Auggie & Me

Chapter 2 rewinds to the beginning of the school year. Julian’s mother gets a call from Mr. Tushman asking if Julian would be willing to welcome a new student. Julian’s mom thinks that it is an honor. At school, Julian meets his classmates, Charlotte Cody, and Jack Will. Jack is nervous to be there, commenting that it’s “messed up” for them to have to welcome the “kid with the face” (9). Charlotte points out that Julian wouldn’t know who August is since he doesn’t live in the neighborhood.

Mr. Tushman welcomes the three students into his office. Julian thinks he feels comfortable conversing with adults but doesn’t like it. Finally, Mr. Tushman tells them why he asked them to introduce the new student. He asks if the students’ parents told them about Auggie’s condition. Charlotte and Jack nod but Julian still does not understand. Julian thinks his mom said that Mr. Tushman described Auggie as having “lots of scars and stuff” (12) and that he had a cleft palate. Mr. Tushman frowns at this description and explains that Auggie has a craniofacial difference. He’s intelligent but has never been able to go to school before. Mr. Tushman instructs the children to be kind and talk to Auggie like they would anyone else.

When Julian sees Auggie, he wants to run away screaming. He knows that sounds mean but thinks that anyone who doesn’t feel that way is being dishonest. Julian struggles to focus as Mr. Tushman introduces them—all he can hear in his mind is, “Dude! Dude!” over and over. Julian wants to run away but knows that would get him in trouble. Even shaking Auggie’s hand makes Julian feel repulsed.

Julian explains his history with night terrors. When he was five, a zombie commercial terrified him to the point of screams. This was the start of Julian’s struggle with terror and nightmares. He becomes scared during movies like Star Wars and Harry Potter at sleepovers. When his dad needs to take him out of a theater during a movie trailer, Julian feels humiliated. While Julian’s parents take him to see a psychologist briefly, he is most comforted by the distraction of nature documentaries. Years later, Julian has finally grown out of his nightmares—until he meets Auggie. That night, his nightmares return.

After meeting Auggie, Julian tries to describe his appearance to his mother. She is preoccupied until she receives his class picture. She comments that, “This isn’t just a cleft palate” (22). Julian explains that she didn’t listen to Mr. Tushman. She asks Julian if Auggie has developmental or communication problems and who his parents are. Julian explains that Auggie’s appearance is why he has been having night terrors, and he breaks down crying. That night, Julian has a dream that he is at school and students are staring at him. When he looks in the mirror, he sees Auggie’s face.

Julian overhears his parents talking. His Mom thinks that the school should have given them notice that Auggie would be joining the class, especially since Julian has “anxiety issues” (25). Upset and embarrassed, Julian insists that it isn’t his fault. When Julian sees his class picture, he says that his mom should burn it. She shows him a new copy of the photo that she has edited—Auggie is completely Photoshopped out. Julian’s father chuckles, remembering when she Photoshopped photos from their Hawaiian vacation to make the skies look blue. Julian’s mother says that, just like she can now remember the vacation fondly, she wants Julian to have “Good memories. Not ugly ones” (27). Julian thinks that all his memories of the vacation are about how cold and wet it was.

Julian knows that things he says behind other people’s backs might hurt them. Still, he does not consider himself to be a bully. At school, some of his friends think that his mom Photoshopping Auggie out of the school photo is “cool.” Others, like Charlotte, disapprove. Jack has gone “to the dark side” (28) and become friends with Auggie. Their classmates play a game called “The Plague” where they cannot touch Auggie. Everyone plays except Jack and Summer, Julian’s crush. Julian planned on asking Summer to go to a Halloween party with him, but she left the party and has also started spending time with Auggie.

One day, Julian is joking around with Jack when Jack punches him in the face. Julian’s mother is outraged and insists that Jack be expelled. Julian is finally able to explain to his parents what happened. When he and Jack were talking, Julian commented that Jack didn’t need to partner with Auggie for their science project. Hearing this sends Mrs. Albans over the edge. She says that this type of incident is what happens when kids are exposed to “this kind of stuff” (31). Julian feels bad for Jack—he can tell that his mom won’t rest until Jack is expelled.

