Keeping Pace: Chapters 27–34

by Laurie Morrison
In this novel, eighth grader Gracie gets beat by her former friend and rival at an important goal, and she decides to spend the summer after her middle school graduation training for a half-marathon to get back at him.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-7, Chapters 8-13, Chapters 14-19, Chapters 20-26, Chapters 27-34
15 words 19 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. barrel
    move headlong at high speed
    Two boys in matching Oakview High cross-country shirts barrel past me, and I’m so jealous of them I want to scream.
  2. accusation
    an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offense
    My question comes out sounding a little like an accusation, but no one seems to notice.
  3. adhesive
    a substance that unites or bonds surfaces together
    I stare at the two halves, which aren’t going to stick together without some kind of adhesive I don’t have.
  4. nemesis
    a personal foe or rival that cannot be easily defeated
    Because as much as I sometimes hated being Jonah’s academic nemesis, I’d rather that than nothing.
  5. scenario
    a postulated sequence of possible events
    I’m not going to prop my hopes up with swimming and cross-training to stay fit when there’s no guarantee my leg will heal enough for the half-marathon and the best-case scenario is going into the race underprepared.
  6. eat up
    use up (resources or materials)
    “I’m not leaving you alone until you come,” she says, and if nothing else, the bike ride will eat up empty hours, so I give in.
  7. understated
    exhibiting restraint, especially in regards to taste
    I follow Celia to the kitchen, where Mom and Brie are sitting across from each other at the table—Mom with her shoulder-length hair, understated silver jewelry, and navy-blue top with sleeves that reach her elbows, and Brie with her thin-strapped floral dress and wild, long hair.
  8. flaunt
    display proudly
    It felt like she was stealing time Dad should have spent with me and Celia, flaunting how close they were.
  9. urge
    a strong, restless desire
    I have a ridiculous urge to call Jonah.
  10. neutralize
    oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions
    “That might...neutralize some of the anger?”
  11. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    “I’ll miss having them around, that’s for sure.”
    He says this last part so casually, though.
  12. ambitious
    having a strong desire for success or achievement
    “You want me to be more ambitious? Great! Are you going to stay home from work next time one of them gets sick?”
  13. insightful
    exhibiting clear and deep perception
    “It’s excellent, Grace. Beautifully written, insightful. I’ll send you a few notes—little things. But for the most part I’d say it’s ready to submit.”
  14. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    A little tentative and awkward at first, and then not.
  15. megaphone
    a cone-shaped acoustic device to amplify the human voice
    Somebody with a megaphone announces that it’s time for runners to line up, so we head toward the starting line.
Created on Tue Dec 30 07:04:30 EST 2025 (updated Tue Feb 17 15:57:02 EST 2026)

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