Five Feet Apart: Chapters 7–15

by Rachael Lippincott
Two teens with cystic fibrosis fall in love, although the disease prevents them from getting physically close to each other.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–6, Chapters 7–15, Chapters 16–31
35 words 132 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. advocate
    speak, plead, or argue in favor of
    I knew that one would be tricky, especially because Will and Barb are clearly not on the best of terms, so she wouldn’t advocate for him, but he went above her head and managed to charm Dr. Hamid.
  2. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    I double-check his laptop to see how much longer for the download to be complete from the link I sent him, trying not to breathe more than I have to in this B. cepacia-laden room.
  3. contentment
    happiness with one's situation in life
    I eye the med cart, breathing a sigh of contentment over how meticulously organized it is.
  4. meticulously
    in a manner marked by extreme care of details
    I eye the med cart, breathing a sigh of contentment over how meticulously organized it is.
  5. ramble
    continue talking or writing in a purposeless manner
    Barb smiles at him as he starts rambling on about pears flambé with some kind of reduction.
  6. spat
    a quarrel about petty points
    My phone vibrates and I pick it up to see a text from Will.
    Lovers’ spat?
  7. intervention
    the act of getting involved
    I eat dinner and draw and watch YouTube videos, just like I used to do to kill time pre-Stella’s intervention, but it all feels extra boring now.
  8. dingy
    gloomy or depressing
    Before that the gym here had been an old, dingy room, with a handful of mismatched dumbbells and decaying equipment that looked like it was made about a year after the wheel had been invented.
  9. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    I watch him, his deep-blue eyes focused on the paper, his dark eyebrows furrowing as he concentrates.
  10. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    As I walk around the nurses’ station, I notice Barb dozing off in a chair, her head lolling to one side, her mouth slightly open.
  11. scrawl
    write carelessly
    Laughing to myself, I take a manila envelope that I stole from the nurses’ station, slide the drawing inside, and scrawl on the outside: “Inside, you’ll find my heart and soul. Be kind.”
  12. profound
    showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
    I walk down the hall to her room, picturing her opening the envelope, expecting something profound and deep.
  13. subversive
    in opposition to an established system or government
    “They’re subversive, you know? They can look light and fun on the outside, but they have punch.”
  14. beeline
    the most direct route
    Storming down the hallway, I make a beeline for her door, ready to give her a piece of my mind.
  15. gush
    praise enthusiastically
    “You’ve started doing your treatments again? Will. That’s awesome,” Hope gushes.
  16. delicacy
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    Finally she swallows, shaking her head. “Real nice, Will. About as delicate as a jackhammer.”
    “Who has time for delicacy, Stella? We clearly don't—”
  17. blindside
    catch unawares, especially with harmful consequences
    Then I was blindsided.
  18. ward
    block forming a division of a hospital shared by patients
    “It’s impressive, for sure,” my mom said, while I watched Abby trot away down the brightly colored hallway of the children’s ward, disappearing around a corner.
  19. livid
    furiously angry
    I try to focus on the fish tank or the TV or the refrigerator humming in the corner, but I’m still livid over my fight with Will.
  20. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    “You knew he had boundary issues,” Poe says from behind me, watching me intently from the edge of the love seat.
  21. excoriate
    tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading
    “We need to take care of this. It’s too far gone. We have to excoriate the skin and replace your G-tube to purge the infection.”
  22. purge
    rid of impurities
    “We need to take care of this. It’s too far gone. We have to excoriate the skin and replace your G-tube to purge the infection.”
  23. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    “No envíe dinero, no puede pagarlo,” the voice says, the tone somber, sad.
  24. pulpit
    a platform raised to give prominence to the person on it
    He sighs, fixing his eyes on the large wooden cross sitting behind the pulpit, and I remember what I overheard.
  25. resound
    ring or echo with noise
    Anything? Jason texts me, which doesn’t help, since the answer is a resounding no.
  26. suppress
    control and refrain from showing
    Taking a deep breath, I suppress a cough, while my dad tries to make some small talk.
  27. obsess
    be preoccupied with something
    All of my obsessing over my regimen for nothing.
  28. earnest
    devout or heartfelt
    “It’s your first surgery without Abby,” he says in explanation, a new expression I don’t quite recognize filling his blue eyes. It’s not mocking or jokey, it’s totally and completely open. Almost earnest.
  29. blubber
    utter while crying
    “Go away. I’m being stupid,” I blubber as I wipe the tears away with the back of my hand, shaking my head.
  30. muddle
    mix up or confuse
    The humming stops and I hear a voice, far-off and muddled.
  31. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    I pull the ribbon, and the box unfurls into a handmade, colorful, pop-up bouquet of flowers, the same purple lilacs and pink hydrangeas and white wildflowers as in Abby’s drawing suddenly brought to life.
  32. atrium
    the central area in a building, open to the sky
    I blush, shaking my head as I send a quick text to him, telling him to meet me in the atrium in ten minutes.
  33. heave
    rise and move up and down, as in waves
    “Will,” I gasp, my chest heaving. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
  34. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    “Maybe it’s better this way,” a voice says from behind me.
    I turn around to see Poe, still standing there, his eyes sad but his voice resolute.
  35. cordial
    politely warm and friendly
    My parents come to visit, separately, and then together again on a Wednesday afternoon, and they’re being, if not friendly, at least cordial to each other.
Created on Mon Mar 04 13:56:38 EST 2019 (updated Mon Mar 04 15:31:50 EST 2019)

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