Looking for Alaska

The rainstorm has now stopped and Miles is lying on the lawn reading a book about the American Civil War. Takumi joins him, and Miles says that he cannot believe the Weekday Warriors flooded Alaska’s room. Takumi, however, says that Alaska is famous for pranking, so, if the Weekday Warriors have a reason to seek payback, they will do so.

Takumi then asks Miles to go for a walk, and Miles is surprised when he says that the Smoking Hole may not be safe. Miles follows him through the woodland, and, after a while, Takumi sits down. He goes on to tell Miles that Alaska ratted on Marya, so she might have told the Eagle about the Smoking Hole. He says that Alaska was caught sneaking out to visit Jake one night and the Eagle offered her two choices: either pack her bags or reveal anything she knew about the other students’ illicit behavior. This prompted her to rat on Marya and Paul.

Takumi comments that Alaska was smart in away, as no one would suspect her of ratting on her own friends. This is why the Colonel is so sure that one of the Weekday Warriors was responsible. Takumi, however, figured out the truth and Alaska admitted it to him. Were the Colonel to find out, however, he would “go crazy and get her expelled. The Colonel takes all this honor and loyalty shit pretty seriously” (73).

One thing that puzzles Takumi is why Alaska is so scared of getting expelled. Miles replies that she obviously does not like going home, but Takumi says that he does not like going home either—he still would not rat on his friends.

Takumi then says that he does not know what prank Alaska and the Colonel are planning on the Weekday Warriors, but Miles needs to understand what he is getting himself into and be prepared to accept the consequences should he get caught. At this point, Miles thinks of how much he would hate to leave the Creek, but he swears that he will not rat. He now also understands what happened on the day of the Jury: Alaska had not ratted out Miles and Takumi for smoking, as she wanted to show them that they could trust her. By demonstrating her loyalty, Alaska was showing Miles the way so that he would know to do the same should the occasion arise. 

When Alaska is alone with Miles a week later, she says that she has knows Takumi told him about what happened with Marya. She apologizes and says that she will never rat on anybody again. Miles reflects that he unsure about whether or not he can trust her and that he is fed up with her unpredictability. He prefers the Colonel, who is more straightforward and dependable. In spite of this, he is still attracted to Alaska and intrigued by the “enduring mystery of her sly, almost smirking, smile” (75).

Jake has to study over Thanksgiving and does not want Alaska to visit. Alaska is therefore remaining at school during the holidays and encourages Miles to do likewise. She lists various reasons to convince him, but the idea of being alone with her on campus is appealing enough to Miles. He calls his parents, and his mother says that they are missing him and were looking forward to seeing him at Thanksgiving. Still, when he emphasizes what good friends he has made at Culver Creek, she gives him her blessing to stay on campus.

Miles spends the rest of the morning studying. There are two weeks of classes before exams but, so far, his only answer to “What happens to people after they die?” is “Well, something. Maybe” (78). His studies are interrupted when the Colonel arrives, saying that he has just seen Sara. She has told him that she still loves him, and hearing these words prompted him to make a swift getaway.

The Colonel says that he has heard about Miles staying on campus during Thanksgiving, and he believes that Miles wants to make a move on Alaska. Miles denies this out loud but admits to himself that there is some truth in it, and he feels bad about deserting his family. He calls his parents again and envisions that his mother will be emotional, yet she excitedly tells him that she and his father have booked tickets to England and plan to enjoy a second honeymoon.

After the call to his parents, Miles feels abandoned and homesick. He sits alone near the Smoking Hole but spots Alaska and calls to her. She joins him and, though she does not know the cause of his visible grief, says that she is sorry. He asks what he is going to do, and she says that he will stay on campus with her for Thanksgiving. When he asks why she is not going home, she replies, “I’m just scared of ghosts, Pudge. And home is full of them” (80).

The campus settles into an “eerie quiet” (80) during Thanksgiving, and Alaska leads Miles to the soccer field where she instructs him to dig up a bottle of wine that she has buried. She has brought a book with her, Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, and reads to him aloud as they lie on the field. She then puts the book down and places her hand on Miles’s leg, and he feels like telling her that he loves her. Before he can say anything, however, Alaska comments that the labyrinth is not life or death but rather suffering. He asks her what is wrong and she says that nothing is wrong; it is just that suffering is universal. Miles makes a joke about Dr. Hyde’s class not being “total bullshit” (82) as Alaska had claimed, and she smiles. Miles is about to speak again, but she shushes him and tells him not to ruin the moment.

Alaska wakes Miles the next morning and declares, “It’s party time!” (83). They make their way to the Weekday Warriors’ rooms and crawl through one of the windows. Alaska asks Miles what he sees, but she is annoyed by his poor deductive skills. She then sends him into the bathroom where he finds a bottle of hair gel. Getting the gist of her game, he says that the Weekday Warriors love their hair. Alaska says that this is the right answer and that they need to be hit where it hurts. She wonders how to obtain industrial-strength blue dye.