Previously: Hardin loved Tessa but then he didn’t lol.
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Marines: Tessa negotiates a good deal on an okay 2010 Corolla. She calls her mom with the news, but her mom only criticizes her decision, because her mom needs to get her own life, I think. Tessa is happy to finally have a car and will be able to drive herself to her new internship. She briefly worries if her fight(s) with Hardin will effect her offer. She considered talking to Ken about the break-up, but can’t decide what she would say that isn’t HARDIN IS THE WORST.
Samantha: Lol, Ken would probably be like, “I know, right?”
Mari: Tessa then begins a descent into worldly bad girl maybe? IDK, she plays the music in her car very loudly and then she goes on a shopping spree because she’s tired of her long skirts and she buys tight jeans. Seems like a life of sin to me.
Tessa gets back to an empty dorm room and starts thinking about moving out, since she can’t actually be in her room without Hardin showing up like a cot damn horseman of the apocalypse. Tessa heads to take a shower, and by the time she’s back, Steph and Zed are there. Steph asks if Hardin and Tessa worked it out. Tessa says she’s worked out that she’s done with him. Steph gives her Big Eyes, but Zed smiles.
Samantha: This would be a good time to have an actual roommate conversation about taking away his key and stuff.
Mari: lol.
Tristan texts that he’s outside. Steph invites Tessa to come along, but she says no thanks. Before he leaves, Zed asks about that date again. Tessa doesn’t want to go out with him, but then figures why not? It’s not like she might be able to find someone besides these two boys at school or its not like she could be single for a night or anything like that. WHY NOT. Zed is really happy and they decide to meet up that night at 7.
Samantha: This is depressing because she doesn’t have to have a boy but also because, so far, Zed isn’t that bad. And she’s all like “meh, I guess”. Don’t go out with him then!
Mari: It’s four now, so after Zed leaves, Tessa spends 3 hours curling her hair, doing her makeup, changing around her outfit, and pretending to read Pride and Prejudice. While she’s doing that last one, she thinks about calling Noah because…? Who knows. Mostly because her reaction to being hurt repeatedly by Hardin appears to be to use, manipulate and hurt others. It’s like the circle of life, but shitty.
We cut to Zed’s arrival. Tessa knows it’s him because he knocks, where Hardin would “rudely barge in and throw my stuff all over the place.” Here, I vaguely remembered that we’ve called some dick love interest the Kool-Aid Man before, so I had to Google “Snark Squad Kool-Aid Man” to be sure. It was Hardin. So, that still applies. (S: Lololol good times.)
Anyway, Zed looks hot, he tells her she looks beautiful, he gives her a flower, and tells her that he thought dinner and a movie would be casual and low pressure. He also opens the car door for her and is generally acting like a nice guy. I mean, up until he starts stealing fries off of Tessa’s plate a dinner, which is against the law I’m pretty sure. They have a good laugh about that and honestly, it just seems like a really normal date? Like they are talking about what they are majoring in and their families and are joking and laughing? I’m like a kicked puppy right now, cowering in a corner, waiting for this all to come crashing down.
They watch a bad movie, but make jokes throughout. Zed holds her hand, which isn’t uncomfortable, but it isn’t the same as when Hardin does it. Yeah, well, eating a balanced diet isn’t the same as gorging myself on carbs, but we do what we have to TO STAY ALIVE, TESSA.
Samantha: I cannot remember where, but it’s been talked about on this blog before how we can’t stand that guys genuinely being nice and good tends to be labeled as “boring” by fiction. This is another instance of that, and fuck that.
Mari: Pretty sure it was in these recaps too. It’s been a long road.
Tessa gets nervous that Zed might try to kiss her, but instead he gives her a small kiss on her hand. She’s thankful, because even though he’s hot and nice and kisses well, the timing isn’t right.
The next morning, Tessa meets Landon at the coffee shop and gushes about the date. Landon continues to be literal rubbish and asks if Hardin knows about this. Tessa snaps that he doesn’t need to, so Landon settles for warning Tessa to be careful. (S: …..because Hardin might find out and kill her? Like?) We zoom past the rest of the day and get to lit class. Hardin is there, and as soon as Tessa sits, he asks her about her date with Zed. Tessa tells him it’s none of his business, and he replies that words travels fast in their friend group, in a way that sounds threatening. So now Tessa is worried that he’s telling everyone their business. I mean, if you automatically think he would, maybe don’t date him is all I’m saying.
But really “maybe don’t date him” is all I ever say in these recaps.
The professor starts his lecture, which can only mean we’re about to get something plot appropriate. And what are we talking about today, friends? Yes, Wuthering Heights. Of course we are! The favorite work of shitty authors. I wish I could offer some commentary here on the way they discuss this text, but as I’ve had to confess numerous times now because of the fan fiction black hole we fell into, I’ve never read this book. I’ve tried in the past, but found all the characters hateful and peaced out. (S: SAME.)
The professor asks if Heathcliff and Catherine were terrible for each other of if they should’ve married each other instead of fighting their love. Tessa won’t answer because that lesson is way too plot appropriate, even for her. Someone else in the class offers that they were definitely terrible for each other, but also Catherine should’ve married Heathcliff instead of marrying Edgar. Which seems like a weird answer, rando college student, but you were written by Anna Todd, so it’s not that weird.
Hardin looks dead at Tessa and says that he thinks Catherine was a selfish, pompous bitch. And apparently all of these college students GASP! in response. Seems legit. Hardin further explains that Catherine thought she was too good for Heathcliff and that they were just so similar that it was hard for them to get along. But like the fact that they found it hard to GET ALONG shouldn’t have meant they couldn’t have a HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER.
Samantha: Someone save us from the giant anvil of subtext that is crashing down on us.
Mari: Thankfully, the final paragraphs save us: Tessa says she feels foolish as she compares her two month quasi-college relationship to Wuthering Heights. I mean, not like it’s going to stop her or anything. She seems to think the main difference between the two is that Heathcliff loved Catherine and Hardin doesn’t love her that way. Tessa things the entire class is looking at her, probably hoping for another argument, but she stays quiet. She will not fall for his bait.
At least, not this time.
Next time on After: Tessa gets more tortured Hardin backstory, naturally, in chapter 64.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
I'm a 28 year old graduated English major and almost librarian. I can often be found singing too loudly (poorly) in the car or spending some time (hours) on Tumblr. I am a lover of Harry Potter, the Spice Girls, and too many other things.