Slugfest

“Of course I can swim. I’m on a water polo team. I can outswim anybody in the school. But I won’t put my face in the water. That’s it—I just won’t. And guess what you have to do to pass the swim test.”

These lines are spoken by one of the girls in Slugfest. As with Cleo’s presence in Slugfest, this girl challenges Yash’s expectations by playing a sport well. She also highlights the myriad reasons why someone may be forced to retake gym class—in her case, a fear of putting her face in the water. More broadly, these lines speak to how participation in a sport does not mean automatic comfort with all aspects of it. Playing water polo means that this girl is a strong swimmer, but it does not mean that she wants to go underwater.

“The guys start jabbering about the practice—how intense it was; how brutal. It sounds like complaining, but I can tell they were loving every minute, like I would have. This is what the three of us dreamed about in middle school—to make it to the next level, where sports are taken seriously. To be a part of real football.”

Yash hangs out with his football friends and listens to them talk about the practice he couldn’t attend, foreshadowing how Yash will move away from these boys and then come back to them later. The attitude of the conversation speaks to the relationship between the three, as well as their relationship to sports. Because Yash is familiar with what practice feels like, he recognizes the complaining tone as a love for tough practices that test limits. The latter portion of this quotation reveals Yash’s frustration. To him, football is something he’s looked forward to because it makes him feel like he’s reached a true level of athletic excellence. Watching his friends participate while he can’t fuels his drive to practice with the slugs, even if they aren’t on the same level as him.

“I can’t help noticing that Yash gets the best workstation in the FCS room—the one by the window with a view of the playground and the trees. Nobody gives it to him; he just takes it. Like it’s his privilege as big man on campus. It reminds me that unfairness isn’t just big things like the news stories Ms. Landkammer tells us about.”

These lines are from Arabella’s perspective, and they offer context to The Importance of Context in Determining Fairness. Up until this point, Arabella has thought about unfairness in terms of uncovering corruption or lies. Here, she acknowledges a more passive form of unfairness, where Yash expects things to happen a certain way and is not questioned. This excerpt highlights the privilege that Yash’s athletic status gives him, even when he’s unaware of it.

“So of course we run the play again, because nobody tells us what to do. Mall football is strictly against the rules. But that shouldn’t apply to Hammond, Amir, and me. There are no bad throws, and we always make every catch.”

Prior to this excerpt, Yash and his football friends almost threw a ball into a mall vendor’s kiosk, prompting the vendor to warn them to stop. Though Yash acknowledges that he and his friends know mall football is against the rules, they don’t stop, highlighting Privilege as a Source of Misunderstanding. Because authority figures like the security guard routinely bend the rules for them, the boys are used to getting their way and fail to consider how their actions affect others.

“I feel bad for Kaden—and not just because he’s so hopeless at sports. It can’t be easy being practically a genius and all you get for it is people making fun of and picking on you. I think back to the incident at the mall, and I’m embarrassed. Sure, I stuck up for him then, but over the years, there have been a lot of other times when I snickered along with everybody else and maybe even joined in.”

This excerpt is an example of how Yash’s thoughts start to change as a result of being stuck in Slugfest. Prior to being in class with Kaden, Yash thought of him only as an uncoordinated smart kid who participated in activities that Yash thought were stupid. Now, though, Yash’s forced proximity has forced him to see Kaden as a person with his own interests and, further, to acknowledge that there are valid interests other than sports. This realization is an important part of Yash’s character arc, highlighting the need to keep an open mind. Thus, when Yash saw Kaden at the mall in a previous chapter, he felt the need to stand up for him because he’s started to realize that making fun of people for being different is wrong.

“‘We’ll all start high school on time,’ I scoff. ‘Do you honestly think the district would do that to us?’

‘They did it to us already,’ Yash counters. ‘We’re in summer school, aren’t we? I skipped PE so I could punch up the high school’s crummy sports teams. You think anybody noticed I was missing out on a credit I was going to need?’”

