Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet: Chapters 23–31

by Laekan Zea Kemp
Teenagers Penelope and Xander navigate first love and family matters while working at Penelope's father's restaurant.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–22, Chapters 23–31
30 words 78 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    I expect them to run and hide but instead they stare, the younger one taking a tentative step closer.
  2. afflict
    cause great unhappiness for
    When I arrive at El Pequeño Toro, not a single trace of sugar left on my tongue, I’m immediately afflicted by the same permanent scowl that every other employee has mastered in an attempt to scare away customers.
  3. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Claudia stops, the disdain that’s usually on her face replaced by something softer, something that makes both of us uncomfortable.
  4. manifestation
    an indication of the existence of some person or thing
    It’s in my own head, El Pequeño Toro just a manifestation of the fears I wrestle with every single day.
  5. lucrative
    producing a sizeable profit
    “While it’s admirable that you prefer to use your skills helping little old ladies bake for charity, I think you’re missing out on a lucrative business opportunity.”
  6. pine
    have a desire for something or someone who is not present
    People from my neighborhood don’t take risks. We have dreams, sure. But the numerous threats involved in their pursuit keeps us from pining for things beyond our reach.
  7. spruce
    make neat, smart, or trim
    “But, actually, I was thinking of sprucing it up, maybe using it for traveling.”
  8. objectively
    in a manner not influenced by emotion
    “Now, I want you to very slowly and very objectively taste each one. I need to know which ones are worth putting on the menu.”
  9. palate
    the surface of the mouth separating oral and nasal cavities
    I hand her a glass of water. “Can you at least cleanse your palate first?”
  10. corral
    collect or gather
    I picture Pen’s face in the order window, the smell of coconut wafting from the opening, the scent corralling people on the street.
  11. shoddy
    of inferior workmanship and materials
    When some of the electrical was shoddy, Angel called up the handyman who fixed the power at the restaurant after Aarón Medrano electrocuted himself.
  12. unscathed
    not injured
    I’ve come out unscathed only because I’m used to having eyes in the back of my head.
  13. fervent
    characterized by intense emotion
    She reaches for me with the same fervency that she did the night I showed her my scars up close. Only now it’s her fears on display.
  14. splice
    join together so as to form new genetic combinations
    I stare into the side mirror, my reflection spliced with the logo on the side of the truck.
  15. treacherous
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    I feel like the captain of a small ship—instinct driving me against the current. But I’ve been swimming upstream my entire life and I know how to navigate treacherous waters.
  16. wrangle
    herd or round up
    “Okay, form a line, please.” Chloe tries to wrangle the crowd like she does on a busy night at Nacho’s.
  17. inevitability
    the quality of being unavoidable
    My hands sweat; a confrontation with the neighborhood bogeyman seems like not just a possibility but an inevitability.
  18. staple
    a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
    I want to remind him that free meals are a staple at Nacho’s Tacos and that he’s been running his “business” like that for years.
  19. apathetic
    showing little or no emotion or animation
    As everyone circles around Miguel and Sang, Aarón appears on the stoop, as apathetic as ever.
  20. retaliate
    make a counterattack and return like for like
    “Prank victims may retaliate using physical force.”
  21. oblige
    provide a service or favor for someone
    “First up, the award for best blast from the past (literally). Drumroll, please...”
    The crowd obliges.
  22. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    Sang stands, ashen, before bolting for the door.
  23. rancid
    having an offensive smell or taste
    Lucas runs through five more awards: most dangerous, best use of rancid meat, most disgusting visuals, worst side effects: smell, worst side effects: taste.
  24. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    Lucas pumps his fist, riling everyone up as hoots and hollers mix with the deafening drumroll.
  25. unperturbed
    free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
    Lucas kneels in the dark, unperturbed.
  26. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    My right arm is covered in gauze and I can feel it taut beneath my gown.
  27. resilience
    the ability to recover readily from adversity or change
    “But surviving in spite of all he’s tried to tear down, that’s a victory. It has to be. Resiliency is its own reward, and it’s something no one can take from us.”
  28. weathered
    worn by exposure to the elements
    This man is weathered and graying and someone else’s father.
  29. legacy
    anything handed down by someone or something in the past
    He’s talking about our father’s legacy.
  30. suture
    join with a seam used in surgery
    I can see it: the lights strung between the two buildings, people spilling in and out, my father just a few feet away, the music and laughter suturing us together.
Created on Sat Sep 17 14:46:07 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Oct 18 11:25:20 EDT 2022)

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