I Wish You All the Best: Chapter 14–Epilogue

by Mason Deaver
After being thrown out of their parents' house, nonbinary teen Ben De Backer moves in with their sister and attempts to navigate their anxiety disorder and an intense new friendship.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–13, Chapter 14—Epilogue
30 words 103 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. headstrong
    habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
    I wish I could say she hasn’t changed in the ten years we’ve been apart. Still a little pushy without really meaning to be, still headstrong.
  2. existential
    relating to or dealing with the state of being
    I'm always up for some existential crises.
  3. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I try to stifle a laugh.
  4. methodical
    characterized by orderliness
    I should’ve just given it to her in the first place. She’s so methodical in how she does it, her hands so much steadier than I could’ve ever dreamed.
  5. progressive
    favoring or promoting modern or innovative ideas
    ...high schools are rarely the most progressive places on earth, and the ridicule would probably be endless.
  6. aversion
    a feeling of intense dislike
    Touch aversion can be common in people who deal with panic attacks, or people dealing with anxiety.
  7. inhibit
    limit, block, or decrease the action or function of
    “You’re young, Ben, and I understand the desire to fit in with those around you. But alcohol does tend to inhibit your thinking. You made a mistake, just try to be more careful in the future.”
  8. sensory
    relating to or concerned in sensation
    “The panic attack, do you think it might have been a sensory overload sort of thing?”
  9. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
    Now there’s no other school for me to transfer to, nowhere left for me to run. I’d be spending the next few months as a pariah.
  10. pine
    have a desire for something or someone who is not present
    What’s the point in pining so much?
  11. subdued
    quieted and brought under control
    He seems so subdued in an instant.
  12. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    “That sounds ominous,” he finally says.
  13. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    You're our child, and while we may not understand this part of you, your father and I would like to try and make amends.
  14. monstrosity
    something hideous or frightful
    “What is it?” I eye the monstrosity in Nathan’s hands. It’s wrapped mostly in masking tape, but I can see the cartoon faces of BB-8 and Oscar Isaac poking through in a few places.
  15. aback
    by surprise
    Mom looks taken aback for a second.
  16. finesse
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    “Depends on how you capture my curves and finesse.” He winks at me.
  17. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
    “That’s probably a normal response. To be honest, if you totally expected everyone to love everything you make, you’d probably be...super pretentious...”
  18. turnout
    attendance for a particular event or purpose
    “Oh, Ben, isn’t this amazing?” She hugs me again. “The turnout is better than I hoped!”
  19. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    I hear Mom whisper, “I do wish you were wearing a different shirt.” But I choose to ignore her. No point in getting them riled up.
  20. plumage
    the covering of feathers on a bird
    Did you know it's male peacocks who have all the colorful plumage?
  21. silver lining
    a positive aspect of a difficult situation
    If there was a silver lining in all of this, I suppose it was that.
  22. wallow
    devote oneself entirely to something
    It’s the end of the year, and while I’d love nothing more than to wallow in my own misery for the next month, the idea of repeating a year is not something I find appealing.
  23. mediate
    act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
    If she wasn’t here to mediate this whole thing, I think we might’ve started tearing each other’s hair out.
  24. nepotism
    favoritism shown to relatives or friends by those in power
    Chemistry will be the real kicker since Thomas can’t give me the exam. Something about nepotism, and it not being fair.
  25. incentive
    a positive motivational influence
    “There’s bowling.” Meleika says this like it adds some kind of incentive for me to get out of bed. “And skating.” Strike two. “And everyone’s going to be there.” Strike three.
  26. understatement
    something said in a restrained way for ironic contrast
    “Ben...” Hannah huffs. “I know this hasn’t been the easiest time for you.”
    Understatement of the freaking year.
  27. testament
    strong evidence for something
    “I think you’re a living testament to that. Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to at least try?”
  28. blubber
    cry or whine with snuffling
    He’s full-on crying now, and it’s making me cry more, and we’re both blubbering messes.
  29. enthrall
    hold spellbound
    Thomas just throws on Planet Earth, but it somehow manages to enthrall the entire class, except the part where the fungus infects the ant’s brain.
  30. lucrative
    producing a sizeable profit
    I don’t think it’ll be very lucrative to fly back and forth between California and North Carolina just for Meleika to do my nails.
Created on Fri Feb 28 16:19:26 EST 2020 (updated Fri Feb 28 16:41:25 EST 2020)

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