Xiomara has changed partners in her science class, but she sometimes sees Aman look at her. She feels like maybe she messed up too. In Poetry Club she is greeted by Isabelle who is very honest and welcoming. The club also contains Chris and Stephan. They each perform a poem, and then it's Xiomara's turn. When she's done, the others snap. They comment on her poem, and Xiomara feels important. She rushes to church to find Caridad waiting outside. Caridad says she told Xiomara's mother she was in the bathroom. Caridad mentions an open mic night that she wants to go to.

At school Xiomara does not like eating in the cafeteria, so she takes her lunch to the bathroom where it's safer. Isabelle finds here there and tells her that she eats in the photography room, and Xiomara is welcome to join her. When she arrives home, Xiomara hears Twin crying. She asks if Cody hit him again. Twin tells her Cody would never hit him. Cody's father is being relocated, so they have to move, and Cody thinks a long-distance relationship would be too hard, so he broke up with Xavier. Xiomara remembers she was supposed to call her mother when she arrived home. Since she didn't, her mother is mad at her for that and for making Twin cry, which is what she thinks happened. She is considering sending Xiomara to the Dominican Republic after winter break instead of waiting until summer.

Even though she's angry, she agrees to let them both go to the poetry event with Caridad. It's at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Xiomara is surprised to hear her name called as one of the performers. Caridad admits to signing her up. Xiomara is nervous, but she makes it through. Her brother and Caridad are very proud of her. The host tells her that she should come to the poetry slam in February, which is the same one that Ms. Galiano has mentioned. Xiomara wants to do it and spends all her free time writing. On Monday she goes to the photography room during lunch, and Isabelle shares a poem with her. At Poetry Club she tells them that she went to an open mic night, and they are impressed.

On Christmas Eve Caridad comes over, then the family goes to Midnight Mass. When they get home, Xiomara goes straight to her room, not expecting any presents. Her mom comes in and gives her a baby bracelet that she had resized for her. The week after Christmas Xiomara spends time writing about her family, looking forward to sharing at poetry club. On January 8, she and her brother exchange birthday gifts. She got him an X-men comic, and he got her another notebook. Caridad leaves her voicemails singing happy birthday to her. In her biology textbook, Xiomara finds two tickets to an apple farm, which she knows must be from Aman. Isabelle brings her a cupcake. When Xiomara goes to look for her journal, she finds it isn't there, which makes her nervous. After Poetry Club, Xiomara checks her phone and finds a voicemail from her mother telling her to get home. At home her mother has found and read her journal. She takes out a box of matches and lights it on fire. Xiomara panics and apologizes, but when she reaches for it, her mother slaps her. She recites Scripture, and at the same time, Xiomara yells the words from her poems. They're both crying, and Xiomara asks if her mother will burn her too since that's where the poems are. Twin rushes by and reaches for the notebook, then Papi comes and tells Twin to get the fire extinguisher. Xiomara thinks she will never write another poem again. She stumbles into the hallway and rushes out the front door.