The First State of Being: Chapters 23–28

by Erin Entrada Kelly
In this novel, Michael and Elizabeth, ordinary kids living in the year 1999, meet a boy from the future.

Here are our links to the lists for the book: Chapters 1-4, Chapters 5-6, Chapters 7-8, Chapters 9-11, Chapters 12-14, Chapters 15-17, Chapters 18-22, Chapters 23-28, Chapters 29-33, Chapters 34-40

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. frantic
    marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion
    “I don’t understand,” Ridge said, frantic.
  2. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
    Her voice was even now too. Quiet and reticent.
  3. inoperable
    not able to perform its normal function
    It’s possible that the STM is inoperable for some reason.
  4. improbable
    having a chance of occurring too low to inspire belief
    It’s never been used before, not really, and it’s just a prototype, so it’s not improbable that there could be an unpredictable malfunction.
  5. irrevocably
    in a manner that cannot be taken back
    “There are two. One—the STM doesn’t exist anymore because I irrevocably destroyed my known course of history and it’s never been invented, which means...”
  6. blister
    an elevation of the skin filled with fluid
    By late afternoon, a blister had formed on the soft pad of Ridge’s thumb.
  7. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    His eyes were glassy, and he was weary on his feet.
  8. glistening
    reflecting light
    He turned away from his mother—he didn’t want to see her glistening eyes —and threw himself back on the pillow.
  9. streak
    a narrow marking of a different color from the background
    She scooted up the bed so she was right next to him, close enough that he could see the streaks on her cheeks.
  10. grief
    intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one
    He’d never experienced grief before.
  11. cache
    a secret store of valuables or money
    Guilt over the stolen cache under his bed.
  12. drift
    wander from a direct course or at random
    The rest of her words drifted away.
  13. revised
    altered by rephrasing or by adding or deleting material
    Michael now imagined a revised scenario. The phone ringing. Michael’s voice, leaving a message.
  14. flushed
    reddened as if with blood from emotion or exertion
    His face was swollen and flushed.
  15. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
    It all looked so small and inconsequential, just like he felt.
  16. omit
    leave undone or leave out
    It was all technically true, even if he had conveniently omitted some details.
  17. hypothetical
    a conjectural possibility or circumstance
    Please provide data to begin statistical and hypothetical analysis.
  18. repercussion
    a remote or indirect consequence of some action
    SABIO, MARIA: Ved, please provide all hypotheticals relative to the following question: What repercussions would occur if Ridge Sabio traveled back in time to Red Knot, Delaware, in the 1990s and arrived safely?
  19. comprehensive
    including all or everything
    VED: More information is needed to provide comprehensive analysis of hypothetical scenario.
  20. attire
    clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
    Is Ridge Sabio costumed in the appropriate attire of time period?
  21. documentation
    validation from written records
    Does Ridge Sabio have possession of any false documentation that implies he is a Native Timeprint Inhabitant (NTI), thus providing opportunity for false NTI Social Security cards, passports— SABIO, MARIA: No. VED: Noted.
  22. quantitative
    relating to the measurement of quantity
    VED: This information changes the quantitative value of questioning needed to provide comprehensive analysis of hypothetical scenario.
  23. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    Michael had woken up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and had seen Ridge asleep, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, with his thumb resting on the scanner.
  24. rummage
    search haphazardly
    He rummaged around the messy pile on the floor and found an oversized Rage Against the Machine shirt he’d bought at Goodwill a few months ago.
  25. linear
    progressing from one stage or idea to the next in sequential order
    Our current timeline is unaffected, as time is singular, circular, and linear, and these events have already unfolded, as per the Saeed Theory of Spatial Travel.
Created on Fri Feb 28 03:11:02 EST 2025 (updated Mon Mar 03 03:39:18 EST 2025)

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