Red Flags and Butterflies: Chapters 23–31

by Sheryl Azzam
Tenth-grader Lexie is applying to a fine arts high school, but her unsupportive father and a confusing new relationship leave her searching for a way to make everyone else happy at the cost of her own dreams.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–16, Chapters 17–22, Chapters 23–31, Chapters 32–41
15 words 7 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    “Your father’s conditioned you to feel selfish for wanting to do anything other than serve his needs, so that you feel guilty for wanting to become the person you want to be for yourself, and while I applaud you for trying to find and correct your faults, it’s your need to do so that he exploits.”
  2. elusive
    skillful at evading capture
    I do my best to let go of the elusive dusting of guilt that threatens the peace I’ve made with myself.
  3. solitude
    the state or situation of being alone
    The humid, chlorine-tainted air warms me, and is a welcome reminder of the solitude I’ve been pining for.
  4. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    Zara’s standing behind me, her normally perfect hair piled on top of her head in a loose knot, small tendrils frizzing out along her hairline.
  5. accusatory
    containing or expressing blame
    I can’t bear the accusatory look on his face.
  6. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    Dad’s barrage of texts started within a day of me having my phone back, but he doesn’t mention Mav, not even once.
  7. tumultuous
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
    Mom and I both try hard to pretend that things are normal, that nothing’s wrong, like we’re swimming in a tranquil lake, the sunlight rolling over the gentle ripples in the water, rather than fighting to stay afloat in a tumultuous ocean, while its massive waves crash over us, steal our breath, pull us under.
  8. devoid
    completely wanting or lacking
    I feel like there’s a part of me that’s hollow, like I’m dried up, like Mr. Harris’s plant that just continues to refuse all of my efforts to make it whole again. Like a lake devoid of water.
  9. negate
    make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of
    I sleep in his bed, hoping the weight of his blankets negates some of the weight of his absence, and I spend hours and hours trying to figure out a way to fix things without giving up all the pieces of myself I’ve worked so hard for.
  10. infantile
    indicating a lack of maturity
    Ignoring people is infantile behavior.
  11. snide
    expressive of contempt
    I’m sure he’ll have a snide comment about me not knowing the days of the week, but I know he’ll be pleased to see me, even if he won’t come out and say it.
  12. redolent
    having a strong pleasant odor
    As I round the corner, the redolent odor of fresh paint replaces the heavy stale smell that permeates the rest of the building, and I curse when I see that, once again, Mr. Harris’s plant is in the hallway outside his door.
  13. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    As I round the corner, the redolent odor of fresh paint replaces the heavy stale smell that permeates the rest of the building, and I curse when I see that, once again, Mr. Harris’s plant is in the hallway outside his door.
  14. percolate
    permeate or penetrate gradually
    She pauses, lets her words percolate.
  15. skitter
    move or skip quickly across a surface
    Squirrels skitter at each other outside the open window, and squeals of “You’re it!” from kids visiting with their parents swallow the silence.
Created on Wed Feb 25 08:35:48 EST 2026 (updated Fri Mar 20 17:26:44 EDT 2026)

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