Latrice Sheppard’s ability to “look at a girl and tell if she [has] been hit before” suggests that she thinks certain traumas are impossible to fully internalize. Indeed, Aubrey worries that her past is “written on her skin”—if this were the case, it would be a blatant externalization of her painful history. This is similar to how Nadia fears that her father will be able to sense the change in her body after her abortion. Of course, Robert remains unaware of what Nadia is dealing with, and Latrice Sheppard never seems to mention anything about Aubrey’s past. In this way, Bennett implies that the fear of externalization is rarely more than just a fear. With their intense traumas lurking inside, Nadia and Aubrey feel exposed to a world that, in reality, hardly notices them. On another note, Aubrey’s curiosity about Elise’s suicide is evidence of just how strong the impulse toward gossip and storytelling can be.