Stargirl/

How It All Goes Down The prologue wastes no time telling us that the narrator, Leo Borlock, is attracted to the unusual in our world. This becomes clear when he tells us about his love of porcupine ties. Through this seemingly small detail about him, a whole series of spectacular events is placed in motion. Leo's mother places a birthday announcement in the paper for him when he turns fourteen that tells of his penchant for the porcupines. Little did he know till much, much later that Stargirl Caraway, a most unusual and fascinating young lady, would read this and send an unsigned gift to him. This is the first of many mysteries that Stargirl brings to Leo's life and to the lives of all the other people lucky enough to be around her.

Fast-forward a few years. Stargirl, who up till now has been homeschooled, starts school at Mica High as a tenth grader, where Leo is starting his eleventh grade year. Stargirl's entrance to school is a Big Deal for all the students in this small Arizona town. She immediately starts a stir with her wacky outfits and even more wacky behavior. She does all sorts of stuff that students at Mica High just don't get. Most importantly, she's friendly all the time, even though no one seems friendly back. We can sum her up the same way the older, scholarly gentleman, Archie, affectionately calls her: she's a "rara avis," which translates into "rare bird." Word.

Stargirl continues to take the school by storm. The students are slow to warm up to her; she is nothing like they have experienced before. Hillari Kimble, for one, is totally determined to destroy any chances she has at making friends. However, a few things fall together for Stargirl, and after a very entertaining incident at a football game, she joins the cheerleading squad. Bingo. She's in. Suddenly, she's popular, and Leo's thoughts become more and more consumed with her.

But the dream can't last forever, folks. Her enthusiastic cheerleading, which made her popular in the first place, eventually leads to Stargirl's downfall. She cheers for everyone, in every situation, not just her home team. And while the students are happy with her upbeat kindness when it's aimed at them, they totally turn on her when her kindness extends to a member of the opposing team. Her fall from popularity is fast and ruthless. Everyone stops talking to her with the exception of two people: her one loyal friend, Dori Dilson, and Leo, who is too dizzy in love to see what's really going on.

When Leo emerges a bit from his foggy love-haze, he realizes the full extent of the shunning and also realizes that he is a target, too. Yikes. This thrusts him smack-dab in the middle of an internal conflict that continues for much of the rest of the novel. He needs to decide who he cares about more: Stargirl or everyone else? He continues to stand by her side, but breaks down one day and tells her how bummed he is now that everyone hates him. He tells her that she has to change in order for them to stay together. Stargirl cries, and then just like that, she disappears.

Susan, the former Stargirl, emerges and tries to become normal to please Leo. Leo eagerly takes on the role of coach, training her to be like everyone else. We don't know about you, but Shmoop smells trouble. Soon it becomes clear that the students do not accept her any better now that she is dressing and behaving more like them. Eventually, she chucks the whole normal plan and embraces her true identity, and Stargirl shows up again the next day.

Leo is ticked, and Stargirl knows it. She accepts the fact that he cannot love her for who she is, and tells him that she's cool if he doesn't invite her to the upcoming dance, so Leo doesn't go at all. Stargirl goes to the ball by herself, looking stunning as usual, and has a blast. Suddenly, the shunning is over. Suddenly, she is the Queen Bee again, leading everyone in a rousing rendition of the bunny hop.

Things are looking up for Stargirl, right? Wrong. After the ball, Stargirl disappears. Nevertheless, her brief time at Mica High has left a lasting impression on Leo and the other students. Mica will never be the same.

