Awkward

## Description

Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don't get noticed by the mean kids.

Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them.

On her first day at her new school, Penelope--Peppi--Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she's already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the "nerder girlfriend." How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!

Falling back on rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can't help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he's a member of her own club's archrivals--the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!

## Characters

* (Debut) Page 5 Panel 2/5 Penelope Torres
* (Debut) Page 5 Panel 5/5 Jaime Thompson
* (Debut) Page 6 Panel 1/4 Foster
* (Debut) Page 6 Panel 1/4 Yanic
* (Debut) Page 8 Panel 4/6 Tessa Winston
* (Debut) Page 8 Panel 4/6 Nina Badyal
* (Debut) Page 10 Panel 2/6 Mr. Ramirez
* (Debut) Page 10 Panel 4/6 Jensen Graham
* (Debut) Page 10 Panel 4/6 Felicity Teale
* (Debut) Page 10 Panel 6/6 Nathaniel Tucker
* (Debut) Page 10 Panel 6/6 Sam O'Reilly
* (Debut) Page 10 Panel 6/6 Tyrone Little
* (Debut) Page 12 Panel 3/5 Maribella Samson
* (Debut) Page 13 Panel 2/6 Derek Lee
* (Debut) Page 13 Panel 2/6 Leticia Teale
* (Debut) Page 19 Panel 2/5 Miss Tobins
* (Debut) Page 24 Panel 4/4 Jack Nielson
* (Debut) Page 35 Panel 3/6 Mrs. Pratt
* (Debut) Page 57 Panel 1/3 Jason Nguen
* (Debut) Page 81 Panel 6/6 Jenny Yao
* (Debut) Page 81 Panel 6/6 Akilah Salib
* (Debut) Page 102 Panel 6/6 Maribella’s Dad
* (Debut)/Mentioned) Page 104 Panel 6/6 Maribella’s Mom (Mentioned by Maribella’s Dad)
* (Debut) Page 107 Panel 4/6 Mrs. Thompson
* (Debut) Page 112 Panel 1/5 Mr. Thompson
* (Debut) Page 114 Panel 2/5 Peppi’s Mom
* (Debut/Mentioned) Page 135 Panel 1/5 Mr. Kristoffer (Mentioned by Jensen Graham)
* (Debut) Page 146 Panel 1/6 Peppi's Dad
* (Debut) Page 171 Panel 6/7 Peppi's Grandma
* (Debut) Page 189 Panel 5/5 Leonardo Da Vinci

## Summary

Peppi finds friends with similar interests in the Art Club (who have an intense rivalry with the science club across the hall). She becomes closest with Tessa Winston and Nina Badyal. The news that the principal has denied the art club a table at the annual club fair sparks outrage and Maribella Samson, an enthusiastic art club member, is determined to resolve it. However, the principal points out that the art club does nothing to contribute to the school, so Maribella asks everyone to brainstorm ideas of how they could give back. Maribella (and Peppi) have the idea to draw comics to put in the school newspaper, and Maribella has already secured a page in the school newspaper, as long as they meet their deadline.

As they are leaving art club that day, Peppi remembers that she has a tutoring session with a science club member she is late for which Miss Tobins, their science teacher, set up because Peppi is struggling in science. When she arrives for her session, (late) she discovers that her tutor is in fact Jaime. Their tutoring session goes productively, though Peppi worries the entire time that Jaime hates her, and their interactions feel awkward.

The next day, Peppi turns in her science homework. Mrs. Tobbins is impressed, and decided to continue scheduling tutoring sessions with Jaime. After school, the art club gets started on their comics. Some science club kids cause some trouble, steering a drone with a water balloon overhead in the classroom, but when Mrs. Tobbins is alerted they brush it aside, claiming it to be an experiment gone of-course. Peppi spots Jaime using a machine to clean lockers across the hall, but hides when he looks up. Maribella asks Peppi to be her co-editor of the "Comic Punch" (their comics page), and reveals that she heard Peppi whisper her idea for doing comics the day before. Peppi reluctantly agrees.

The next day, Peppi struggles with ideas for her comic strip, but has hope that the day's field trip will bring inspiration. The field trip is a science trip to the Discovery Center. Since their class is studying ecosystems, the center has invited Jason Nguen, a famous writer and globe-trotter, to speak to them about some different ecosystems he has visited. Both Jaime and Peppi are enthralled by his presentation. After, Miss Tobins explains that she has set up a geocache scavenger hunt for them. The classes are split into five groups, and Peppi's group includes Foster and Yanic (who are less then thrilled about the Discovery center or the scavenger hunt), and a large number of science club members, including Jaime.