This argument between Cleo and Yash highlights the growing tension between the two. Cleo views her time in Slugfest as a necessary evil that she has to get through in order to graduate middle school. By contrast, Yash sees Slugfest as a punishment for something that wasn’t his fault. His argument here also shows how the system has failed him. The middle-school principal allowed him to miss gym, either not knowing or not caring that it would be a problem come the end of the school year. This insight highlights the sometimes surprisingly close relationship between privilege and exploitation. Though Yash’s athleticism grants him certain privileges, this is only true to the extent that others find him useful. The school uses him to advance its athletic goals, while the whole town uses him as a source of pride.

“I’m replaceable. And deep down, I understand that’s true of everybody. Some of the greatest players in NFL history have been replaced. But it’s not the kind of thing you expect to hear from one of your best friends.”

Prior to this quote, one of Yash’s football friends was raving about Nate. In his understanding of the game and the attitudes of the players, Yash realizes that this means the coach is thinking about putting Nate in as quarterback instead of Yash. Because he understands the sport, Yash knows he’s being replaced, and even though he knows this is just a part of football, it hurts because he always expected to be quarterback when he got to high school.

“I’ve heard that a lot of history’s greatest artists were never appreciated during their lifetimes. I guess that could happen to me too. I do admit that property damage isn’t all that funny though. And I made sure to use a smaller firecracker when I blew up the pizza that day—not that I got any gratitude for it. There’s not a lot of glory in comedy. If you want to be admired, try being a sports star like Yash.”

This excerpt comes from Jesse’s thoughts and again highlights Yash’s privilege is an athlete. Where Jesse enjoys comedy and playing pranks on people, he isn’t appreciated for this anywhere near as much as Yash is for his athletic talent. Jesse acknowledges that some of his pranks have gone too far, but that doesn’t change his interests, showing that he is committed to the thing he loves and that he never intends to hurt anyone with his jokes. When taken in conjunction with the previous quotation, these lines highlight that talent isn’t always rewarded. Jesse doesn’t get the positive reception he hopes for, which is similar to how Yash could be replaced and denied his chance to shine.

“When you’re accused of something, it’s front-page news. But when the word comes out that you’re innocent, that always gets buried in the depths of the paper nobody ever reads, between the aromatherapy ads and the coupons for a free oil change.”

These lines come from the only chapter narrated by Sarah, the girl who was accused of kicking a dog, and they critique sensationalist approaches to news. As she notes, being accused of kicking the dog got her a lot of negative attention. Though it is later revealed that Sarah did not actually kick a dog, this news doesn’t spread with anywhere near as much ferocity because it isn’t scandalous or sensational, meaning that it doesn’t draw attention or headlines in the same way. This foreshadows the dilemma that Arabella will face in her reporting on Mrs. Finnerty.

“The kids in the audience are still cheering, but there’s a different tone to it. After watching the others stumble around and inhale feathers, they see a real race going on now, one that’s going to come down to the wire. A long-lost emotion rises inside me, something I haven’t experienced all summer—the drive of competition, a striving to excel, to be the best, to win.”

Yash and Cleo are the last pair to race each other through the Slugfest obstacle course at the open house, and Yash quickly realizes that Cleo is true competition for him, which awakens his competitive nature and his drive to push himself to his limits. The reaction of the audience shows how spectators make a difference in sports. In practice, players run plays and make sure they know what they are doing for the game. In the game itself, the audience can be a distraction or cause an emotional reaction (as seen by Yash here), which makes the practices all the more important.

“I think back to open house night, when we were up against each other in the obstacle course. He could have made a joke out of competing against a girl—as the top athlete, he would have gotten away with that. Instead, he did his best to win—and didn’t mind showing everybody how hard it was. He gave me the respect of treating me like a real opponent—just like he’s respecting the PEE kids right now.”

Here, Cleo watches Yash and the other slugs running drills outside. She’s impressed with how Yash has brought everyone together and how respectful he’s being, which makes her start to change her mind about him. In addition, she thinks about competing against him in the obstacle course and realizes that he respected her, meaning he isn’t as arrogant as she thought. Cleo appreciates this because she recognizes that his privilege means he can get away with things no one else can. She also experienced a similar drive to compete and win during the obstacle course, which contributes to her journey back toward accepting the risks of sports so that she can do what she loves.

