Olivia: Chapter thirty-two
Olivia goes to the beach with Marigold. She had bought strollers and other baby items previously with April before the argument. She is walking along the boardwalk, thinking about the job she applied for at the local coffee shop and how Ross has been frequently visiting. She is wondering who will take care of Marigold if she gets the job when she sees Virginia and Holly.
Olivia waves them over and they ask her about the baby. She then asks if they would be willing to babysit Marigold in the future. Virginia explains how she's going to college in Los Angeles soon and will be leaving the Buchtton area. Holly says she'll probably be too busy working at the restaurant and taking fashion design courses. Olivia then remembers the night when a racist comment was directed at her friends. She realizes how hurtful that must have been and apologizes for not doing more. They thank her and she invites them over. As Olivia leaves to walk back home, she sees April watching her from the boardwalk.
The three friends eat dinner around the TV. Virginia wants to watch the news, but the other two don't. Eventually, Virginia goes to the TV and changes the channel herself. They learn about Carl being shot and see Ross in an interview. Virginia and Holly talk to each other about the racism in the scene, but Olivia is only focused on Ross. She tells the others to keep an eye on Marigold and runs out of the house.
Lea: Chapter thirty-three
Lea, Sophie, and Liz hang out at Sophie's house. Liz explains that they could try using the machine she and Mr. La used. Liz says that's how she found Ross the last time. Sophie asks how they got it to work. Liz explains how they made the machine search for the material of a Lapel's hair. Mr. La figured out that there was something unnatural about their hair. He wasn't sure what, but it wasn't everyday hair. Sophie says the machine is worth a try. They call Noah's parents to say that he's having an extended sleepover at the Lapel's. They then head off to find using the notebook. The only hair it seems attracted to is Sophie's. Liz admits that it only works short distances.
They head into the center of town, Lea had brought along Eve. She talks to Eve about spirits. She thinks about Leila and Horst and the history of death that surrounds the lake. Eve admits that there's something weird about the lake, but she's not sure what exactly. She remembers seeing a golden cage and feeling trapped then being lifted out of the water by a strand of Marigold's hair. Sophie overhears them talking and explains how her grandmother once jumped into the lake.
Lea is interested, but Sophie says her grandmother refuses to talk about what happened. Eve says that Susan went with Olivia and explains what Susan described to her. Olivia had seen the net and many spirits stuck inside it, but no matter what she did, the net wouldn't budge. Lea is intrigued and wonders if breaking the net would release the spirits in the notebooks. Liz waves them back in reality and tells them she hasn't got any new signals. Sophie sees a stand outside the high school selling dance tickets. Sophie buys four, leading to discomfort among Liz and Lea. They head back to Sophie's house. Sophie and Liz start arguing on how to proceed. Liz thinks they should search a different area while Sophie believes it's time to tell her mother. Lea, realizing it's hopeless to stop them fighting, runs outside to the lake and jumps in.
Lea: Chapter thirty-four
Lea swims through the lake. She sees a vision of a dark room and as she swims forward, the net Eve described comes into view. She gets a flashback to back when she was five and fell in the lake during a canoe trip with the Lapel's, Nick, and Enisa after Eve's funeral. Nick and Enisa are talking about how Nick lost both his wife and daughter to this lake. Enisa says she wishes Eve had been able to meet Lea. Nick agrees. Lea is leaning over the boat as she believes she sees a fish. She topples forward into the water. She has her eyes open and can't see much through the murky water. The next thing she knows, she sees a black room and a woman. She pushes the woman backwards into her mind in fear. Enisa and Nick lift Lea out of the water.
Lea is back in the current time. She remembers Sophie commenting about a dormant spirit inside of her. She wonders if she can push the spirit out. She pushes the spirit forward as much as she can, but it's difficult. She continues swimming forward until she in front of the net. She sees the spirits stuck in its grasp and wonders how to get it free. She looks at the spirit inside of her and realizes it has a glow similar to the net. She harnesses that glow and sends it forward, blinding the whole lake with light. The net shatters from the light and the spirits are released, disappearing into wisps. The black room disappears and the actual lake turns into view. She realizes she has to hold her breath now and heads back to shore.
Sophie and Liz are waiting at the shore. It's night now and they claim she's been underwater for nearly four hours. They thought she was dead. Lea tells them she knows how to release spirits. She explains. Liz is confused, but Sophie understands. Liz says they did figure something out, Olivia might know where Ross has kidnapped Noah.
Eve: Chapter thirty-five
Eve and Sam head to Olivia's house six days after reviving Ross. She thinks about how they made Mr. La keep it a secret and didn't tell Marigold. They go through the front this time and explain to Olivia everything that happened. Olivia refuses to believe them, saying that it's impossible to revive spirits. Eve explains how Olivia is descended from a revived spirit.
