Schooled

The role that Zach played in getting Capricorn hurt, if not killed, reduces his standing at the middle school. The only person willing to sit with him at lunch is Hugh Winkleman. Neither of them believe the rumors that Capricorn is dead or gravely injured, but they cannot convince anyone else of this.

When Zach gets hit by a spitball, Hugh enjoys his “front row seat at Payback Fest” (168). Zach refuses to apologize for the way he has treated Hugh in the past, blaming Hugh for his own mistreatment: “From the first day of kindergarten, everything about you screamed dweeb–your clothes, your hobbies, your vocabulary” (169). Zach goes on to explain:

My whole life, it’s been obvious what sports to play, what bands to listen to, what people to hang out with. It’s as if I was born with a natural guidance system inside my head, showing me how to be cool […] But Cap Anderson doesn’t come with a book of instructions (169).

Capricorn is the first person that Zach has encountered who has defied all of the usual social rules that Zach understands intuitively. Capricorn should have been an easy target, but he wasn’t because he’s unaware that a social hierarchy even exists.