Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet: Chapters 16–22

by Laekan Zea Kemp
Teenagers Penelope and Xander navigate first love and family matters while working at Penelope's father's restaurant.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–22, Chapters 23–31
30 words 81 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. facilitate
    make easier
    “Well, we make them. But she facilitates using a lot of hand gestures and Italian curse words.”
  2. copious
    large in number or quantity
    The couple to our left is copiously taking notes—they must write for some local food magazine or maybe a blog—and the couple to our right is nervously sipping on some wine.
  3. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    “Their family’s a little eccentric, but food’s about the experience, right?”
  4. ire
    anger; irritability
    The food blogger who’s been the source of Signora Caterina’s ire all evening goes in for a piece of sausage and she slaps his hand away.
  5. disarm
    make less hostile; win over
    I nod, and my confession seems to disarm her.
  6. successor
    a person who inherits some title or office
    If Pen’s right about her father only keeping the restaurant open so he can take care of the neighborhood, she’s the perfect successor.
  7. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    I have no right to ask Pen why she lied to her parents, but her heartbreak is such a tangible thing that I have to know why it was self-inflicted.
  8. churn
    be agitated
    Lights twinkle across the water, churning with the moon’s reflection.
  9. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
    She looks up, admonishing the moon or maybe God. “But maybe that’s how it’s supposed to happen.”
  10. quaver
    give off unsteady sounds
    “Penelope?” the second officer asks.
    My mouth quavers, “Yes?” as his face comes into view.
  11. zest
    the outer part of the peel of a citrus fruit, used as flavoring
    Mrs. Damas folds some lemon zest into the icing she’s making.
  12. reconcile
    bring into consonance or accord
    My father never takes his eyes off me, his expression darkening as he reconciles the details relayed by Officer Solis and the empty look on my face.
  13. ransack
    steal goods; take as spoils
    The pantry’s been ransacked, food scattered all over the floor. The fridge door is open, more food spilling out.
  14. retainer
    a fee charged in advance to secure the services of someone
    "One hundred dollars. But I request that new clients pay an up-front retainer—five hours’ worth of work—and then I check in with you to discuss how much more time I might need.”
  15. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Mr. Daly wipes his brow, exasperated.
  16. margin
    the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold
    “But that’s too many mouths to feed. Cuts into my profit margins.”
  17. bile
    a digestive juice secreted by the liver
    She’s only on the letter M and I try to hold myself up, to keep the bile down, but I can’t. I fall onto my knees and heave into the toilet.
  18. defiance
    a hostile challenge
    There’s a sense of defiance in her eyes and I almost don’t recognize her. “But we can’t give J. P. another cent, another second.”
  19. predecessor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
    We’ll be stuck in that fear forever, and I know what it’s like to be stuck. It’s the predecessor to disappearing altogether, which is even scarier than whatever El Martillo might be planning.
  20. galvanize
    stimulate to action
    At first, I think it’s because they want an answer to their questions or for me to galvanize them with some kind of speech.
  21. appease
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
    We appease them with cheap liquor and chips and salsa while we thaw meat and prep ingredients.
  22. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
    Angel gives me a quick nod; a look of solidarity. I’ve got you.
  23. delusional
    suffering from or characterized by erroneous beliefs
    Because I was still hoping...Because I was delusional.
  24. indifferent
    showing no care or concern in attitude or action
    She shrugs, strangely indifferent.
  25. adversary
    someone who offers opposition
    Then she steps inside, doing the thing that scares her, checking off another invisible adversary in her quest to being unbreakable.
  26. ethereal
    characterized by lightness and insubstantiality
    By the time we finally finish, the sun is starting to set, the curtainless windows letting in the last beats of light. They’re pressed to the floor, ethereal thumbprints in bursts of blue and pink.
  27. deliberate
    carefully thought out in advance
    It feels deliberate and important, and I wonder if she can hear the tick tick tick inside me, her closeness winding me like a clock.
  28. commandeer
    take arbitrarily or by force
    After dessert, Pen lets me commandeer the kitchen and make us dinner.
  29. ambience
    the atmosphere of an environment
    The candle sits tilted in the gap between the cardboard flaps.
    “I’m not sure that’s safe.”
    “It’s good ambience.”
  30. quell
    overcome or allay
    I pull her against my chest, trying to quell what I can feel are sobs.
Created on Sat Sep 17 14:45:55 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Oct 18 11:25:13 EDT 2022)

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