The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Chapters 17 and 18

Summary: Chapter 17

“You make all kinds of mistakes: but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.”

—Winston Churchill

Lena feels restless, unable to paint, and she goes back to the pond where she went skinny-dipping. She gets absorbed in her painting there, a feeling she loves, but she’s startled by splashing in the water. When she peeks at the pond, she sees Kostos swimming naked—and he sees her. She realizes that this pond is Kostos’s private territory and that last time, when she thought he was spying on her, he really wasn’t.

Bridget writes to Lena, telling her she knows something big is going to happen. That night, restless, she goes for a walk and thinks about her brother, Perry, and the fishing they used to do together. She can’t remember her mother in the scene. Bridget feels tired, but she wants to see Eric. She goes quietly to his cabin and sees him through the window. Awake, he follows her outside, walking some distance away from the cabin. He tells her he both did and didn’t want to see her. They have a physical encounter. Later, Bridget cries in her sleeping bag, realizing that she never thought much about what would happen after she and Eric kissed. She’s overwhelmed by how much she feels right now.

Lena writes to Tibby and says she now knows that the pond is Kostos’s private spot. She says she feels stupid, but she’s also glad that Kostos finally looked right at her. She asks if Tibby has heard from Bridget.

Carmen answers the phone at home at night, knowing that her mother’s lawyer boss, who calls all the time for help with things, is on the line. She lies and says her mother isn’t home. Carmen tries to eat, but she hasn’t had an appetite since she came home. She’s annoyed by her mother, Christina, even though she vowed not to be anymore. Albert’s wedding is in three weeks, but they haven’t called each other. She feels immensely guilty about what she’s done.

Summary: Chapter 18

“Wish for what you want. Work for what you need.”

—Carmen’s grandmother

Effie tells Lena that she made out with the Greek waiter, Andreas, even though she has a boyfriend, Gavin, at home. Effie chastises Lena for missing her chance to make out with Kostos. Lena suspects that Effie, who always has a boyfriend, is going to grow up to be happier and more loved than Lena will. She begins drawing a portrait of Kostos. She is so absorbed in the work that she doesn’t immediately see Kostos outside her window. Shocked, she wonders if he saw her drawing.

Bridget’s friends hound her for information about what happened with Eric even before Bridget gets out of bed. Bridget feels vulnerable and confused, and she tells her friends that nothing happened. Bridget misses breakfast, stays in bed during a soccer match between two other teams, and skips lunch.