You Go First

Bridget claims to hate art class, which surprises Charlotte because Bridget is a good artist and it is the only class where she turns in assignments. Charlotte isn’t in the class, and Bridget says a girl named Tori Baraldi keeps criticizing her projects and the teacher doesn’t do anything about it. Tori isn’t serious about art, but last year, she made it to nationals for the spelling bee and the students had to listen to her perform every morning during the announcements. Years ago, Bridget and Charlotte were “sort-of friends” with Tori and Magda (65), but not anymore.

Bridget suggests that Charlotte invite Magda over to play Scrabble because she’d probably be good at it. Charlotte says she’d rather hang out with Bridget in their “anti-clique,” which is what they call their friendship group because there are only two members and no theme. Bridget can’t come to Charlotte’s house this afternoon because she’s going to a pizzeria called Red’s with Sophie Seong from art class. She invites Charlotte to come along but says that Charlotte probably doesn’t want to come.

Popular kids hang out at Red’s after school. These kids dress fashionably, and this year, that means wearing Vans shoes with extra-long shoelaces. Charlotte and Bridget aren’t the sorts of kids who go to Red’s, but one time last year, Bridget wanted to check it out. First, they stopped by Charlotte’s house so Bridget could fix her hair. Bridget talked to Charlotte’s dad about art, and when he heard they were going to Red’s, he wanted to come with them. In Charlotte’s bedroom, Bridget wished on a piece of Egyptian quartz named Sphinx from Charlotte’s rock collection that he would change his mind. They often made wishes on Sphinx.

Charlotte decided to be direct and tell her dad that it would be embarrassing if he came. He looked disappointed but said he understood, gave the girls money, and said he’d do chores instead of tagging along.

Ben enters the cafeteria and decides to convince kids he doesn’t know to vote for him. First, he approaches a group of boys playing a zombie video game, even though he doesn’t think zombies are worthy opponents due to their low intelligence level. Ben tells the boys he’d like them to vote for him because he’s never missed school and he cares about the environment. The boys make fun of him, so he leaves.

Ben approaches the next table, which is populated by girls with matching ponytails. He asks for their vote, but one girl who looks vaguely familiar says Ben is a huge dork. Ben then realizes the girl is Sherry Bertrand, the girl he told on for cheating off Kyle’s spelling test in elementary school. Sherry informs Ben that as a sixth grader, he can’t run for president, only treasurer, and since she is already running for treasurer, she and her friends won’t vote for him. She says that he probably won’t win, so he may as well drop out now. The girls make fun of him for being short, and he leaves.

During lunch, Charlotte and Bridget eat outside under a tree. Charlotte offers that Bridget and Sophie could both come to her house instead of going to Red’s. She offers to help Bridget with her homework if she comes over. Bridget says she’ll ask Sophie and talks about the art club she plans on starting with her and another girl from class, Dee Dee Montgomery. Since they’ll meet during lunch, she won’t be able to eat with Charlotte anymore. Charlotte is upset and thinks there are few worse things than having nobody to eat lunch with in middle school.

Ben acknowledges that his campaigning in the cafeteria wasn’t successful, but he’s determined to keep trying so he can evolve. In English, he asks the teacher if he can make an announcement, forgetting that Sherry Bertrand is in the class. Sherry protests that it’s unfair for Ben to get to make a campaign speech in class unless she can, too. The teacher tries to protest that neither of them can make a speech in class, but Ben interrupts and offers for Sherry to go first. Sherry insists Ben go first. Ben gives a speech about how he wants to work for the people, pointing to different students to emphasize his point. Nobody reacts to the speech, and Sherry says she doesn’t want to give one now. Some kids laugh, but Ben can’t tell if they’re laughing at him or Sherry. Ben still thinks he’s evolving.

Charlotte’s drifting friendship with Bridget distracts her from her dad’s illness and during science class. She imagines going to Red’s with Sophie and Bridget and participating in their conversation about art, but she knows she would just say weird things like making word scrambles out of Picasso’s name. Charlotte regrets not asking her dad more questions about art and cries on her pop quiz paper. If anyone asks why she’s crying, she plans to say she has allergies, but nobody asks.

Ben has read about the effectiveness of consistent branding, so he decides to make all his campaign signs with the same color scheme: black letters on a white background. He lays out his clothes and tries to select an impressive outfit for the following day. His dad asks if he wants to talk, but Ben only wants to talk about what color shirt he should wear. Lottie plays a word in Scrabble, and Ben’s phone buzzes, so he acts like he’s busy and can’t talk to his dad anymore.

Charlotte goes to Bridget’s house to help her study. Bridget’s younger brother, Gordo, pesters Charlotte to solve his Rubik’s Cube for him. Bridget keeps telling him to go away, but he won’t, so finally, Charlotte solves the cube for him. It only takes her 21 seconds. Gordo asks Charlotte if her dad will die, and Bridget shoves him. He runs away and plays with their other brother, Donnie.

Bridget apologizes for Gordo’s comment, and Charlotte says it’s okay. She wants to say she has also wondered if her dad will die, but instead, she drops it. Bridget says Charlotte shouldn’t have solved the cube because Gordo needs to learn that he can’t always get his way. She is annoyed that Charlotte can solve it so fast. Charlotte says she thought it was worth spending a few seconds to get him to leave them alone.

Charlotte asks how many members the art club has so far and learns that it’s just Bridget, Sophie, and Dee Dee. Bridget says she asked if Charlotte could join, but Sophie is the president and wants to limit the club to “artsy types.” Bridget remarks that Charlotte probably didn’t want to be in the club anyway. Charlotte doesn’t know how to respond, so she makes word scrambles in her head out of Sophie’s name. Charlotte notices that Bridget has Vans sneakers now.

Ben calls Lottie and says he wishes he were taller; he once read that taller people are more successful and earn more money. Charlotte says he should accept himself the way he is. He responds that she is right and lies that he’s already 5’10,” saying that’s tall enough. Ben says he’s been busy campaigning for student council and preparing for his speech on Friday. He claims to have a campaign team, which is another lie. Charlotte wishes she could eat gummy bears forever, and Ben replies that they are bad for her teeth. He wonders if infusing them with xylitol would help. Charlotte makes word scrambles out of “xylitol,” and Ben wishes that Lottie went to his school so they could eat lunch together.