The Next Great Paulie Fink

Mr. Farabi instructs all the students to sort zucchini into launchers, “zukeballs,” and ones that students can take for eating. Students in lower grades bake, while the seventh graders launch zucchinis with catapults. Diego invokes Paulie’s name before launching one zucchini in a perfect arc. Students then play zukeball, which is “like baseball.” Afterward, the seventh graders clean the field and feed the zucchinis to the goats, which causes Caitlyn to complain. Fiona says she is sick of Caitlyn’s endless complaining and calls her rude. Caitlyn tries to turn to stone. When Gabby suggests Caitlyn share things she liked about her old school, Caitlyn says it was “normal” and they played kickball. The students chant “Caitlyn likes kickball!” as the “mean old goat” smirks (131).

Mr. Farabi teaches about interconnection in an ecosystem, and Caitlyn thinks about how everything is back to normal despite the fight the day before. Gabby whispers that ecosystems are like Megastar, filled with “heroes and villains and competitions and alliances” (133). As Mr. Farabi explains that invisible things are happening all around them, Caitlyn feels she is “surrounded by some grand drama” (133).

At soccer practice, Mr. Farabi likens a team to an ecosystem; practice doesn’t feel connected and balanced to Caitlyn. The Devlinshire coach visits the field later in the month and agrees to play at Mitchell. Caitlyn thinks about how she’ll be at Mira’s party while they run laps around the Paulie statue.

Diego composes a list of 15 things he would rather do than go to Devlinshire. The list includes scrubbing his eyes with sand, getting bitten by scorpions, and having T-Rex arms.

In an interview, Mr. Farabi discusses the advantages Devlinshire has over Mitchell, like quality gear and actual coaches. He talks about Paulie’s soccer blunders and calls him an “unlucky” charm. He thinks Mitchell may win this year.

In the final week of September, Mags teaches the students that the ancient Greek concept of kleos (glory, renown) represents the desire to be remembered. Its antonym is oblivion—being “forgotten entirely.” Caitlyn feels like a stone is sitting on her chest; she remembers that Mira hasn’t replied to any of her texts. She asks a question about the distinction between remembering someone and really knowing them. Caitlyn thinks she would unfairly seem like a “jerk” if Anna Spang told stories about her; the stories wouldn’t “be” her. Caitlyn adds aloud that memories are “incomplete”—unless you are Paulie. Other Originals agree that Paulie had kleos, and Fiona suggests they need someone to fill Paulie’s role. Gabby suggests holding a competition like Megastar, and the other Originals agree that they should search for a replacement Paulie.

At recess, Gabby says the competition should test for Paulie’s traits in challenges and have a prize. Henry names kleos as the prize, and Timothy adds the T-shirt. Fiona names Caitlyn the judge because she’s “always cranky” and loves rules. 

In an interview with Henry, Caitlyn expresses surprise that Henry wanted to participate in the competition. Henry talks about his love for a fact book and laments that he didn’t know about saturated riverbanks after storms, which caused him to fall into Miller’s Creek when he moved to Vermont. He compares falling into the creek to losing Paulie, saying that the competition provides the opportunity to “pull Paulie back” to them (150); they’ll “at least […] be together if [they] f[a]ll in after him” (150).