“‘I hear a lot about Yash,’ Nate says stiffly. ‘I guess he’s kind of the man.’

‘In football, maybe. In investigative journalism, he’s just another average Joe.’”

This exchange between Nate and Arabella foreshadows the relationship that blossoms between the two. It also again shows how Yash permeates every level of life in his town. Even at the library (where this scene takes place), Yash comes up in conversation. Nate’s remark shows that, even if he is the current star of the football team, Yash is not forgotten. Nate’s frustration makes it clear that he possesses the same drive to be the best and that he feels overshadowed by Yash. Arabella’s response symbolizes how people aren’t good at everything. Yash is a top athlete, but he is just average at investigative journalism.

“‘That’s the whole point of the project, isn’t it? To prove that even the dumbest rumor can still spread.’

‘But plumbing making the ground unstable?’ Stuart persists.

‘And where are people supposed to go to the bathroom?’ Fiona adds.”

This exchange is between Jesse and two of his fellow slugs who are also taking investigative journalism. For his project, Jesse creates a false news story about banning toilets to demonstrate the speed with which even outrageous rumors can spread. The responses from the other two kids highlight how such stories gain traction, even when they seem utterly ridiculous. The kids ask logical questions about the believability of the story and the logistics of the ban. In doing so, they show how such stories can be given legitimacy and spark fear when questions are asked and no answers are found.

“I watch all this through the window of math class, my eyes popped open in amazement. It wasn’t good; at least I don’t think so. I’m not exactly a football expert. But I can’t help feeling caught up in the grit, effort, and heart that I’m seeing.”

Again, Cleo watches Yash and the other slugs practicing football drills. Though Cleo isn’t familiar with the sport, she has enough sports experience to know what a successful play from talented athletes generally looks like. What she sees doesn’t match what she knows, but nevertheless, she’s still impressed, which shows that the slugs are actually improving. In addition, this exemplifies the relationship between heart and performance. The slugs may not have any football experience, but they are putting everything they have into the plays, which makes a difference.

“In the tournament, we’ll be up against real teams that have practiced and played together for a long time. We’re going to lose a million to nothing. As much as I tell myself that’s going to be funny too, I’m having trouble making myself believe it. Comedy is my jam, but nobody wants to be a punch line.”

Jesse’s commitment to comedy is partly his way of coping with negative thoughts. Though he tries to convince himself that a bunch of inexperienced football players losing spectacularly to trained teams during the tournament is funny, he can’t bring himself to believe it. In this case, Jesse’s humor has failed him because he realizes that the tournament truly means something to him and that he can’t turn it into a joke. The final line hints at Jesse’s character transformation. He’s starting to realize that while comedy has value, there is a place for it.

“So much for investigative journalism. Finnerty was never unqualified, just like Cleo insisted the whole time. I always knew she was sharp. She shoots me a meaningful look and I can tell she’s made the same connection.”

Here, Yash and Cleo are at Mrs. Finnerty’s house. The kids have just discovered that Mrs. Finnerty won a gold medal at the Olympics and was certified to teach under her given name. Yash gains a new respect for Cleo in this moment because Cleo stuck to what she believed and kept her faith in the system that Yash felt had betrayed him. This moment also highlights how investigative journalism is a process. Rather than just checking one source, good journalists truly need to dig for information and consider sources that both match and disprove their theory.

“These conversations make me really uncomfortable. There’s only one word for what he’s doing: Unfair. Unfair to our school; unfair to the taxpayers of Clarington; unfair to Yash, who’s losing his spot. It’s even unfair to Forsberg High, who are missing out on a quarterback who might make their team a whole lot better.”

These lines are from Arabella’s perspective while she hangs out with Nate. Since learning the truth that Nate is lying to play on a better school’s football team, Arabella has felt conflicted about her commitment to revealing the truth. She knows that what he’s doing is wrong, but she understands the pressure he’s under to do it, leading her to recognize the importance of context in determining fairness. These lines also show all the ways that unfairness has an impact beyond the people caught in the unfair practice. Yash is the most clearly affected because Nate is cheating him out of his spot on the football team. However, as Arabella points out, Nate’s lie is unfair to the taxpayers who fund the school, as well as to the other school’s team, who could improve greatly with a player like Nate.

