Maybe He Just Likes You: List 3

by Barbara Dee
When Mila receives unwanted attention from boys in her class, she takes a self-defense class to learn how to stand up for herself.

This list covers “Trumpet” to “Bow.”

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
25 words 29 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jolt
    disturb (someone's) composure
    “Hey, Mila.”
    It shouldn’t have jolted me, but it did.
  2. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    And when I side-kicked him in the shin, Callum went sprawling, knocking over two chairs and three music stands on his way to the floor.
  3. frank
    characterized by directness in manner or speech
    “And frankly, Mila, even if Callum did grab your arm, kicking his leg was simply wrong. Not how we resolve things around here.”
  4. taunt
    harass with persistent criticism or carping
    The rest of that week at school, I kept looking over my shoulder, checking which boys were behind me. If they were walking too near me, or if their chairs were too close. If they were whispering or laughing at their phones. Or, even worse, taunting out loud.
  5. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    And even though I didn’t turn around, a bunch of boys started guffawing, anyway.
  6. contract
    become smaller or draw together
    So here we go again, I thought. Circle of Friendship. Expand, contract, expand, contract.
  7. frazzle
    exhaust physically or emotionally
    Her blond hair was slipping out of her ponytail, and she seemed even more frazzled than usual.
  8. casual
    marked by a lack of concern
    “Well, I’m not exactly sure, but I can ask,” I said casually.
  9. summon
    call in an official matter, such as to attend court
    “MILA,” she shouted. “YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED.”
  10. dormant
    inactive but capable of becoming active
    If you were “cornered” by three “squires,” you were “neutralized,” which meant you were “dormant” for the rest of the lunch period.
  11. neutralize
    make incapable of military action
    “You can’t speak, Mila. You’re being neutralized.”
  12. squire
    a young nobleman attendant on a knight
    “How come? You guys are...squires?”
    “We're flamethrowers,” Luis said. “And we’re officially taking you prisoner. You have to come with us.”
  13. frustrating
    discouraging by hindering
    Don’t apologize; you’re right, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just so...frustrating!
  14. speckle
    mark with small spots
    One lunch period she gave me a flat, brown-speckled shell from her collection.
  15. mollusk
    aquatic invertebrate, often with a shell
    “What's a limpet?” I asked her.
    She smiled. “A tiny mollusk, like a snail. They’re very common; you see them all over ocean rocks. Tía Rosario brought this one back for me from Puerto Rico. But I was thinking it should be yours, Mila. Because it’s so tough.”
  16. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    Ms. Fender leaned toward me frantically, trying to kiai me with her eyes.
  17. blare
    make a strident sound
    I blared an A.
    Jared played a bunch of random oboe notes.
  18. crucial
    of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
    I understand why it might sound that way, but I think it’s crucial for the boys to understand that what they did isn’t just personal; it actually affects all of us in this building.
  19. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    And then in walked Leo, Callum, Tobias, and Dante. Not with their usual basketball-team energy: they were grim-faced and silent.
  20. cue
    a reminder for some action or speech
    She looked at me as if we were onstage, and she was the bandleader, giving me my cue.
  21. interval
    the difference in pitch between two notes
    When we had all sat down again, Ms. Fender asked me to play a random interval—a C followed by whatever other note I wanted. And then Liana and each of the boys had to hear what the interval was and play it back.
  22. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    Still, I was ecstatic. Leader of the trumpet section? Maybe this meant I was now Pet Number Three.
  23. ruffle
    disturb the smoothness of
    A strong wind ruffled his hair, and I watched him stuff his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie.
  24. condition
    put into a better state
    He says he wants to stay in shape for spring basketball, and he’s here for some extra conditioning.
  25. smirk
    a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure
    Callum smiled. Not a smirk, either—a shy little smile, like the sun peeking behind the clouds.
Created on Thu Aug 27 11:21:51 EDT 2020 (updated Fri Aug 28 09:12:50 EDT 2020)

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