Thirteen Reasons Why Chapter 17 Summary

The Next Day, After Mailing the Tapes

• Clay is later for school than he's ever been.
• He's late because he mailed the tapes to Jenny Kurtz, but also because he can't bear to see Mr. Porter and Hannah's empty desk.
• He gets to his locker and dials his combination.
• The headache he's had since he started listening to the tapes is worse now. All he can think about is Hannah.
• When he walks down the hall, he wonders how he'll react to the people at school, knowing what he knows now.
• As he walks by Mr. Porter's classroom, he sees Skye Miller (the girl from the bus on Cassette 3: Side A) in the hall.
• He keeps walking past Mr. Porter's classroom toward Skye.
• Clay feels a "flood of emotion" (17.45). He feels "Pain and anger. Sadness and pity. But most surprising of all, hope" (17.45).
• When he's just behind Skye, he says her name.
• Her name is the last word of the story. (See "What's Up With the Ending?" for more on this brilliant choice.)