Richie never telling his mom how bad the bullying is at Hatchetfield High bc she already deals with enough maintaining her twelve steps and fixing old, broken things between her and his Uncle Paul. Feeling shame and embarrassment because the father he never met was cool and strong and popular and he can't keep letting down a missing man that actually had the balls to stand up to asshole jocks. Olive never asking because her prodding makes Richie close up even further. The longer she doesn't ask the harder it becomes to try asking again and racking up a guilt debt over that fact. Believing that kids open up to parents they think are good parents, and Richie hasn't yet. Doing everything in her power to be the chill, "cool" mom, her way of wordlessly asking, Now? Am I a good mom now? If you were hurting, would you tell me?
Ruth never telling her parents how bad the bullying is at Hatchetfield High bc she can't give them more evidence that they raised a failure. So jealous of how talented they both are, how secure and happy they are in their crafts, how confident they are in themselves. Feeling as though the bullying is her punishment for not being better at being a person like they clearly are. Chip and Deandra never asking because they believe so completely in Ruth's inevitable bloom, in the wit and attitude and soft, sweet singing in the comfort of their home and thinking surely, she carries this to school with her. Surely, no one could ever be so unkind to their daughter when she has so much to offer. Knowing deep down if they're wrong, that people tell her to die and call her names and ostracize her, that they'd be devastated. Maybe move them all in a panic, finally away from Hatchetfield, to somewhere kinder. Knowing Ruth wouldn't forgive them for taking her away from the few friends she does have, and just giving the world another chance to be cruel to her in a different place. Them having in the back of their minds that clarity, that they'd tell Ruth, We love you and want to bring you somewhere you could shine, and she would hear, You didn't try hard enough to be better where we already are. We'll keep going until there's a daughter we can be proud of.
Olive, Chip, and Deandra learning how awful that Jagerman boy is. Putting two and two together, but having nothing they can do about it because the school doesn't give a damn about their children. Olive, as always, being the one to speak her mind, and say it's wrong, but she wants Jagerman to hurt like he's hurt their kids. Chip and Deandra saying yes, that is wrong, and that they should focus on loving their kids more than hating their bullies--but going home, both awake at night, thinking to themselves and then aloud to each other, I want that boy to hurt.
