How It All Goes Down
- After leaving the café, Kathy, Ruth, Tommy, Chrissie, and Rodney head into a Woolworth's shop. Then they search for the office building where Chrissie and Rodney saw Ruth's possible.
- When they find it, the gang is amazed. The office building looks just like the one they saw in a magazine and the people at the desks inside all look happy. Working in an office seems totally glamorous.
- Rodney points out Ruth's possible. She's a fifty-something lady who is talking with a coworker. As she laughs, Kathy realizes that there was "more than a hint of Ruth about" her (14.22). We're starting to wonder how Ruth feels upon seeing a possible version of herself living her dream life. Probably not very good.
- After awhile, the gang realizes they're being watched by others inside the office. When one person waves to them, they freak out and run away.
- Everyone except Ruth is stoked about how similar Ruth is to her possible. And the fact that she works in a cool office building is a bonus. But Ruth isn't as visibly excited as the rest. Kathy's having a tough time reading her friend's emotional state, so we're still left wondering how Ruth feels.
- They decide to wait around for a bit, and then go check out Ruth's possible again. But before they can go back, Tommy spots Ruth's possible leaving the building. The group follows this lady all the way to a little art gallery—creepy much? And it's pretty lucky they aren't seen since they're not exactly the savviest stalkers.
- The gang follows Ruth's possible into the gallery and pretends to be interested only in the paintings.
- Now that they're in the gallery and up close and personal with Ruth's possible, each of them has a sad realization: this lady isn't really similar to Ruth at all.
- Once they've left the gallery, Ruth declares that she's known all along this woman couldn't have been her possible. If they want to find their originals, they shouldn't look in nice office buildings. Instead, they should "look in the gutter" (14.61).
- Kathy tries to stop Ruth from talking like this, but Ruth insists that they are cloned from the riffraff of society.
- This whole discussion upsets Kathy. So when Chrissie and Rodney head off to visit a friend of theirs who lives in Norfolk, Kathy stays behind.
- Ruth and Tommy are forced to pick teams. Ruth makes a big show of choosing the veterans, and Tommy sticks with Kathy.