Olivia thinks they're saying nonsense and asks them to leave. As they move to go, Eve reminds Olivia that all three of them have been abused by Ross in different ways. She says if Olivia helps Eve find Ross, they can stop him from abusing more people. Olivia doesn't reply and they leave. As they leave, Eve hears Olivia crying.
Sam and Eve discuss why Ross so badly wants her to be the spirit. They realize Ross was Olivia's lover and would find it sweet revenge if his granddaughter was the one who helped him take out the person who killed him. Marcus and Jackson combine with them, saying that Ross found them and told them he would use their spirits instead if Eve doesn't oblige.
Olivia: Chapter thirty-six
Ross visits Olivia and Marigold. He carries his gun around with him and acts very skittish around different noises and movements. Olivia fears for her child's safety and asks Ross to unload his gun and put the pieces away. When Ross refuses, Olivia sends him away. She then sits down in her chair and cries.
She hears a knock and watches April enter the house. April asks her what's wrong and Olivia explains how Ross has changed and refuses to put away his gun. April offers sympathy and empathy. She even offers to move back into the house and be the muscle between Ross and Marigold. Olivia declines, claiming she can handle it by herself. April then suggests banning Ross from the house and only seeing him in public places where it's illegal for him to have open carry. Olivia gets angry, feeling betrayed by her sister. She asks April to leave.
Later that night when Marigold has settled down for the night, Ross comes by to apologize about the way he acted. He comes with his firearm, but hidden. He lies to Olivia about not bringing it. Olivia, still upset about her meeting with April, tells Ross everything he knows about the notebooks. Ross is intrigued, but when Marigold suddenly starts crying, he whips out his gun from under his coat. Shocked, Olivia pushes Ross out of the house and goes to comfort her daughter.
Lea: Chapter thirty-seven
Lea and the others meet at the courtyard after homeroom. They sneak away from school to the bus stop and head to Barnstable where Olivia now lives. They get off at their stop. Compared to Buchtton, Barnstable is humongous. They feel a little worried and nervous as they head forward. A spirit of an old man stops in front of Sophie and Lea, claiming they look quite lovely. He reaches toward Sophie. Sophie is just batting the spirit away when April spots them and questions them on what they're doing. She combines with Lizzie who gets a taste of what Sophie and Lea see every day. Sophie explains that they're looking for Olivia's apartment. April agrees to give directions.
As they walk, feeling slightly more comfortable and less overwhelmed, April asks them why they're missing school. Sophie explains how they think Ross kidnapped Noah. Eve, in Lea's backpack, says Ross broke his promise. April reminds Eve that he promised not to hurt Olivia. Lea explains how Ross stole the notebooks and has been leaving them in places Olivia has gone. April wonders why Ross has waited this long to get back at Olivia. Lizzie asks if this is what happens to all spirits. April explains how death is a mixture of a whole bunch of expectations. They stop in front of Olivia's door and they knock.
Olivia lets them in. They explain to her the situation and how they need help finding their friend. Olivia is still getting over the shock that Ross is back again. Out loud, she mumbles to herself about Ross waiting to get his hands on the notebooks and him being a liar. Eve admits that she thinks Ross still desires revenge on Olivia for murdering him. Olivia says all she did was push him into the lake. She hadn't meant for him to die. She says Ross is no good. She says she's not sure where Ross could be. Disappointed, Lea jokes that they might as well search all of Boston for Ross. Olivia remembers the hotel and tells them.
Olivia: Chapter thirty-eight
Olivia walks to Evelyn's house the next day. Ross had given her directions almost a year ago when they first started seeing each other. Evelyn opens and invites Olivia inside, knowing who she is because of her resemblance to April. Olivia leaves the stroller on the porch and carries Olivia up to the second floor. Evelyn introduces Olivia to her son Nick and talks about her exciting life as an assistant teacher in Barnstable. Olivia feels uncomfortable with guilt.
She interrupts Evelyn and apologizes for the way she had treated her. Evelyn says it was mostly Ross' fault since he was the one who played on a young teenager. She says she's glad the baby is healthy. The two sit down for a drink of water and talk about Ross. Evelyn explains how he was nice at first, but slowly he got bored and restless. She talks about he could act like a good father and husband one day and the next, never even show his face in the house.
Evelyn then asks for the real reason Olivia came. Olivia explains how she has an interview in a couple of days and how Holly and Virginia were unavailable. Evelyn states that she's not a nanny, but will be willing to take care of Marigold if Olivia does her part. Olivia agrees to babysit from 6:30 am to 4:00 pm weekdays while Evelyn takes care of the two children from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm weeknights. Evelyn makes Olivia promise to stay away from Ross and to come to her if he does anything.