Near the start of the hunt, Foster and Yanic tease the science clubs kids and note that they could just let them do everything and sit back and do nothing. This irks Derek Lee (a science club member), who sends them to solve one of the puzzles located in the terrarium exhibit. As the rest of the students in the group run away, Peppi mentions that she didn't remember the Discovery Center having a terrarium exhibit, to which Jaime replies that it doesn't, which Foster and Yanic will most likely discover soon. The whole team works together to solve their puzzles, and are the first one's to discover all their coordinates. When they arrive at their coordinates, they receive the clue, "One of these things is not like the others." With only ten minutes left, the entire team whips into a frenzy to find the cache. Peppi and Jaime work together, noting different reoccuring objects, and Peppi finally notices that one of the hanging flower pots is empty. Here they find their geocahce, and each one of them get to take something from it.  Jaime and Peppi share excitement over their win, and Jaime tells Peppi that his dad and him geocache all the time. Peppi is momentarily distracted by Nina, and when she turns around, Jaime is gone.

The next day, Peppi contemplates apologizing to Jaime for pushing him, but has little time to think of it with all the buzz around completing their comics. Everyone is struggling with ideas, so Maribella asks newspaper representatives Jenny Yao and Akilah Salib to help them with ideas. Jenny gives them some helpful topic examples, and Jenny reminds them not to miss their deadline. As the art club continues to work on their projects, a few science clubs set up an unsafe experiment in the hallway without supervision, earning reprimand from Miss Tobbins. As they leave, Nina and Tessa complain about the science club and the principal's decision to let them have a table and not the art club. Peppi notices Jaime and a few other science club members performing an experiment with a kite outside.

The next day, Peppi is at her tutoring session. Trying to make small talk, Peppi notes that the science club has been flying a lot of things recently. Jaime explains that "they" are doing a presentation on aerodynamics at the regional science fair. When Peppi asks why he isn't on the team, he says he was, but he asked to be taken off because he doesn't like competitions, he just likes science. He has to leave to help them prepare. As they do, Peppi drops her papers, and Jaime picks them up for her. He notices her comic, which she chose to do about geocaching on the field trip. She explains this, and he says nothing, to her dismay. The next day, Miss Tobins congratulates Peppi on how well she's been doing in her class, and informs her that she is ending the tutoring sessions. Peppi is dissapointed, but supposes this will make it easier for her to avoid him. The pressure for comics continues to build.

On Monday, the morning paper tells of shenanigans at the science fair- the science club pulled a prank that went too far. Maribella speaks with the principal and insists that if the science club gets a table, than the art club should get one too. The principal announces that he is dissapointed in both the clubs, and that he has decided that only on of them will get a table at the club fair. He asks both clubs to come up with a project that will benefit the school and their classmates will get to vote on which one was better. Whoever contributes best gets the table. Both clubs are determined to win. Maribella insists that Peppi come over to her house for an editorial meeting.

The next day, Peppi bikes over to Maribella's house, which is extremely nice. Maribella says her parents aren't home, but her dad said they could use his study. She gushes about her dad, but as he pulls in early, she anxiously tells Peppi to look busy. When Mr. Samson comes in, he tells Maribella to crush the science club, says he's grateful that Maribella isn't like her "lazy" mother, and as he leaves, commands Maribella not to dissapoint him. Maribella, distressed, tells Peppi they must win this.

As she bikes home, Peppi reflects over what happened at Maribella's house. It seemed like Maribella was scared of her own dad, and Mr. Sampson had called Mrs. Sampson a bad name. As she contemplates this, she is nearly hit by a car, and just barely swerves out of the way. Across the street, someone asks her if she's alright, and it turns out to be Jaime and his mom.

Mrs. Thompson invites Peppi inside and calls her mom. While they wait, Mrs. Thompson mentions that she doesn't get to meet Jaime's friends often and asks if Peppi is from the science club. Jaime tells her that Peppi is from the art club and says she's "really good". Mrs. Thompson is also an artist, and asks Jaime to go get her sketchbooks to show Peppi. When he leaves, Mrs. Thompson goes silent, and asks Peppi if she is the one who pushed him. Peppi nervously confirms this, and says she's sorry, and Mrs. Thompson tells her she should tell Jaime that. Jaime and Peppi hang out until her mom arrives, and when she gets home, Peppi decides that she's going to apologize to Jaime.

The next day, Peppi tries to put the apology letter in Jaime's locker, but is consistently thwarted in her attempts. Finally, she escapes science to put it in his locker, and feels relieved to have it over with. There is more panic at art club about their approaching deadline, added to by the science club's tauntings. The science club refuses to reveal what their project is, which stresses Maribella. As they are leaving art club, Jaime approaches Peppi with the letter she wrote him in his hand. Nina and Tessa assume that since he is a science club member he has come to harass Peppi, but she explains that he's her science tutor and tells them she'll see them tomorrow.

