Increasingly repulsed by the men she dances for at work, Fern becomes briefly convinced that she is only attracted to women. During this period, she exclusively dates women but finds that “I didn’t fit in on the gay scene either, where everyone seemed to already be friends and I felt like I’d missed out on some big initial meeting” (217). As school and work overwhelm her, her love life becomes increasingly peripheral. After beginning to date men again, she starts going out with a man named Josh, who she does not have very strong feelings about. During her summer job writing reviews for a local arts magazine, she is assigned to try standup and write about her experience. Despite being incredibly nervous about the assignment, she discovers that performing comedy is exhilarating and knows that she wants to try to build a comedy career. Josh does not think this is a good idea.

In the final year of university, Fern is made editor of the student newspaper, making it even more difficult for her to balance stripping with other responsibilities. If she cannot continue to make money, however, she will be forced to drop out of school. Desperate for the financial aid office to finally recognize her plight and give her the money she was promised, she takes all the evidence she can find to them, and they unexpectedly give her the money she needs.