Summary
Bug explores his attic, looking for clues about the haunting. Moira comes over and asks what he is doing. Bug considers telling her about the note and the hauntings but decides not to, because he's worried Moira will tell their mothers. Moira looks at her baby things and Bug looks for one of his uncle Roderick's boxes. He goes through some old stuff from the house, including deeds and yearbooks, in an effort to match the handwriting on the note. They talk about the time they thought they saw a ghost in the hallway when they were kids.
Bug's mom asks what they are up to and he says that they are just looking at old memorabilia. Later that night, Bug has a bad dream about having to wear a bunch of dresses that suffocate him and make his skin itch. He wakes up wrapped in his top sheet and finds his uncle's yearbook in his dresser drawer. He opens it to the page with his class portrait on it and reads the quote he chose by Oscar Wilde. He realizes in that moment that Roderick is the one haunting the house and trying to communicate with him.
The following day, Bug goes to a creek and walks up to his ankles. Suddenly, he hears a faint voice that sounds like his uncle, saying what sounds like his name, or that he needs him to say something. The voice gets progressively louder, like it’s yelling at him. Eventually it stops and Bug is left with a headache and an unsettled feeling. He goes home and looks in the mirror again, feeling off.
Bug talks to his mom who tells him that she will likely be out tonight, as she is going to dinner with Moira’s mom. Bug makes mac and cheese and puts on some cartoons. Bug thinks things are fine until a door upstairs starts banging open and shut. The television goes on and off as does the radio. Bug is concerned by all of this activity. When his mother gets home, she appears to be struggling and Bug wants to hug her but can't. He recalls how it felt both right and wrong to comfort her after Roderick's death. They talk more and Bug manages to pretend to be alright, as he thinks his mom can't handle any additional problems. He goes to bed.
The following day, Bug rides his bike into town and goes to the library. He looks for books about hauntings, ghosts, and the supernatural. He learns about how many of these disturbances occur when a deceased person has unfinished business on earth, and cannot be at peace. He also encounters a boy named Griffin who looks at one of the books with him and helps find some information about hauntings. They talk more, and before he leaves, he gives Bug his phone number on a slip of paper, saying he hopes to be friends.
Bug goes home and decides not to tell Moira about Griffin, because he doesn't want to deal with her thinking he's going to be his boyfriend. Moira comes over and they use a Ouija board. It doesn't work initially. Then there's a bracingly loud thunderstorm. Moira and Bug are frightened by lightning. They go outside and play in the rain, getting their clothes very wet. They go to Moira's house and she lends Bug a dress. Bug says the dress fits him well, but doesn't suit him.
Moira says she is sorry they couldn't contact Bug's uncle. Bug says it's alright, noting that there isn't much else to add. Moira asks what he wanted to hear from Roderick. Bug says he wants to know that he's happy and at peace. Moira says that might be the case either way. Bug gets emotional. Moira puts on a movie and Bug can barely pay attention, leaving abruptly after the movie ends.
Analysis
Grief is a significant theme in this middle portion of the book. Bug continues to suffer from the loss of his uncle. He notes that now the comfort and joy he got from spending time with him is now absent. Additionally, he begins to reflect more on Roderick's life and realizes, when he finds Roderick's yearbook in his dresser drawer, that Roderick is the spirit trying to contact him. These moments show both how wounding this loss has been for him and how he feels his absence all the more acutely in these otherwise trying times. He feels uncertain about becoming an adult and is anxious about his mother coping with the decline of her business.
These chapters show how grief is often at its height when the characters experience something that reminds them of what their loved ones used to do or say.
Family is another important theme in this section. Bug has a close relationship with his mother, but withholds a lot of information from her during this period of time. He is very aware of his mother's difficulties with her business and also gets the sense that she can't handle any additional stress. For this reason, Bug doesn't tell her about the strange supernatural experiences he's been having around the house, his nightmares, or his discomfort about his appearance. Occasionally he comes close to opening up, like when his mom comes home from dinner, but decides not to because he thinks his mom is in crisis. This is hard on him because this is all happening when he needs support the most, particularly from an adult who understands more about the world than he does. These moments emphasize how important family relationships are, while also showing how strong, healthy bonds can languish under too much adversity.
Friendship is also a major thematic element in these chapters. While Bug talks about his occasional frustrations with Moira, he also shows how thoughtful Moira can be. Moira helps him use the Ouija board and then tries to be sympathetic when Bug is disappointed with the lack of a response. Moira invites Bug over to her house and tries to tell him that his uncle might be at peace regardless of whether or not he can tell him that directly. She also reiterates how sorry she is and says that Bug can talk to her whenever he needs to. These moments show both how consoling this friendship can be but also how it is limited by Moira's naivete about life and lack of understanding about Bug's struggles.
Gender is also a theme in this section of the book, as Bug continues to feel unsettled. In his various nightmares, Bug is oppressed by some aspect of feminine appearance. In one, he is suffocated by scratchy dresses, which is a clear sign about how he dislikes the various dresses he has had to wear in the past few weeks. By highlighting Bug's anxiety about his body, Lukoff is able to effectively show how he does not feel comfortable with being a girl. He is afraid of his body, as it feels wrong to him, but cannot exactly articulate why.
