Clues to the Universe

Benji is on the bus to Los Angeles, thinking about a career day where one of the students’ dads was a geologist. He talked about all the different ways people have navigated throughout history, including using the stars, nature, or a compass. Benji considers how Gemma Harris managed to cross the universe with a faulty navigator and marvels at the fact that his path has finally led him toward his dad.

Benji’s mother is shocked and angry, and Ro feels like it’s her fault Benji left. She knows she pushed him by telling him he’s too scared of everything, and she tells Benji’s mother that they have to go to LA to look for him. Benji’s mother insists that she has to file a police report first and confirm that Benji is even in LA. Mr. Voltz offers to drive with Ro to LA anyway. Ro calls her mother, who invites herself along for the road trip, and they begin their five-hour drive to the big city. When they stop for gas along the way, Mr. Voltz tries to reassure Ro and hints that he understands that her devotion to finding Benji’s father had a lot to do with her own.

Benji starts to feel like the bus ride is taking a long time and occupies himself by watching the world go by and sketching in his notebook. Soon, it occurs to him that his mom must be terrified, but he tells himself that this is an important chance and imagines a heartfelt and dramatic reunion with his dad. When the bus finally arrives in the city, Benji gets help figuring out how to bus down to the movie theater. He gets there and waits for his dad to walk down the red carpet. When he finally appears, Benji rushes out after him, yelling “Dad!” and saying he’s his son. Benji’s dad stares incredulously at Benji for a while, then security starts to intervene. Suddenly, Benji’s dad remembers him. He smiles briefly and tells Benji to wait outside the theater so they can sort things out. Benji’s dad then leaves to get photos taken, and Benji sees that he’s with a new wife.

Benji realizes all at once that he humiliated himself and his dad, and his dad never wanted him there in the first place. He also realizes that the clues in the comics were mere coincidence, and his dad has moved on to a new life. Benji feels guilty for worrying his mom and Ro and decides to head back home immediately. To his dismay, he finds that his map is gone, and the note he meant to leave his mom is still in his backpack. Not knowing what else to do, Benji walks back to the theater, where he sees Ro.

Ro, Mr. Voltz, and Ro’s mom circle around the theater several times trying to spot Benji. Eventually, Ro’s mom sees him standing at the theater entrance, and Ro runs to meet him. She wraps him in a hug and realizes he’s completely distraught. Benji tries not to cry as he explains that his dad didn’t want to see him and made him wait outside through the entire movie. Everyone feels ready to go home, but then Benji’s dad runs up behind him.

Benji turns around to meet his father as cameras flash in their eyes. Benji’s father awkwardly tries to get Benji to stop and let him explain, but Benji is hurt and angry and tells his father he shouldn’t have left the family. Benji’s father tries to apologize and insists on talking things out, so everyone goes to a nearby diner.

Benji sits with his dad and listens as he explains that he and Benji’s mother always fought about his decision to leave work to become an artist. Benji’s dad eventually left for LA to make his dream a reality, and Benji’s mom later changed her phone number so he could no longer reach the family. He admits he could have handled things better and explains that he wants to try and mend his relationship with Benji and Danny. Benji doesn’t know what to say, but he looks over at Ro—whose father is gone—and realizes that he should take advantage of this chance. Benji and his dad exchange phone numbers.

Benji excuses his dad so he can talk to Ro, and Ro immediately apologizes for pushing Benji to come to LA. Benji admits he wanted to go and was tired of feeling scared. He also apologizes for not standing up for Ro when Drew was bullying her. He feels glad to have come to LA and met his dad, as he didn’t want to spend his life wondering what that might have been like. Suddenly, Ro and Benji realize it’s the night before the science fair, and they decide that they are going to give a redo their best shot. Benji and Ro beg Ro’s mom and Mr. Voltz to drive through the night so they have time to work on their project, and they reluctantly agree.

On the long drive home, Benji and Ro reflect on how none of their plans worked out as they hoped, but things somehow worked out okay anyway. They figure out a plan for the science fair project and decide to spend the whole night working on it. Ro laughs to herself thinking about how much Benji has changed, as he once had no interest in science fairs at all.