Blubber

Jill and Kenny end up at the same table as Linda. Jill warns Linda that their sitting together doesn’t mean anything has changed. She tells Linda that she knows what Linda did, threatening to tell Wendy about it. Linda doesn’t know what Jill is talking about. 

The waitresses begin to bring out the food. Jill picks at some melon in the pineapple boat but otherwise doesn’t like the rest of the fruit. She gives Kenny her portions. Next is the soup, which has vegetables, so Jill eats very little of that, giving the rest to Kenny. 

Kenny and Linda strike up a conversation about ESP and reincarnation. They both believe in those things and talk about what their past lives could have been. Jill mutters that Linda was a smelly whale. Linda says she’ll tell on Jill if Jill calls her that name today. Jill wants to ask Linda if Mr. Machinist found out about her and Tracy through ESP, but Kenny is telling jokes to Linda. The two are laughing and getting along well. 

Jill rejects the main course because it’s vegetables and rare meat, which grosses her out. Jill wonders how she can eat her sandwich without anyone seeing. Linda asks Jill if she eats anything. Kenny replies that Jill just eats peanut butter. Linda replies that that’s why Jill looks like a skeleton. Jill rebuts that she’d “rather be a skeleton than a whale” (133). Kenny disagrees, adding that whales are lovable, but “skeletons are just dead, bony things” (133). Kenny asks Linda if she wants to share Jill’s dinner, but Linda declines. Jill gets defensive, saying she hadn’t offered her dinner to anyone. Kenny and Linda insist Jill shouldn’t waste food. When Linda mentions starving people in the world, Jill responds that Linda isn’t one of them. Jill relents and gives Kenny her food. 

Jill retreats to the bathroom, locks herself in a stall, and eats her peanut butter sandwich. When she comes out, Kenny is chatting with one of Warren’s friends from a different table. Warren’s friend jokes that this is probably the biggest party Kenny has ever been to. Kenny rebuts with a fact about the biggest party ever held. The friend tries again to mess with Kenny, joking that he must have been there. Kenny laughs it off, relaying more information about the party. 

When the cake is rolled out, an announcer introduces people one by one to light the candles, talking about the significance of each person. Jill tells Linda she can’t have the cake because she’s on a diet. Linda replies that her mom told her to indulge since it’s a special occasion. After several people light candles, Linda and Jill are asked to come light the final candle to signify the bringing together of old family friends. Jill and Linda are surprised, but they approach the cake and participate. 

On the way home, Kenny talks about how much he likes Linda. Jill tells her mom that she has a rash from the itchy dress. 

On their way to Mr. Machinist’s house, Jill tells Tracy about seeing Linda at Warren’s bar mitzvah. Jill says she’s sure Linda was the one who told on them. Tracy asks if Jill asked her. Jill says she hinted at it, but Linda denied it. Tracy expresses skepticism, wondering why Linda didn’t tell on Wendy and Caroline too. Jill reminds Tracy that they weren’t in the photo. 

Mr. Machinist waits outside for them. The girls recite a rehearsed apology. Mr. Machinist shows them where the rakes, garbage bags, and leaves are, then goes inside. Tracy speculates that he wears a wig and talks about how he has funny eyes. 

The girls work all morning. Jill’s mom drops off lunch for them around noon. Shortly after, both girls need to use the restroom, but neither wants to knock on the door and ask Mr. Machinist. Tracy squats down and pees in the yard, emboldening Jill to do the same. Several hours later, around three, Tracy’s mom brings them juice and cookies. Jill shows Tracy’s mom her blistered hands. Tracy’s mom gives her ointment and bandages. At five, Jill’s dad comes to pick them up. He knocks on the door to inform Mr. Machinist that the girls are done, and he’s taking them home. Mr. Machinist is rude, calling them brats. Jill’s dad disagrees, but Mr. Machinist slams the door in his face. Jill’s dad agrees with the girls that Mr. Machinist is rude. 

