Free Period: Chapters 1–2

by Ali Terese
In this novel, best friends Helen and Gracie fight to stay out of trouble, maintain their friendship, and help secure free access to menstrual hygiene products for students at their middle school.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-2, Chapters 3-4, Chapters 5-6, Chapters 7-9, Chapters 10-11, Chapters 12-14, Chapters 15-18, Chapters 19-21, Chapters 22-25, Chapters 26-29.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. avoidance
    the act of deliberately preventing or keeping away from
    We were a perfect ballet of avoidance, all of us swaying like reeds in the wind.
  2. feral
    wild and menacing
    Nothing makes jocks go more feral than not playing their game.
  3. verboten
    forbidden or prohibited
    She still hadn’t changed out of her street clothes. Strictly verboten.
  4. frolic
    play boisterously
    “Coach, it is like frolicking through a field of flowers.”
  5. wellness
    a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
    “I’m an expert on wellness,” Madison said, crossing her arms.
  6. clutch
    hold firmly, usually with one's hands
    Gracie doubled over, clutched the ice pack to her stomach, and handed him the nurse’s note.
  7. existential
    relating to or dealing with the state of being
    “There are no time limits in volleyball,” Coach Kline said.
    “How existential.”
  8. visage
    the human face
    He must have seen the disbelief on my vexed visage because he hissed, “Seward Park courts.”
  9. diabolical
    showing cunning or ingenuity or wickedness
    I held the ball in my left hand and drew my right arm down, ready to serve it underhand. Coach Kline coughed loudly and shook his head. Diabolical.
  10. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    Admittedly, my parents didn’t care if I absorbed an entire mine’s worth of aluminum through my pits, but I can’t stand feeling clammy.
  11. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
    I was calculating the angle that I’d have to hit the ball to make it bounce out the gym door and ricochet down the hallway to put an end to this horror when the unthinkable happened.
  12. habitat
    the type of environment in which an organism normally lives
    All I could think was, everyone should get theirs in their natural habitat.
  13. elapse
    pass by
    The last few minutes of class had elapsed at warp speed.
  14. premier
    first in rank or degree
    As we sat with our shared maple log and matching iced hot chocolates at the Cruller Castle, the premier donut destination in our little town, I couldn’t help but get a little emotional.
  15. gush
    flow forth in a sudden stream or jet
    For today’s noggin-noodling session, I’d made a gorgeous deck of high-jinks cards to get the creative juices gushing.
  16. illustrate
    make clear or understandable by giving an example
    I pulled three cards to illustrate.
  17. patriarchy
    a form of social organization in which men hold power
    “It’s just the patriarchy in my gut, but thanks for asking. Why are you all wet?”
  18. pastime
    an interest or pursuit that someone pursues regularly
    Switching locks on people was my absolute favorite pastime, and here was Helen taking it to the next level.
  19. specifically
    in distinction from others
    “Never you specifically,” I said.
  20. pluck
    pull lightly but sharply
    Isabella leaned across the table, took a perfectly manicured finger, and used it to pluck a glob of jelly off Helen’s cheek.
  21. luminous
    softly bright or radiant
    “My goal was for me and the cookies to be so luminous, people on the International Space Station would be like, Whoa, it’s a little bright down there.”
  22. inverted
    being in an upside-down position
    “See? Inverted mini-choco chips for the eyes and nose, the eensiest strawberry slice for the pouty mouth, and a mirror glaze for the cheeks. Do you want another?”
  23. considerable
    large in number, amount, extent, or degree
    “I don’t like giving the fifth through seventh graders a free pass, but we’d prank a considerable number of parents.”
  24. foul
    highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
    “Before we cut, we set things up so at just the right time, a smell takes over the gym. One so foul, everyone will think about it for years.”
  25. artificial
    contrived by art rather than nature
    “Sure you can. Being allowed to own a pet skunk is one of the main reasons my Uncle Gerald lives in this state. But I would never put his Heloise in that kind of position. It will have to be artificial but nontoxic.”
Created on Wed Mar 05 07:37:40 EST 2025 (updated Thu Mar 06 06:37:12 EST 2025)

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