Since Julian’s face is swollen, his parents cancel their trip to Paris. Mrs. Albans does not want anyone to see Julian’s mouth and sends out an old photo for their Christmas card. Julian’s nightmares have started getting better, but he can tell this won’t be enough to calm his mother. She found out that Auggie took his entrance exam at home. Julian is embarrassed that she has been telling other parents about his nightmares. Julian listens to several Beecher Prep moms discuss the issue, some of them agreeing with Julian’s mother that the children aren’t prepared for it. When one mother points out that there isn’t anything wrong with Auggie, Julian’s mother claims that the only problem is that Tushman “broke the rules” (35) by not requiring Auggie to interview in person. Julian feels bad that his mom won’t focus on other things, like when she raises money for the school or shelters for the unhoused.

Back at school, Julian is upset to see that Jack is still friends with Auggie. Julian has his group “ice” Jack out until he realizes that he needs to be on “Team Julian and the Rest of the World” (37). Julian begins leaving hateful notes in Jack’s and Auggie’s lockers.

Shortly before the fifth-grade trip to the Nature Retreat, the Albans are called into a meeting with the headmaster, Dr. Jansen, and Mr. Tushman. Mrs. Albans thinks the meeting will be about getting Mr. Tushman fired. Mr. Tushman shows them notes that he found in Auggie’s locker. Julian doesn’t think Jack or Auggie tattled since they left him notes too. Dr. Jansen explains that Beecher Prep has a zero-tolerance policy about bullying.

Julian admits to writing the notes and tries to explain that Jack and Auggie also wrote him notes. Julian cannot remember how many notes he wrote but realizes that the most recent ones were the most severe. In one of them, he tells Auggie “You should do everybody a favor—and die” (42). Julian sees how bad they look and shows the adults one of the notes that he found in his locker. Mr. Tushman does not think these notes compare to Julian’s. He is horrified when neither Julian nor his parents understand how severe they are. The headmaster says the notes crossed a line. Julian is relieved to hear that Auggie never read the last three notes.

Julian’s parents are furious when Mr. Tushman and Mr. Jansen suspend Julian for two weeks and recommend that he see a therapist. Mrs. Alban explodes with anger, saying that Mr. Tushman broke the rules by admitting Auggie and is punishing Julian in retaliation for her pointing it out. Mr. Tushman suggests that Julian write a letter of apology to Auggie. Mr. Tushman argues that Julian will never see the magnitude of his actions when his parents justify them. Mr. Alban insists that the suspension be kept confidential. After his mom storms out, Julian says that he feels bad for writing the last notes to Auggie. After Julian seems willing to write an apology, his father tells him to leave and whispers something angry to Mr. Tushman and Mr. Jansen. Julian finds his mother, who has been crying in the lobby.

During the car ride home, Mrs. Alban continues to insist that Julian was “goaded” into writing the notes, and that “we all make mistakes” (52). Mr. Alban says that Mrs. Alban cannot continue to justify everything Julian does, then breaks the news that he is withdrawing Julian from Beecher Prep. Julian is distraught. When his mother insists that the school is against them, Julian says that was her fault, not his. Mr. Alban says that Julian seems to blame Auggie and his mother rather than himself. Julian shouts that he isn’t sorry (54).

Julian remains isolated throughout his suspension. He tells his friends that he has strep throat. When Julian returns to school, he is shocked to see that Auggie has become more popular than him. Henry even stands up to Julian and says that they don’t call Auggie a “freak” anymore. He explains that on the Nature Retreat, Auggie and Jack were bullied by seventh graders from another school. Henry, Miles, and Amos came to their rescue, and the five of them ran away from the bullies. When Henry admits that he thinks Julian would have sided with the seventh graders if he were there, Julian is horrified. He does not want to the others to think he would want someone to beat Auggie up. When he texts Henry to tell him this, Henry never replies.

Julian is lonely during the last week of school. Mr. Tushman meets with Julian and asks whether he has written an apology letter. Julian says that he doesn’t see the point, since everyone thinks he is an “unfeeling kid who doesn’t feel ‘remorse’” (58). Not long after, the Albans receive a letter notifying them that the school has withdrawn the invitation to Julian to re-enroll. Julian’s parents enroll him in another private school for the fall. They skip the fifth-grade graduation at Beecher Prep.