The narrator, Kathy, recounts her childhood and her complicated relationship with her mother, who comes from a family of geniuses and always expected Kathy to be a high achiever, but Kathy struggles in school and finds solace in her friendship with Sofi, a new student who moves into the neighborhood. Sofi is a bookworm and an aspiring writer, and the two girls become inseparable despite their differences.
As they grow older, Kathy and Sofi face various challenges, including Sofi's overbearing mother, Linda, who is revealed to have a troubled past and a grudge against Kathy's mother. Despite this, the girls remain close, and Kathy eventually finds her own passion for athletics and poetry.
Tragedy strikes when Sofi faints at a concert and suffers a minor concussion and fracture, causing her to miss an important scholarship exam. Linda blames Kathy for the incident and forbids Sofi from seeing her. The girls lose touch, but Kathy never gives up on their friendship.
Years later, Kathy attends a poetry show and is surprised to see Sofi on stage, reading a poem dedicated to her. They are reunited, and Sofi reveals that her mother has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that she had to drop out of college to care for her. Kathy apologizes for her mother's past mistakes and the two friends decide to start anew, leaving their complicated pasts behind.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator's mother comes from a family of scientists.
2. The narrator's parents expected her to be a genius like her mother's family.
3. The narrator's mother hired private tutors for her.
4. The narrator met Sofi, a new student in her school, and they became best friends.
5. Sofi's mother, Linda, was acting strangely and kept watching the narrator and Sofi.
6. Sofi's family moved away, and the narrator lost touch with Sofi.
7. The narrator won a sports scholarship to a university.
8. The narrator developed a taste for poetry, possibly influenced by Sofi.
9. The narrator attended a poetry show and heard Sofi's familiar voice on stage.
10. Sofi had to drop out of college to care for her mother, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
11. The narrator and Sofi reunited at the poetry show, and Sofi shared her story about her mother's diagnosis.
12. The narrator apologized for her mother's past behavior towards Sofi's mother.
13. Sofi forgave the narrator and they decided to start again, leaving their mothers' past conflicts behind.