Eve: Chapter thirty-nine
Eve and Sam spend days looking for April. They stop by Olivia's, but either she doesn't hear them or refuses to open the door. They know she doesn't work on weekends. They head off to the coffee shop where Sam treats the two of them with smoothies. Eve thinks about how the whole thing is her fault. She tells this to Sam and Sam reminds her that their only choice is to move on and heal the damage. She sees April across the street and races out.
April recognizes her and sees how desperate she looks. Eve explains how Olivia refuses to believe Ross is back and now Marcus and Jackson are in danger. April agrees to help them save the twins. Sam comes out and Eve fills them in. Together, they go back to Olivia's house with April. April goes inside to talk Olivia into coming outside. Olivia asks them how they want her to help. Eve says they need help to hide Marcus and Jackson. Olivia says she knows a place.
A few weeks later, in June, Olivia gets permission to take Sam and Eve on a little day trip upstate. They go to Mickey Mishla's house and meet Mickey and Holly. Holly and Olivia hug and wish Virginia was there. Holly explains how Virginia is in California doing environmental work. April sees the tickets to her speech. April, Sam, and Eve help Jackson and Marcus settle in. They say a tearful goodbye before leaving. Eve feels happy for the first time in a while.
Olivia: Chapter forty
Olivia finishes up with the interview is walking through town when she sees her sister's friend Amelia Gold. Amelia spots Olivia and invites her out to get a sip of coffee. Olivia feels guilty about leaving Evelyn with Marigold another couple of minutes but obliges. Amelia explains how she and April are opening a fabric shop in Buchtton. Olivia feels left out of the plans and after a stressful interview, angry. Amelia goes on to talking about how awesome April is and how they can't wait for the store to open.
When Amelia says how they're going to name the store "April's", Olivia loses it. She storms off to Evelyn's place. Evelyn asks her what's wrong and after Olivia explains her anger and jealousy of April, Evelyn laughs. Olivia, confused, calms down. Evelyn reminds her how she's lucky those are the height of her worries and recommends her to apologize to April. With that, they say goodbye and Olivia heads home with Marigold.
They get home and Olivia dials April. April picks up and Olivia almost apologizes, but then is reminded of the last fight they had and how much better April is, so she leaves the phone hanging. She listens to April frantically trying to get her attention, before, not able to take it anymore, slams the phone down.
Eve: Chapter forty-one
Eve, weeks later, is visited by Ross. Her father went for lunch with Marigold and his college friend Enisa Zec who's visiting with her daughter. Ross tells her that he has no idea where she hid the twins, but she won't be able to hide as easily. He asks her to come to the lake on Tuesday and if she doesn't he'll figure out another way to hurt Olivia. She tells him that if she comes, it will be her choice, not his. Ross, annoyed, leaves.
Nick comes home a few minutes later. He reminds her Sophie's birthday is coming up and she should make a present. Eve asks Nick about his father. Nick explains how his father abandoned his family for Olivia and then got himself drowned in the lake. Nick says he doesn't see Ross as a father and more of a person who participated in his birth.
Eve then asks him what happened to her mother. She remembers seeing her mother crying by herself around the time she died. Nick warns Eve that the story is distressing, but Eve insists on knowing. Nick explains that Sayuri had major depression after her parents died in a car crash. She eventually committed suicide in the lake.
Eve: Chapter forty-two
Eve and Sam head to Sam's house after the last day of school. Megara comes into the room, asking if they still have that creepy notebook. Sam asks her what the notebook had said to her. Megara asked the notebook what it wanted to do and it said "revenge". They tell her the notebook is gone and relieved, she skips out of the room. Eve feels envious of the girl's obliviousness to the situation.
Eve admits to Sam that Ross came over a few days ago. Sam is angry that Eve hadn't told them earlier. Eve tells them that it wasn't easy keeping it to herself. Sam reminds Eve of all the times they've been there for Eve. Eve gets defensive and tells them if they see being her friend as a liability, they can leave. Sam is offended and asks Eve to leave.
That night, Eve heads to the lake, confident now that she's making the right decision. She regrets getting angry at Sam, realizing that she wasn't always there for them and almost stops by his house. She comes to the lake where she now knows her mother died. Ross is waiting and thanks her for coming. She reminds him that it was her choice. Just before he pushes her in, Marigold, Olivia, and Sam come running out of the house. Ross pushes her in before fleeing. Eve does nothing to resist and the next thing she knows, Marigold is attaching her to a strand of her hair and binding it around a notebook.