Jill takes a bath when she gets home. She is exhausted from the day’s work. Mom brings home Great Maudie, who arrives with two suitcases. Jill and Kenny think the second suitcase is full of gifts, but it contains health food instead. Great Maudie is on a health food and vitamin kick. Jill thinks it will be fun having Great Maudie around, but she changes her mind on Monday morning when she discovers Great Maudie has replaced all their food with healthy food. Jill worries she’ll starve. 

On the bus, Jill tells Wendy about having to work for Mr. Machinist. Wendy and Caroline express surprise at Linda’s guts for telling on Jill and Tracy. Wendy promises that they’ll get Linda for this. Tracy says she doesn’t want to be involved because she promised her mom she’d stay out of trouble. Wendy says it’s not trouble, but Tracy is adamant about staying out of it. Tracy adds that they can’t prove it was Linda anyway, causing Wendy to ask who else would tell. Tracy stays quiet and looks away. Wendy gets mad, thinking Tracy is accusing her and Caroline. Jill asks Tracy if that’s what she’s doing, but Tracy refuses to comment. Jill wonders aloud if there’s any way they can know for sure. Wendy and Caroline take a threatening tone with Jill. Jill then says they should have a trial with a judge and jury to determine whether Linda is guilty. Wendy says she’ll be the judge because she’s “a very fair person” (149). 

By the time they get to school, they’ve decided that Wendy will be the judge, Caroline and several other classmates who participated in Linda’s bullying would be the jury, and Jill would be the lawyer. Jill asks Tracy what she thinks as they walk into school. Tracy says she thinks Jill is scared of Wendy. 

They plan to hold the trial at lunch, but Linda is absent that day and Tuesday. Wendy says it’s because Linda is scared. Linda shows up late on Wednesday, apologizing because her mom’s car wouldn’t start. Mrs. Minish asks if Linda missed the bus. Linda replies that she isn’t taking the bus anymore, confirming to Jill that she really is scared and must have been the one who told. 

Wendy spreads the word that they’ll have the trial at lunch that day. When Mrs. Minish leaves the room, the class waits until the lunch teacher has passed their room to begin the trial. Wendy announces, “The trial of Blubber will begin” (151). Linda, who was drawing, looks up, surprised. She says she doesn’t want to play that game. Wendy insists it isn’t a game and publicly accuses Linda of telling Mr. Machinist about Jill and Tracy. Linda denies it. Wendy steals Linda’s drawing and tears it up, insisting Linda is lying. 

Linda tries to run out of the room, but two boys grab her. Under Wendy’s direction, they lock Linda in the supply closet. Wendy calls Linda several names, including a tattletale, and asks how she pleads. Linda begs to be let out. Wendy asks again, and Linda says she’s not guilty. 

Wendy tells the class that she thinks Linda is guilty but will hear the evidence from Jill, the class lawyer. Rochelle, a girl who hardly speaks, chimes in, asking who will be Linda’s lawyer. Wendy says Linda doesn’t get a lawyer. Rochelle argues that fair trials have two lawyers. Wendy tells Rochelle to stay out of it, but Jill agrees with Rochelle. Linda begs for a lawyer. Jill stands up to Wendy, saying the trial was her idea and she wants to do it right. Wendy tells Jill she’s ruining everything and becoming a coward like Tracy, calling Tracy a racial slur. Jill asks if Rochelle wants to be Linda’s lawyer, and Rochelle agrees. Wendy stops Rochelle and announces that nobody better forget that she’s running the show. 

Jill thinks about the events leading up to this, how Tracy said Jill was scared, how Jill felt relieved when Wendy liked her trial idea, and how she felt it was important that Linda got a lawyer. Jill stands up to Wendy, saying she’s “sick of [Wendy] bossing everyone around” (156). Wendy says no lawyer, so Jill responds that there will be no trial. Jill quickly lets Linda out of the supply closet. Wendy vows to make Jill sorry. 

After school, Jill helps Tracy clean the chicken coop. She tells Tracy that she will not hang out with Wendy anymore because “she acts like she owns the whole world” (157). Tracy agrees. They relax together in silence, holding and petting the chickens. Jill finally asks if Tracy believes it was Linda who told. Tracy says she doesn’t know but suggests it could have been Wendy or Caroline as well. They realize they probably won’t find out the truth.