Outline of 'This Planet's Name is Secret'

Chapters 31-44

Chapter thirty-one: Jak

(Music in Keldar)

Jak wakes and gets ready to go to school. He's about to head out when the Officials come and tell Jak to pack enough clothes for ten days and any body-care materials. Jak, nervous, does as he's told and meets the Officials outside. The Official explains to Jak that a quarantine has been approved and Jak will be staying there until the best plan to deal with the blog is figured out. Jak objects, asking if his parents know and are allowing this. The Official says a counselor will be by later to explain. Jak's siblings come out of the house and ask the Officials what's happening. Jak yells an explanation but is pushed into the vehicle.

They drive for a long time with the windows tinted so Jak can't see outside. They stop in a grassy field and Jak is taken the rest of the way by plane. Throughout the trip, Jak tries to figure out why this is happening to him. He realizes if he was derf or ferf-derf, it probably would've happened even sooner. Jak calms himself down and reminds himself that this is the Government. They can't hurt him or that'll make them look bad, but he remembers the way they've been lying about Earth.

They set him up in a little cabin and give him a tour. Jak realizes the cabin is much nicer and high-maintenance than something a derf would be put in. He's still scared as he sets his things down and tries to control his fear. He forgot his bubl at home and is too frightened to ask the Officials if he could contact his parents. An Official comes in and shows him the office where Jak can type his articles. They explain that Jak can only post about things related to Keldar and that he is the only one who can post.

Chapter thirty-two: Birch

(Private Conversation- Where Are You, Jak?)

Birch is confused by Jak's post about music. It's out of the blue and not consistent with Jak's other posts. He brings the family iPad to school and in math when they're supposed to be working on a worksheet. He sneaks it out from under his desk and sends a quick message asking Jack what's going on. He hears thumping behind him and sneaks back into his desk. He turns and sees it's Ms. Raven. She asks Birch how his worksheet is coming along.

Later in the day during recess, Birch hides in the shadow of the building and sends another message to Jak. He keeps the iPad in his lunch box. Carrie comes over to him and asks why he's sneaking his iPad around everywhere. Birch explains how he thinks a blogger is in trouble. Carrie says the blogger is probably doing better which is why there is a sudden transition in his posts. Birch isn't so sure. Ms. Isola sees the two of them and asks Birch why his lunch box is so lumpy. She sees the iPad through the lid and asks him to come after school.

After school, Ms. Isola explains to him that she's sure Birch was doing anything bad, but in the future, he should know better. To lighten the mood, she offers to tell the story, fantasy, realistic, or non-fiction. Birch chooses non-fiction because he is desperate for something he can relate to. She explains how her father was Italian-African American and her mom was Apsaalooké. She talks about how when she was in fifth grade in Helena, she went to a private school thanks to her father's rich grandmother and for being her only grandchild. She explains how these bullies teased her name and skin color and how she retaliated by playing a trick on them. She got them to believe she was from a forgotten planet and she kept a spaceship in their teacher's yard. The next day, the teacher caught the bullies trespassing on her yard looking for the space ship. She was so mad and didn't believe them when they told her Aylen had put them up to it. Birch feels more trusting of his teacher and explains his worries about his "blogger friend". Ms. Isola offers sympathy and gives him tips on how to lift his friend up. When he gets home, Fern says mom's coming home.

Chapter thirty-three: Fern

(Private Conversation- Seriously?)

Fern finishes piecing together his Halloween costume. He's dressing up like a watermelon. He used his raking and lawn-mowing money to purchase the fabrics he needed. Birch used his money to get fabrics to make an Emydidae turtle shell. Fern feels once again plain next to his brother. He still feels annoyed that it was his brother who convinced the police to let him back on the site and that it was his brother who got his dad to make him feel better about his adoption. It was also his brother who figured out the thing with the solar eclipse. Fern is also angry about being blocked from Keldar. He heads to the office where Birch is working on his costume. Birch says he'll only talk to Fern through the blog.