The Insiders: Chapters 22–33

by Mark Oshiro
While adjusting to a new life in a small town and getting bullied for being gay, Héctor stumbles upon a magic room that connects him to new friends and adventure.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–21, Chapters 22–33, Chapter 34–Epilogue
30 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stump
    cause to be perplexed or confounded
    “You got me stumped. I have no idea how any of this is possible.”
  2. motif
    a design that consists of recurring shapes or colors
    When Héctor turned to look at what they were pointing at, he saw that the diner motif was gone, just like that.
  3. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    But much to their collective dismay, no money appeared in the Room.
  4. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    Héctor’s favorite were the matching sugar skulls on a shelf on the wall in the living room, each of them intricately painted.
  5. delicate
    marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
    Héctor watched his papi and abuela make a few tamales, their hands moving quickly and delicately as they assembled them. Again, it seemed so effortless! How were they able to do that so fast?
  6. quip
    make jokes or witty remarks
    “Oh, so you like like her,” Héctor quipped.
  7. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    Héctor’s heart started racing. He knew something he could tell her that might make her feel better. But it would require him to be vulnerable to someone he barely knew.
  8. wring
    twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
    “Yeah, you’re right,” said Sal, and they wrung their hands together repeatedly.
  9. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    Héctor felt another rush of adrenaline, but Sal’s eyes were only getting wider.
  10. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    She reached out. Put her fingers gingerly under Juliana’s chin. Tilted her head up.
  11. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    She looked to Héctor—who recognized that look. He’d worn it the same morning he stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, practicing the words over and over again, trying to muster up the courage to say them to his parents.
  12. explicit
    precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable
    “Is she breaking the rules?”
    “No, there’s no explicit rule about—”
  13. reinstate
    bring back into original existence, function, or position
    “So you’ll be reinstating her as the DJ and letting her go to the dance with whomever she desires, correct?”
  14. perplexed
    full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
    “Ever?” Mrs. Chin turned to Héctor and Sal, a perplexed look on her face.
  15. frolic
    play boisterously
    There were two kids in the center of it, clearly frolicking in the water, and he could even see tiny droplets on their skin.
  16. genuinely
    in accordance with truth or fact or reality
    “Ah, welcome, Aishah, Héctor!” she said, and she seemed genuinely thrilled.
  17. petty
    preoccupied with unimportant matters in a spiteful way
    A mean, petty thought filled his head: Who CARES if Mike does art?
  18. graze
    scrape gently
    Mike brushed by Héctor, barely grazing his shoulder.
  19. malice
    the quality of threatening evil
    “See you around, Heck-tor,” he said, and Héctor swore he could hear the tiniest bit of malice in Mike’s voice.
  20. likeness
    picture consisting of a graphic image of a person or thing
    Aishah was drawing him.
    It was a stunning likeness, but...
  21. reel
    be dizzy, disoriented, or bewildered
    Héctor brushed more of the trash off himself, still reeling. Had he actually just seen Carlos stand up to Mike?
  22. concoct
    invent
    “If you’re thinking of concocting some bizarre story again, save it.”
  23. affirmation
    the act of asserting or stating something
    “Do you want a hug?” Héctor asked.
    Sal mostly coughed out an affirmation, and Héctor held them.
  24. gritty
    composed of or covered with small particles
    It was gritty, and even in the dim light, he could see that his finger was covered in a thick layer of dust.
  25. searing
    extremely hot
    He found it and tugged on it, and searing light spilled into the room, so bright and hot that Héctor had to close his eyes.
  26. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    “So we don't,” he said, relishing in the drama of this next reveal.
  27. balmy
    mild and pleasant
    His friends stepped out into the balmy night air of Phoenix, Arizona.
  28. virtually
    slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
    Unfortunately for Héctor, he had done virtually no prep work for this role.
  29. manifest
    reveal its presence or make an appearance
    More words manifested in Héctor’s brain, and just as before, out they came.
  30. shenanigan
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
    “I don’t have time for any jokes or shenanigans,” he said.
Created on Tue Jan 25 11:34:02 EST 2022 (updated Mon Jan 31 09:56:49 EST 2022)

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