“Coach Basil laughs right along with everybody else. He knows a rowdy locker room builds team spirit. I once raised a welt on Amir’s cheek that was so big and red that his mom took him to the emergency room. Mothers don’t understand football.”

This excerpt is from the perspective of Hammond—one of Yash’s football buddies—and shows a locker-room atmosphere. The boys are roughhousing, which they see as acceptable and a way of bonding. The coach laughs along with them, showing how adults get caught up in promoting negative behavior. Hammond believes that a rowdy locker room is a good thing, and as a result, he doesn’t take injuries seriously because it’s just part of the process. Instead of reigning in the roughhousing, the coach encourages it, which means that he’s enabling the idea that it’s okay for teammates to be violent toward each other and that locker-room behavior doesn’t have to match behavior standards in other places.

“‘A person can change her mind.’

‘Absolutely,’ he agrees. ‘It’s you who never does.’

Ugh. Now he thinks he knows me.”

This exchange between Arabella and her father offers context to her relationship with Nate. Arabella has been mad at her father since he left the family, and this excerpt shows that she still is. While she doesn’t change her attitude toward him, she does show the pressure she feels when she’s forced to spend time with him. Her strained relationship with her father helps her develop empathy for Nate, who deals with similar pressures from his own father. This discussion also highlights how rare it is for Arabella to change her mind about things, which brings her new attitudes about football, Nate, and Yash into stark clarity.

“Now I feel like a jerk. The slugs have always had my back, which is more than you can say about any of my friends these past two months. But it goes beyond that. The slugs have become my friends. They deserve better from me. As I watch my teammates waving to family members in the crowd, it hits me that the person I should be apologizing to is myself. I’m totally alone here, and it’s my own fault.”

After the slugs win their first game in the tournament, while they are gearing up for their second, Yash realizes that he has misjudged his new teammates. This insight shows how much he’s grown since the beginning of the book. Instead of silently jeering the slugs, he feels guilty because while they aren’t as talented as his teammates on the school team, they have been far more supportive, which means much more than talent in this situation. Yash has finally realized that his friends haven’t acted like friends because they were as embarrassed of Yash’s slug status as Yash was of the other slugs.

“As the marchers continue up the field, the slogans on their signs come into view: ‘HANDS OFF OUR TOILETS!’ ‘PLUMBING IS FREEDOM!’ ‘GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLACE IN THE BATHROOM!’”

Here, the group of toilet protestors has just arrived at the football tournament. The protesters arrive at the moment when Jesse needs them most, offering support when he was ready to give up. Though their protest against a made-up policy proposal is unlikely to have much practical effect, it does convince Jesse to believe in himself.

“But nothing is ever out of reach when you have Yash. He’s so good that, at first, I thought the rest of us were just getting in his way. That’s not how football works though. It’s a team sport.”

These lines from Arabella’s thoughts come during the slugs’ final game in the tournament against Yash’s school team. Arabella is amazed at Yash’s talent and abilities, and she acknowledges that he’s good at what he does and that there is value in athletics. These lines also show her coming to understand what it means to be a team. While it had seemed like the rest of the slugs were practically nobodies, that isn’t true. Yash is the star, but the slugs are the support system he couldn’t win without.

“The Forsberg Falcons stick around to introduce themselves to their new quarterback, Nitro Nate. With him at QB, I’m not looking forward to facing them next season. Or maybe I am. When you’re a top athlete, there’s something special about going up against a guy who’s every bit as good as you. I have a feeling the two of us are going to be rivals—in a good way—for a very long time.”

Here, Nate has confessed the truth about where he lives and disqualified his team from the tournament. Despite this, no one is mad because all the players—trained and slugs alike—appreciate how much everyone put into the game. Yash’s thoughts here reflect that, while he has grown and changed, the part of him who gives his all to the game is still the same. He appreciates Nate’s talent and looks forward to the challenge of playing against him because it means that Yash will really have to test himself and bring his best to those games.