Vada and Thomas J. come across a bees' nest hanging from a tree, which he decides to knock down. Vada loses her mood ring in the process, so they start looking for it, but the search is cut short as the bees start swarming, making them run away. Later, Vada becomes distressed when Harry and Shelly announce their engagement at a carnival, leading her to contemplate running away with Thomas J. She is starting to see changes within herself and runs around screaming that she is hemorrhaging until Shelly explains to her that her first period is a completely natural process. As Vada realizes this only occurs with girls, she does not want to see Thomas J., who happens to come by shortly afterward. A couple of days later, Vada and Thomas J. are sitting under a tree by a river, where they share an innocent first kiss. Thomas J. later returns to find Vada's mood ring, but is attacked by a swarm of bees and dies from an allergic reaction.