If Only Chapter 10 Summary

Twists and Turns

  • Corinna's really annoyed that the other kids at school have such easy lives while her dad can't even get it together to buy bread. He's having a lot of trouble with this grocery thing.
  • When she snaps at a kid named Franklin in the hallway just for being happy, she gets called to the counselor's office.
  • Mrs. DuBoise says it must be hard that the other kids don't know what she's going through. She also tells Corinna she's thinking of starting a support group for kids who have lost parents.
  • While Corinna's surprised to learn that there are others besides her and Clare, she's not interested in a group.
  • Still, she doesn't protest when Mrs. DuBoise promises to let her know when the group starts.
  • Tuesday afternoon, soccer practice is canceled for rain, and Corinna's dad has an after-school meeting, so Corinna goes home with Joci.
  • Joci has a new jewelry organizer, and Corinna can't believe what's hanging on it: a bracelet just like the one she lost last year.
  • Her mom gave it to her, and she's been looking everywhere for it.
  • Joci says she doesn't know where it came from, but tells Corinna she can have it.
  • After leaving Joci's house, Corinna calls her mom's voice mail and leaves a message about the bracelet.
  • Then she goes home and cries. She remembers how Joci told everyone her mom was sick, after Corinna made her promise not to.
  • Corinna gets a call from Olivia inviting her to a movie star sleepover. Corinna says she can come for the evening, but she can't spend the night, because she and her dad have plans early the next morning.
  • They don't, but somebody's got to keep an eye on him. Corinna's dad's a wreck, and she feels sorry for him because the other adults pretty much ignore him at the soccer games now—they don't seem to know what to say to him now that he's sad and skinny and alone.