Clues to the Universe

Benji gets a short postcard from Amir, which he considers more of an insult than a comfort, but then Ro invites Benji to her family’s Chinese New Year celebration. Benji’s mother insists that he bring some fresh cookies, so Benji walks over with the plate and is warmly greeted by Ro’s mother. Ro comes downstairs and proudly introduces Benji to some of her favorite Chinese dishes. Afterward, Ro and Benji overhear Ro’s relatives talking about her father and how her mother should move the family to San Francisco to be closer to her relatives. Ro rushes outside, upset and embarrassed, and admits to Benji that her father died. She cries and Benji holds her, and afterward, Ro points up at the stars and teaches Benji the constellations her father taught her. Benji enjoys being in the moment and taking the time to look at the stars, which is something he never used to do.

After the party, Ro and her mother regret that Mr. Voltz never appeared. Ro asks her mother about moving, and Ro’s mom admits that she’s considering it. Ro doesn’t want to leave the house she shared with her dad and hates the idea of leaving everything she knows behind. As she considers this, Mr. Voltz knocks on the door, late but not too late to visit.

Ro recalculates all her math and checks all her hardware before the next launch. She hopes this time it will reach the expected height, but it only gets to 900 feet. Benji considers it a great result, but Ro wants it to be perfect and high enough to reach space. She insists on trying again.

Ro spends all day and night in her garage laboratory working on the rocket. At the next launch, the rocket hits 1,100 feet, and Benji yells for joy, once again believing it to be a success. He can tell that Ro is disappointed but is starting to get frustrated with her lack of satisfaction with the results. He tries to tell Ro that she’s a great scientist and brilliant, but he accidentally adds that “it’s just a stupid science fair project” (150). Benji instantly regrets what he said, but Ro is already walking away.

Ro rushes home thinking about what Benji said. She looks at her dad’s belongings and realizes she never even told Benji the real intention behind her project. Ro berates herself, thinking she isn’t a real scientist and calling herself a failure. She feels frustrated that her plans aren’t working out, despite diligent calculations. At the kitchen table, Ro notices an ad in the newspaper for a Spacebound movie, and she suddenly knows where Benji’s dad is.

Ro comes to Benji’s house unannounced and rushes inside to tell him that his dad is going to be in Los Angeles for the Spacebound premiere in two weeks. Benji starts imagining what it would be like to meet his dad but knows that his mother is going to be tough to convince. Every time he hints at it, he can’t manage to get the truth out; when he finally does, Benji’s mother flat-out rejects the idea. She doesn’t want Benji’s dad to be in their lives anymore. When Benji tells Ro this, Ro accuses Benji of not caring enough and encourages him to keep trying to convince his mom. She even suggests they take the bus there themselves. Benji’s family dinners become tense and awkward, and he feels like Ro doesn’t understand what he’s going through.

Ro and Benji stand up to do their first science fair presentation, which is just a small class presentation. When Benji opens up the poster they made, he and Ro see that it’s completely covered in dripping green slime. Ro tries to talk through the presentation anyway but is obviously hurt and distracted, and her time runs out. At the back of the class, Drew and his friends are laughing hysterically. Ro sits down in her seat, trying to fight off tears.

As Ro talks her way through the presentation, Benji stares at Drew, who he knows is responsible. He’s angry that Drew would ruin something Ro cared so much about and angry that Drew is clearly still vengeful after he got him in trouble. He feels guilty and partially responsible for what happened.

After class, Ro confronts Drew in the hallways, but he denies having any involvement and mocks Ro for being upset. He also makes fun of her and Benji, calling them a “freak couple” (174). Benji stands behind Ro, saying nothing.

After Drew leaves, Ro and Benji start to fight. Benji thinks that Ro is controlling, and Ro thinks that Benji should have stood up for her. Benji accuses Ro of not caring about him, then instantly regrets it. He wants to apologize but can’t. Ro leaves, but not before implying that Benji is a coward for not looking for his father.

Later, Benji reflects and realizes that Ro might have her flaws, but she is the only person he knows who has made such a strong effort to help him. When he sees Drew again, Drew starts making fun of Benji, and Benji pushes Drew. They end up in a squabble and are both put in detention. There, Benji tells Drew that his pranks have hurt people, including Ro. Benji also thinks about his dad, Gemma Harris, and what Ro said. He decides he is going to go to LA and prove everyone wrong.