Peppi asks Jaime if he hates her, and he says that his mom told him that there are bad people who hurt people for fun and there are good people who make mistakes and hurt people be accident. He says he think she's a good person who made a mistake. As they are talking, Foster and Yanic interrupt and steal the letter. They start reading it, and Peppi panics and screams. Foster and Yanic freak out because they don't want a teacher to hear, and run away as Miss Tobins rushes in to make sure Peppi and Jaime are okay.

Peppi and Jaime walk home together. Peppi is relieved to have finally apologized, and excited to have a new friend.

The next day, Thursday, is the day before their deadline with the newspaper, and everyone must have their comics finished by the end of the day, so there is a frenzy. That night, Peppi and Maribella stay up until late in the morning editing everyone's comics. When they're done, Maribella thanks Peppi for helping her, reflecting that others would have left her when things got rough, and that she is a good friend.

At school the next day (Friday), the art club meets their deadline, but Peppi feels like she can't even wave at Jaime at school because of their club rivalry. She receives an invitation to a barbeque at his house in her locker, and hides it before her art club friends see.

On Saturday, Peppi's family goes to Jaime's for a barbeque, and Jaime takes Peppi to find a geocache that he and his dad hid. They hang out for a while, and end up on his front porch, Jaime flying a drone. He comments that he's going to miss his remote, and when Peppi asks if he's getting rid of it, he mentions that he's giving it to the art club for their project, and almost lets slip what the project is. Jaime says he's excited to see the art club's comics, and both agree that the whole competition is stupid.

On Monday, the science club reveals their project, a model solar plane, which sparks excitment across the school and panic in the art club. On Tuesday, the comics come out in the school newspaper with great reception. Jaime loves them and asks when there will be more.

After school on Tuesday, Maribella shows up at Peppi's house and asks her to keep help her. Maribella stole the remote for the solar plane, and asks Peppi to keep it and hide it until the next day so Maribella's dad won't see it when he gets home. Peppi reluctantly agrees.

The next day, Maribella does not show up for school, and Peppi is a nervous wreck. When the remote is discovered to be missing, the science club accuses the art club. In what they believe to be retaliation, they hack the newspaper website and put up mean things about the art club. The art club moves to retaliate, and Peppi decides it's time to put the issue to rest. She bikes to Maribella's house to give her back the remote, but finds no one home. A neighbor informs her that the night before there was a huge argument in the house, and that Maribella and her mother left with bags packed.

That evening, she decides to return the remote, so she sneaks into Jaime's backyard to leave the remote. However, she is discovered, and Jaime is hurt when he realizes she had the remote. She insists she didn't steal it, and when he asks who did, she says it was a friend, and that they were a good person who made a mistake. Jaime is still upset.

The next day, the launch is back on, with the remote having mysterious been discovered "in the library". The art club resigns themselves to losing the competiton after the launch, but decide that art club is still the best part of their day. However, the principal makes an announcement that he is dissapointed with both clubs and has decided to disband both of them until further notice. Outside, the art club and science club members get into a huge fight, each blaming the other for their clubs being disbanded. Peppi yells at them to stop and points out that all the fighting is what got them where they are now- both without clubs- before she runs away.

When she gets home, Maribella is at her house to see her. She says she came back for the remote. When Peppi says she returned it, Maribella is relieved. Peppi asks what happened, and Maribella says that her parents got in a huge fight, and her mother and her are leaving to live with her grandmother tomorrow. She promised to write, and leaves, without learning the fate of the art club.

At school, all the art club kids are upset with Peppi for yelling at them. After school, as Peppi is leaving, she runs into Miss Tobins, who shares Peppi's dismay at not being able to have their clubs meet. She commends Peppi on her progress in science and calls her a "Renaissance girl". She explains that in the Renaisance, there were many people who excelled in fields that may not have seemed very similar, noteably science and art. She uses Leonardo Da Vinci as an example. This gives Peppi an idea.

When Peppi gets home she starts working on her idea. While she is, Jaime visits. He apologizes for yelling at her when she returned the remote, and she forgives him. She explains her idea to him, and he enthusiastically agrees to help.

The next day, Peppi gathers both the science club and art club together. She explains that the best way to get their clubs back is to prove they can work together. She presents her idea: a joint-club project. She suggests a planetarium exhibit. The science club kids can execute the science, and the art club kids can make it a presentable exhibit. She finally gets them all to agree. They present their idea to Mrs. Tobbins and Mr. Ramirez, and they bring it to the principal, who agrees to give them their clubs back if they successfully complete this joint project.

Both clubs get tables at the club fair, and Peppi is happy to have her club back and to be friends with Jaime.

After the club fair, Jaime and Peppi are walking down the hall, talking about a joint project for next year. Foster and Yanic start teasing them, and steal Peppi's sketchbook. To their surprise, both the art club and science club come to their aid and tell Foster and Yanic to back off.

The rivalry between the art club and science club has ended (for the most part) and Peppi is grateful for all of her friends, for building friendships with them.