Everything I Know About Love

Alderton lists things she is afraid of, ranging from the serious to the humorous. Some items in the list are: “People I love dying,” “People I hate dying so I feel guilty about all the times I said bad things about them,” many things drunk men on the street might say to her, “Accidentally killing a baby,” and “Never owning a dog” (93-94).

Scott and Farly take a trip to Cambridge. Alderton is upset by the seriousness of their relationship as she is usually the one with a boyfriend, but now Farly has a “proper, older boyfriend” (95). Alderton feels jealous as Scott and Farly grow closer and fall in love. She recalls a sense of security when Farly dated in their youth, because when they were young, Alderton still had Farly all to herself. At a party one night, Alderton ignores Farly and focuses on her boyfriend, Leo. When Farly asks why Alderton has ignored her all night, Alderton replies, “Why have you been ignoring me for a year?” (97). Farly and Alderton go upstairs and argue: Alderton says Farly sees her as “Björn Again,” the warm-up band they saw at a Spice Girls concert; she feels as though she is just Farly’s insignificant warm-up act and Scott is now her Spice Girls.