Flight Of The Puffin

Libby hates accompanying her father to collect money from clients in debt, but she figures it’s better than staying home all day. At a house with a family inside, Libby watches as her dad tries to convince the man to pay what he owes for car repairs. Her dad uses her as a bargaining chip and tries to guilt the man into helping feed his family. Libby knows she should say something but doesn’t. On the way home, Libby’s dad brags about how well he handled the situation. She sees a group of people standing around a boy, antagonizing him, and thinks about how miserable the world is.

Vincent’s mom senses that he still doesn’t want to return to school and asks him if he’s feeling confused about his gender. Vincent has no idea where she would get that idea and tells her that isn’t the case. Vincent’s mom lets him stay home for one more day, but he feels like he doesn’t matter. He decides to check the mailbox and finds Libby’s postcard, with the words, “Fly free! We’re right behind you. Because YOU are amazing!” (135). Vincent has no clue who Libby is or why she sent him the postcard, but it makes him cry. He thinks about how he ran away from the kid he saw living on the sidewalk. He decides that he’s tired of feeling insignificant and wants to make an impact, and he knows that making sandwiches can help.

T awaits the day’s meal from the shelter and tries to stay distracted by petting Peko. People walk by without a second glance, but then T spots Vincent approaching.

Vincent comes up to T to say thanks for the shirt the other day. He introduces himself as Vincent, and T calls themself only “T.” Vincent can’t tell whether T is a boy or girl and asks about it; T answers that they’re neither and prefers to be referred to as “they.” After T finishes the sandwiches, Vincent offers to make more, and T thanks him. When Vincent returns, T eats all but one sandwich, feeding the last to Peko. Vincent apologizes for running away before and then starts telling T what he knows about puffins. When he leaves, he promises to return with more food.

When Vincent returns again, he asks T about bullying and how to stop people from bullying him. T isn’t sure what to say at first but then tries to demonstrate how to stand tall and strong so that bullies don’t see Vincent as vulnerable. Vincent notices that T’s arms and legs make triangles when they stand with their hands on their hips.

Jack’s teachers encourage him and tell him that he did a great job at the meeting, but he feels miserable. At home, he sits on the porch outside and hears a chainsaw in the distance. It reminds him of the day Alex died because he heard a chainsaw that day, too. Jack recalls having to leave his brother’s side to call 911 and then waiting almost an hour for help to arrive. He did his best to stop his brother’s head from bleeding, but nothing he did seemed to help, and by the time help arrived, it was too late.

Jack gets a text from a friend telling him about an online article detailing the town meeting. The article frames Jack as hateful toward transgender people and not wanting the school to have a gender-neutral bathroom. After reading it, Jack finds his phone filling up with messages telling him that he’s a bigot and more. Frustrated, he picks up a rock and tosses it across the yard, and then he hears a bird chirping. He goes around the barn and finds a baby bird lying injured in the grass. When it occurs to Jack that his own rock likely caused this, he’s overwhelmed with guilt and attempts to save the bird by building it a nest with a box. Jack stares at the bird and listens to it breathing, hoping that he can save it.

Vincent thinks about the postcard and reminds himself that he’s amazing. He thinks of what T said and reminds himself that he’s strong. When Vincent decides to go back to school, his mother offers to let him get homeschooled for a while instead. Vincent isn’t sure what to say because he wants to confront his bullies but likes the idea of leaving all that behind. Vincent takes more sandwiches to T and asks what T thinks about the idea of homeschooling. T tells Vincent to stick with his plan. Unable to help himself, Vincent asks if T thinks running away was a good plan and suggests that T call home. T says nothing and curls up in a sleeping bag.

At home, Vincent sees an article on his mom’s computer about Jack and the town hall meeting. He looks at the photo of Jack surrounded by people, with his chin up but a look of loneliness on his face. Vincent decides that he’s going to write Jack a postcard.

T realizes that they have two friends now: their dog and Vincent.

Jack keeps the bird in his closet and fakes being sick so that he can stay home and take care of it. On the third day, the bird dies, and Jack again feels useless until he sees a caterpillar outside, which reminds him of Alex. He remembers how Alex wanted to be a butterfly for Halloween, but their dad wouldn’t allow it. Jack checks the mail, wondering if more hate mail is waiting inside, but instead, he finds Vincent’s postcard. Vincent has written to Jack on an index card about how he can’t know whether someone is transgender because bullying often prevents people from being open about it. Vincent tells Jack about T, explaining that he only had to listen to understand. He tries to make Jack understand and adds that Jack isn’t alone because Vincent understands how he feels. Jack starts to cry and thinks back to how he never spoke up about his dad bullying Alex.