"And I had a kind of vision of Chrissie and Rodney, back at the Cottages, in the months leading up to this moment, probing and prodding this subject between them." Pg. 154
In the thirteenth chapter, Chrissie and Rodney plan a day trip to ask the Hailsham kids in private whether they can defer donations if they fall in love. The responses are mixed and telling of each character's motivation. Ruth and Kathy both play along with the rumor. They most likely have never heard it from any person of authority but they want to keep it alive in hopes it could be true. Tommy reacts completely different. He denies hearing anything about it at Hailsham. With this serious response, Tommy once again goes into a state of self doubt. I believe he naturally equates loving with creativity. If he was never good at self expression, which Miss Lucy told him was crucial, how can he possibly convince anyone of his deep, true love for Ruth. If Tommy rejects the rumor, he eliminates the measuring stick on which he feels he would most assuredly fall short. He, more than anyone in his group, tries to avoid the disappointment of hope.
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