The Insiders: Chapters 11–21

by Mark Oshiro
While adjusting to a new life in a small town and getting bullied for being gay, Héctor stumbles upon a magic room that connects him to new friends and adventure.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–21, Chapters 22–33, Chapter 34–Epilogue
35 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ensue
    take place or happen afterward or as a result
    Tim: there’s always time for gossip, soph! spill spill spill!
    A short burst of a conversation ensued.
  2. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    He trudged sleepily toward homeroom.
  3. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Exasperated, he turned back around.
  4. blasphemy
    the act of depriving something of its sacred character
    And Héctor had to laugh, because that meant he could act out his own personal blasphemy without anyone judging him: using horchata instead of milk in his cereal.
  5. bout
    a period of indeterminate length marked by some condition
    “Perdóneme,” he said, and then fell into a bout of laughter. Who was he apologizing to? There wasn’t anyone here.
  6. imperceptible
    impossible or difficult to sense
    There was a sound—soft, swift, almost imperceptible—and he looked back.
  7. culinary
    of or relating to or used in cooking
    “Just planning my extremely popular culinary dynasty,” he said.
  8. enterprise
    an organization created for business ventures
    This was supposed to be a magical weekend, the start of his tamale enterprise, and here he was, worrying about Mike and the magical closet and the Misfits.
  9. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    Students rushed by to make it to their next classroom, talking to one another, and apparently completely oblivious to the presence of Héctor and Juliana.
  10. drone
    talk in a monotonous voice
    Every time a teacher’s voice droned on, his mind drifted.
  11. faze
    disturb the composure of
    When lunch rolled around, even the sad-looking chicken sandwich, discolored broccoli, and plastic-wrapped cookie did not faze Héctor.
  12. tendency
    an inclination to do something
    Because of this disastrous delay, Héctor only had a few minutes to make this work before his papi arrived to pick him up. Thankfully, Papi had a tendency to be late.
  13. overwhelming
    very intense
    So Héctor sped through the hallways, but immediately crashed into his own overwhelming sense of doubt.
  14. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    She tentatively took a sip. He watched her roll the flavor around her tongue, and then she tipped her head to the side.
  15. beckon
    appear inviting
    He approached the door slowly, then ran his hands over the wood. It felt solid under his fingers. When he opened it, Orangevale Middle School beckoned to him.
  16. peal
    a deep prolonged sound
    “Did you get me my own helicopter?”
    “Close,” she said, and then she let loose a peal of laughter.
  17. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    Héctor glanced up, quietly seething at his luck.
  18. astride
    with one leg on each side
    And looked straight into the face of Mike astride a black mountain bike.
  19. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Does he live in this neighborhood, too? he wondered, distraught.
  20. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    He pressed the button to close the garage, and soon, he was shrouded in darkness.
  21. pore
    direct one's attention on something
    Mami hadn’t heard him come in; she was poring over some papers at the table, her back to him.
  22. croon
    sing softly
    “What’s up, Heck-tor?” he crooned, wagging his head from side to side as Héctor approached.
  23. flair
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    Héctor put a hand to his heart to add a flair of drama.
  24. pronoun
    a function word that is used in place of a noun
    “So what are your pronouns?”
  25. forthcoming
    easygoing and open when speaking or sharing information
    He had secrets of his own, and he wasn’t exactly forthcoming about them.
  26. funky
    stylish and modern in an unconventional way
    “That little bag is just so funky and perfect. How do they fill it up? It’s magic, right?”
  27. stifle
    smother or suppress
    “So, were you confused by Capri Suns, too, Héctor?” asked Jackson, trying to stifle a laugh.
  28. inevitable
    an unavoidable event
    Héctor looked slowly behind him. Saw students at multiple tables—the sports kids, the cheerleaders, the band geeks—staring his way, all waiting for the inevitable.
  29. improvisation
    a performance given without planning or preparation
    Improvisation was his thing. So why was that the best he could come up with?
  30. impart
    transmit, as knowledge or a skill
    “You know what?” Mike stood up, then placed his hand on Héctor’s shoulder, as if he was a friend, as if he was about to impart some sort of wisdom.
  31. impulse
    a sudden desire
    Héctor didn’t know why he gave into this impulse, but he turned sharply to look at Carmen.
  32. cliche
    an unoriginal or predictable theme, situation, or person
    He spun himself in the other direction and started running, ignoring her calling after him, until he saw the boys’ bathroom in the next hallway, and he pushed his way through the door, certain he could hide out in a stall. Like a cliché.
  33. sconce
    a decorative wall bracket for holding candles or lights
    There were candles flickering in sconces on the wall, and multiple armchairs, all lined with something that looked like velvet, were tucked into nooks and spaces between the shelves.
  34. epiphany
    a usually sudden insight, perception, or understanding of something
    “Well, I’m not really alone anymore.”
    A fondness spread in Héctor’s chest. He was having the same epiphany.
  35. prominent
    conspicuous in position or importance
    There, prominently mounted near pieces from other students, was a drawing he had done.
Created on Tue Jan 25 11:33:34 EST 2022 (updated Mon Jan 31 09:56:43 EST 2022)

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