Awkward

This chapter addresses the importance of Apologizing for Our Mistakes. Acknowledging and apologizing to Jaime for pushing him allows Peppi to become closer friends with him. However, this chapter also shows the growing animosity between the science and art clubs and how fostering unhealthy competition can push people to extremes.

Throughout the first three chapters of the graphic novel, Peppi has struggled with getting up the courage to apologize to Jaime. This is because Peppi was pushing herself to say sorry in a way that was unnatural for her personality. Peppi is quiet and tentative, afraid to speak her mind even among her friends. This is why when she tries to get up the courage to apologize to Jaime in person, she ends up running away and hiding. An illustration on page 16 shows her hiding behind the school sign and silently crying as Jaime walks by. In Chapter 4, however, Peppi realizes that instead of pushing herself to act bolder or more outgoing, like Maribella, she can apologize in a way that is truer to who she is as a person. Rather than making a verbal apology, she draws herself apologizing to Jaime and puts it in his locker. Then, she finishes her apology in person when Jaime comes up to her with her letter in his hand—speaking is easier now that she has visualized their interaction. An illustration on page 128 shows Jaime smiling while he looks at her drawing. Peppi’s apology is thoughtful and specific. It shows Jaime that she is truly repentant for her actions and that they don’t reflect her true character.

At the same time, tensions between the clubs are building as the hostile standoff continues to define The Relationship Between Art and Science. Page 144 depicts the two clubs trading insults in the cafeteria. Kids in the science club ask: “Hey, art club! Did you solve world hunger with cartoons yet?” (144) Kids in the art club reply: “Hey, jerk club. Did you ruin another school event yet?” (144) Each club is demeaning the other. The science club is implying that art doesn’t add anything of value to the world. In reality, art can “change the way we see the world, awakening us to new perspectives, ideas, and values”—it doesn’t serve only an aesthetic purpose, but “can actually change the world we live in” by fostering knowledge, empathy, and understanding (Talley, Rob. “The Power of Art: Does Art Really Change the World We Live In?” Art Business News. 22 February 2023). On the other hand, the art club insults the science club’s established behavior. While the science club’s insults are based on stereotypes, the art club’s are more personal.

In each of these panels, Peppi and Jaime stand behind the other members of their clubs. They do not participate in the taunting but look concerned by the behavior and name-calling. Peppi thinks about the way the animosity between the clubs is affecting her newfound friendship: “It’s like we’re part of two rival gangs or something […] I don’t feel like it’s okay to even say hi to him” (144). While conflict between friend groups is unavoidable in adolescence, no one should feel unwelcome to associate with someone from another group. This line is where friendship groups can become cliques instead, which are insular groups that are hostile to outsiders. Due to her burgeoning friendship with Jaime, Penelope recognizes that the atmosphere between the two groups has become toxic.

This toxic environment leads to Maribella stealing Jaime’s remote, which the science club was going to use to fly their solar plane. The principal’s unhealthy framing of the competition, which has served to undermine The Importance of Academic Community, combined with Maribella’s fear of her father’s reaction to the art club losing the competition, make Maribella take a drastic action and then pleading for Peppi’s help as “the only friend I have” (160). Peppi, who has just recently struggled through her shyness enough to become friends with Jaime, is compassionate toward Maribella about the difficulties of friendship and agrees to help. Maribella is in a difficult situation where she fears what will happen to her at her own house; however, her actions are also not fair toward Peppi, who must now be embroiled in the theft of the remote. The novel’s interest in the ways friendships can promote prosocial and antisocial behavior is nuanced and complex; by making each character sympathetic and driven by understandable forces, the novel allows readers to consider characters’ choices outside of a simple black-and-white morality.