Shut Up, This Is Serious: Chapters 25-28

by Carolina Ixta
In this novel, high school senior Belén deals with panic attacks in the wake of her father leaving while she tries to help her pregnant best friend Leti prepare to be a mother.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapter 1-3, Chapter 4-6, Chapter 7-9, Chapter 10-13, Chapter 14-17, Chapter 18-20, Chapter 21-24, Chapter 25-28, Chapter 29-32, Chapter 33-37
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. context
    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation
    It’s the first time I feel connected to Leti in the context of her family, even through the thick of differences.
  2. entwine
    tie or link together
    It’s the first time I feel entwined to her so intimately.
  3. bicker
    argue over petty things
    We’ve bickered before and gotten into small fights, but she’s never raised her voice like this.
  4. jab
    a quick short straight punch
    I glance down at my sneakers, feeling the palpable jab of air punching between my ribs.
  5. scapegoat
    someone who is punished for the errors of others
    In all the times that Ava told me that my temper was like my pa’s, I imagined her words shapeshifting to form a scapegoat.
  6. vanish
    become invisible or unnoticeable
    I glance through the blinds and watch her wide, round stomach vanish completely into the distance.
  7. comeback
    a quick reply to a question or remark
    I move into a cycle: think of a better comeback, feel sad, think of something sharper to say, feel sadder.
  8. fray
    wear away by rubbing
    I turn it my way, studying the red-and-yellow checkered bottom fraying along the hem.
  9. deprivation
    a state of extreme poverty
    All the security that could have rescued her from the embarrassment of deprivation being spent on the deposit for his new apartment.
  10. extremity
    the greatest or utmost degree
    I imagine an elastic band pulling within my body, stretching in its extremity, until it snaps, releasing a weight that pounds against my ribs.
  11. salve
    anything that remedies, heals, or soothes
    As soon as the words fly out of my mouth, relief spreads through my skin, something similar to a salve.
  12. alleviation
    the feeling that comes when something unpleasant is removed
    My lips move before my brain has time to settle them, my body chasing after any alleviation.
  13. ferocity
    the property of being aggressive or forceful
    His face is illuminated by the light of day, sweat beading against his forehead, eyes squinted with ferocity.
  14. disfigured
    having a spoiled appearance
    I lace up my sneakers, the last thing I need to get out of here, and stand and look at my reflection in the mirror, my body disfigured in the waves of the cheap glass.
  15. curt
    speaking in a terse, rude, or abrupt way
    His tone is curt.
  16. spiel
    artful or slick talk used to persuade
    I wait for him to go into the spiel about the song playing, like always.
  17. backfire
    return with an undesired effect
    She keeps telling me that it’s been so hard for her to get on her feet, she doesn’t want me to take any shortcuts that might backfire later.
  18. blatantly
    in a completely obvious manner
    It seems so blatantly unfair.
  19. precedence
    status established in order of importance or urgency
    Comforted by someone who chooses not to care about what takes precedence.
  20. scrutiny
    the act of examining something closely, as for mistakes
    Forcing us into scrutiny, into loss, into work.
  21. divot
    a small dent, hollow, or depression in a surface
    Each divot in the concrete is the open palm of an intersection, and I still have nowhere to go.
  22. cram
    crowd or pack to capacity
    I try to imagine like I had with Leti, but my pa is crammed into every corner of my thoughts.
  23. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    I spread my fingers and shake my hands, feeling air thrash between the webs of my skin, but they remain damp.
  24. unavoidable
    impossible to evade
    Home, and its emptiness, is unavoidable.
  25. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I try to stifle it, but more come.
Created on Tue Apr 22 06:52:29 EDT 2025 (updated Fri Apr 25 18:05:49 EDT 2025)

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