Auggie & Me

As Maya leaves the note with Ellie, she seems relieved. Charlotte can tell that the popular group is gawking at her, but Maya “was beyond their being able to hurt her” (271). Charlotte just wants to stay neutral in the whole conflict.

That evening, Charlotte goes to Summer’s house so that they can comfort Ximena, who is in tears over the note that Maya gave Ellie. Ximena explains that Ellie, Savanna, and the boys wanted to post a cartoon on Instagram of Auggie and Maya with the caption, “freaks in love” (274). Ximena didn’t think it was funny and acknowledges that she could have been nicer to Maya at the start of the year. As Charlotte walks home, she wonders whether she could have been nicer to others. Suddenly, Charlotte notices a man in an orange parka boarding a bus. He turns when she calls out “Gordy Johnson!” but the bus has already started leaving.

The next evening, the girls are getting ready for their performance. When Mrs. Atanabi wishes them luck, they know that the performance means so much to her because of her childhood friend, but don’t mention it. Charlotte knows the dance means more to them because they know that story about their dance teacher.

The dance performance goes perfectly. When Charlotte sees Mrs. Atanabi, she thinks that she looks like a queen (282) and wishes that the fifth graders who laughed at her could just see her now.

The girls enjoy the benefit for the rest of the evening. Charlotte enjoys the attention. When Auggie’s parents congratulate them on the performance, Ximena is shocked that they look “Like movie stars” (284). Summer kindly explains that it is like Ximena’s brother, who has Down Syndrome.

As Charlotte goes to bed, she sends Summer and Ximena a text telling them how glad she is they got to be friends. She is surprised to get a text from Ellie telling her she wishes she could have seen the dance and wants to hang out.

Charlotte doesn’t want to run into the popular kids in case Ximena isn’t happy to see her. At lunch, Summer sits with Charlotte and Maya since Jack and Auggie are putting a note to “Beulah” in Julian’s locker. In front of everyone, Ximena comes up to their table and apologizes to Maya. Maya is completely shocked. Charlotte asks if Maya finished her game of dots. She pulls out an intricate grid of swirls, “flowers, or sunbursts” (291). Charlotte thinks it is the “most unbelievable beautiful game” (291).

For the rest of the school year, the girls stay in their original table groups. While Ellie and Charlotte have repaired their friendship, Ellie and Maya haven’t. Charlotte notices that Ximena tries to make more friends. Charlotte no longer wants to sit with the popular kids. She realizes that Maya has always been her “friend through thick and thin” (293).

Mr. Tushman asks Charlotte to his office. He explains that he will be giving the Beecher medal to Auggie but that “had this been like any other ordinary year” (295), Charlotte would have received the medal. He lets her know how proud he is of her community service and that he will call her parents to tell them that. Charlotte asks if two students have ever received the award and says she thinks Summer should be the other student because she was kind to Auggie, even though no one asked her to.

This chapter transcribes Ximena’s speech. She says that she has learned how to be herself around “her fellow dancers” and hopes that the whole grade can continue to build trust and “accept each other for who we really are” (300).

One day that summer, Charlotte sees Gordy Johnson playing the accordion in the park. When Charlotte goes up and asks him where he was, he explains that he spent the winter with his daughter. Gordy is surprised that Charlotte knows his name, and she explains that she knows Sergeant Dawson’s daughter, Summer. He says that Sergeant Dawson was a kind man and that he plays to bring joy to people’s lives.