Lea: Chapter forty-three
Lea and the other take the bus back to Boston. During the ride, Lizzie had spent much of the time on her phone calling her dad. She explains that she has a plan. They go to Warner Field where they wait for the mysterious vehicle that'll bring them to Boston. A van pops up and stops in front of them. Lizzie's dad answers. He explains he told his boss it was an emergency and he was allowed to use the van. They pile in for the ride. Lizzie wonders how Ross had gotten Noah all the way to Boston. Lizzie's dad admits that they had a stolen vehicle a couple of days ago, but it was tracked in Boston and brought back.
He drops them off at the hotel and says he'll wait outside. Eve directs them to the basement and they go in. Sure enough, Ross is there with Noah. Noah is tied up to the chair and Ross is standing victorious. He is surprised to see them and not Olivia, but he's glad at least one Lapel is there. Noah, although looking tired and dehydrated, isn't looking severely injured. He tells her that Sayuri Yamashita is the spirit inside of her. Ross gags his mouth and tells them he's been waiting a long time for this. Lea realizes that Sayuri is Eve's mother and must have never been turned into a notebook as she had been captured by the net. When Lea fell in, Sayuri must have grabbed onto her.
Ross starts toward Sophie, knife in hand. He talks about how easy it is to steal things when people think you're dead. He stole a van, a password slip, canoes, and even a bag full of notebooks. Lea passes Eve to Sophie and the two combine. Lizzie and Lea are trying to tackle Ross without success. Lea tells Sophie to release Ross, confused and unsure that's going to work or fix anything, she does. Ross disappears. Lea pushes the black room forward with all her strength until she has woken Sayuri. Sayuri explains to Eve what happened to her in the lake and how she clung onto Lea. They say goodbye to each other before Sophie and Eve release her.
Olivia: Chapter forty-four
Olivia hears the phone ring and almost doesn't pick it up, believing it to be April. She's been avoiding April's calls over the days since the interview. Finally, she picks it up and learns that she was accepted and will start working in a few days. Excited, she calls April, apologizes for everything and invites her to come over for the night. Olivia even tells her the truth about the trip to Boston. April, having already planned an evening at the library with Mickey, reluctantly declines. Olivia almost retorts back when she is reminded of what Evelyn had told her. She says it's okay to April's surprise and they say goodbye.
Ross stops by and Olivia, still excited about the job, forgets about her anger and apologizes to him for being so controlling. She lets him play with Marigold and jabbers on about how nice Evelyn is and how she's going to save up to college and learn about nutrition. Ross teases her and it's almost like old times. They make sandwiches together and prepare formula for Marigold. Olivia starts wondering if Evelyn was wrong about Ross being abusive. Keeping Marigold in a crib by the door, the two head outside. Ross offers her a drink, but Olivia declines.
Ross, slowly becoming drunk, asks her why she's so afraid of guns. Olivia explains about her parents. Ross takes out his gun and Olivia becomes nervous. She hears April's voice coming towards the back and before she could issue a warning, Ross shoots her sister. Olivia, in a moment of fury and confusion, pushes Ross into the lake. While falling, he rips out a lock of Olivia's hair before drowning. Olivia, bawling, takes the lock of hair and sees Ross' spirit inside it.
Lea: Chapter forty-five
Lea and the others head back to Buchtton. They make sure Noah eats and drinks. School has finished now, but the dance will be starting in a couple of hours. Lizzie points out it seems kind of silly that they're going to a dance after all that they've been through. Sophie says it'll be a good way to celebrate. She asks if Noah is feeling up to it. He says yes. Sophie admits why she had pushed them to look for Ross, her mother was angry at her father for hiding the fact he lost the notebooks, and apologizes for getting them all in danger.
When they get back, Marigold is standing next to Noah's parents, angry. Sophie lets Eve combine with Lea and goes to explain to her mom what happened. She tells the others to go inside and get ready for the dance. Lea asks Eve if she wants to be released. Eve says she never got the chance to finish school and Lea agrees to let Eve hang on. Lea sees the notebooks inside and the two of them release all of the spirits. Marigold comes inside, reprimanding Sophie. She sees Lea and Eve and how all the notebooks are released. She tells Sophie what she did is still wrong, but she's glad that Ross is gone and the spirits released.
At the dance party, Lea sees Jackson again, this time with another spirit who looks similar to him. Eve waves to them and Lea asks if she wants to talk to them. Sophie overhears and combines with Jackson to release Eve. As Eve disappears from Lea's mind, they wave to each other, knowing this won't be the last time they see each other. Lea notices that Lizzie is missing and heads down the hallway to find her. She finds Lizzie in the tech room with an aguina board and a school computer. She explains Mr. La let her in. Lea sees that Lizzie has created glowing images. Words flash along the bulbs, "To Our Amazing Leader". Lizzie explains how it took forever to code all that. Lea hugs her friend and thinks maybe this is the true small town spirit, friendship.