Holding Up The Universe

Caroline continues to feel threatened by Libby, and her relationship with Jack continues to deteriorate. Jack admits to himself that he finds Caroline “exhausting” (247) but still feels that he needs her to retain his identity. After their movie date, he goes to the scrapyard to look for more pieces for Dusty’s robot. Jack compares building the robot out of old parts to his own life, where he is “trying to recycle something old into something new and better” (248). After a while of searching, he checks his email and finds a reply from Brad Duchaine at the Prosopagnosia Research Centers.

The novel moves into a new section titled “Monday,” which finds Libby is in a good mood after the weekend. She has been observing the Damsels running drills on the football field; however, her high is short-lived when she opens her locker and finds dozens of letters stating, “You aren’t wanted” (251). This is punctuated by more bullying at the hands of Caroline and Kendra, who continue to target her.

At the next Conversation Circle, Mr. Levine makes the students dance as a self-esteem-building exercise. At first, the students are reluctant to participate, but they eventually warm up to the activity, especially Libby, who puts on an impressive solo dance routine.