Speak Chapter 42 Summary

Naming the Monster

Melinda spends the next week working on the posters for the Marthas' canned-food
drive. She works on them in her supply closet, where she feels comfortable.

Since Heather has a new modeling job, Melinda hangs the posters for her.

She feels good about this work. If the other kids see her hanging the posters, it could
be good for her badly damaged reputation.

Melinda is hanging a poster outside the metal shop room when the guy she refers to as
"IT" (2.2) sneaks up behind her and says "Freshmeat" (42.3) in her ear.

Of all the girls in school, IT is after her again.

His smell makes her nauseas. She panics, drops the tape and poster, and runs.

Now, she knows that IT remembers what he did to her.

Rent Round Three

The counselor gives Mom a call at work to let her know that Melinda's report card is
terrible. At dinner, Mom and Dad explode like volcanoes.

Mom and Dad ask Melinda lots of questions, like, "What's wrong with you?" (43.4).

Melinda says nothing. Why should she? They don't want her side of the story.

They ground her from just about everything.

She gets her home work done, shows it to them, then writes a note saying she's
running away.

Mom finds the note on Melinda's desk, and she finds Melinda sleeping in her
bedroom closet. She gives Melinda a pillow.

In the closet, Melinda unfolds a paperclip and uses it to scratch her wrist. She thinks,
"If a suicide note is a cry for help, then what is this? A whimper, a peep?" (43.6).

She uses the paperclip to draw lines on her wrist. Blood seeps out.

When Mom sees what Melinda did to her wrist, she says, "I don't have time for this,
Melinda" (43.8).
 Melinda doesn't respond. Mom tells her that "suicide is for cowards" (43.10).

Mom is into "tough love" now (43.8). She gives Melinda a book about it.

Mom is starting to see that Melinda isn't a big talker, which annoys her.

Speak Chapter 44 Summary

Can It
At lunchtime, Melinda knows Heather is having problems with the Marthas. She isn't
dressed like the other Marthas which means they didn't call her to tell her what to
wear.

Heather sits "at the fringe of the Martha table" (44.1). Melinda sits at another table,
but near Heather. Siobhan asks Heather why she contributed canned beets to the
canned-food drive.

Heather tells her that a neighbor donated the beets and since beets are foods people
eat, she contributed them to the drive.

Well, canned beets just aren't acceptable to the Marthas a beet is not a fashionable
food.

Next, Siobhan tells Heather that she hasn't collected nearly enough cans, and that the
posters she made for the canned-food drive are silly and bad. The drive is a failure and
it's Heather's fault.

Emily is finished with her lunch, and Heather gets up to clear her tray, without
defending Melinda's posters.

Siobhan is excited now. She tells Emily that Andy Evans is coming up to their table.

Melinda turns to see who they are talking about. They are talking about IT.

Now she knows ITs name.

Heather asks Emily and Siobhan if it's true that Andy is a bad guy.

Siobhan says that's just gossip. Emily says that the truth is that Andy's rich, good
looking, and maybe just a tad "dangerous" (44.18). Emily brags that Andy called her
last night.

Siobhan says that according to gossip, Andy "sleeps with anything" (44.19).
 The peanut butter from Melinda's sandwich glues her jaws together.

Emily says she doesn't believe the rumors.

And then Andy is at the table.

Everything gets blurry and dark for Melinda. She can't really hear what's going on
either.

Andy is playing with Melinda's hair. Emily looks upset about it.

Melinda runs to the bathroom, vomits and washes her face.

Heather doesn't come to see if Melinda is OK.

Speak Chapter 45 Summary

Dark Art
Mr. Freeman is in trouble. The school thinks he's been giving out too many As.

The giant canvas stands unfinished. Mr. Freeman is too depressed to work on it.

It's freezing cold in the room, but nobody wants to complain to Mr. Freeman.

Melinda is trying to carve a tree in linoleum. She accidentally cuts her thumb on the
linoleum knife. Mr. Freeman gives her a tissue and washes the knife with bleach.
Melinda shakes her head "no" when Mr. Freeman asks if she wants to see the nurse.

Before Mr. Freeman gives Melinda back the knife, he uses it to slash his canvas.

Everybody in the class is shocked.

The chapter ends with Melinda's report card. She gets Ds in Attitude and Social
Studies, an A in Art, a B in Biology, and Cs in everything else.

Speak Chapter 46 Summary

Death of the Wombat
Principal Principal announces that they are no longer the Merryweather Wombats.
Now, they are the Merryweather Hornets.

This is partly economic. The wombat mascot costume was going to be so expensive it
would take away money from the prom.
 Melinda doesn't think this new name is a good idea. She's allergic to hornets. They
make her skin break out and her throat swell.