Punk 57

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying, antigay bias, illness, sexual content, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and cursing. 

Ryen rereads the final letter she received from Misha several months ago. Misha calls Ryen his favorite place, muses about the world, and hints at some tension with his father. Ryen has read this letter many times, searching for a reason why Misha stopped writing. Her life feels empty without his letters to look forward to. She has every one of his letters saved under her bed. She studies the words “ALONE,” “EMPTY,” and “FRAUD”—words that Masen has written on walls that Ryen has collected on her walls. Ryen likes that she got a rise out of Masen at the pool.

Ryen’s sister returns Ryen’s most recent letter to Misha, having retrieved it from the mailbox. She criticizes Ryen for continuing to write when it’s clear Misha isn’t writing back anymore. Ryen fantasizes about how Masen would react to this confrontation. Ryen worries that her sister is right, and Misha doesn’t care about her anymore. Ryen almost trashes the letter, but she puts it back in the mailbox, not ready to give up.

There are several new graffiti messages up at school, including one on the lawn that reveals Lyla’s tryst with an unnamed partner in the locker room.