arsonists.