Summary
Porcupine Necktie

Let's jump right in, shall we? Our handy narrator tells us a story about how when he was little, he adored a tie that his Uncle Pete wore. Yes, this is a strange start. To make it even stranger, the tie he loved so much has a porcupine painted on it.
When the narrator was twelve, he moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona. Well at least we know something: he has a thing for ties with porcupines on them, and he is over twelve years old. Moving right along, then.
As a going-away present, Uncle Pete gave him the tie he adored so much, and our narrator was so thrilled about this that he decided to start his own porcupine tie collection.
Two years later, (oh, so he must be at least 14), his collection was still just the one tie. It seems that there aren't many people out there who love this bizarre tie art as much as he does.
Where did he move to in Arizona? A town called Mica, it turns out.
On his fourteenth birthday his mom wrote a little blurb about her son in the local Mica newspaper: "As a hobby, Leo Borlock collects porcupine neckties" (Prologue.4).
Ah, so his name is Leo, and we know he's at least fourteen.
He doesn't sound mad that his mom shared this potentially embarrassing information about his unusual hobby. In fact, he seems like a pretty chill dude at this point.
A few days later, Leo found a mysterious package outside his front door. Lo and behold… a porcupine necktie! There was no hint about who sent it.
Leo was mystified, but now that he is older looking back, he realizes that he was being watched. Creepy, right?
He ends the prologue with this statement: "We were all being watched."
Yep. Definitely creepy.

Themes
Identity
Who is Stargirl? Unlike Leo, who identifies as an American, an Arizonan, and a Mica High student, our Stargirl just won't be boxed in. Unlike many of the people around her, who function well as members of groups, teams, cliques, and so on, Stargirl thrives on her own, free of labels and social expectations. She is, in a word, herself. Maybe that's what makes her identity so hard to define.

Questions About Identity

If Stargirl were asked to introduce herself to a group of strangers, how would she respond? How would Leo respond? How would you respond?
What role does the show "Hot Seat" play in defining students at the school?
What happens to her identity when Stargirl returns home from her speech competition?
What happens to Leo's identity after his relationship with Stargirl? How does it change?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. All Mica High students, even Stargirl, have no control over their identities. They are simply reflections of their genetics, environment, and other people around them, no matter how much they pretend to be different.

Stargirl shows us that we are in complete control of our identities. We choose who we are, no matter how much other people try to change us.

Society and Class
A high school is a microcosm, or a smaller representation of the bigger world that surrounds it. Just like in the "real" world outside, high schoolers usually feel pressures from society to conform, fit in, and avoid ruffling feathers. Sometimes people refer to this as peer pressure, but peer pressure sounds a little bit like isolated moments rather than one big ongoing pressure. The broader type of peer pressure Stargirl tackles is the kind that represses a person's individuality. Society has a way of rejecting those who do not fit in—like Stargirl. The strange thing is, as much as the world around her tries to repress Stargirl, she truly loves other people. She wants to connect with those who would keep her down. So as mean as her high school society is, she can't live without it. That's quite the conundrum.

Questions About Society and Class

What are some of the rules Mica High society that Stargirl breaks? What are the consequences for that rule breaking?
According to the student body, what is Stargirl's worst offense? What does this tell you about what Mica High society values the most?
Stargirl agrees to try to become more normal after Leo tells her that she is not connected. Why is she so horrified to discover he thinks she's not connected? Do you agree with Leo, or do you think she is more connected than he realizes? Why or why not?
Characters in Stargirl seem to constantly be on a popularity roller coaster. Sometimes they are up, and sometimes they are down. What does this tell you about the dangers of basing your self-esteem on what other people think of you?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. John Donne, a famous poet, wrote that "no man is an island," which sounds a lot like Leo. People cannot survive as individuals, despite Stargirl's example. We need human connections to live a happy and secure life.

Stargirl's right: you should not let what other people think stop you from expressing your true self.

Man and the Natural World
It's high school, folks. And that means it's all about groups, cliques, and clubs. Everyone wants to fit in and belong. Everyone, that is, except Stargirl. She wants to be a member of the biggest group she can imagine—the universe (and all the awesome natural things in it). And we can't help but think she has the right idea. In the world of Stargirl, the smaller the group, the more isolated people become. When you are part of a smaller group, it is considered wrong to care for those who don't belong. On the other hand, if you (like Stargirl) consider yourself as being a part of nature, and the world around you, it's easy to care for and connect with, well, everyone. So, in Stargirl's world, there would be no Team Jacob or Team Edward, only Team Universe.

Questions About Man and The Natural World

How does Stargirl help Leo become more connected to the natural world? What is something that Leo learns as a result of this experience?
Why does Stargirl wish there were national enchanted sites? Can you think of any places you think should be designated "enchanted sites"?
Do any of the other characters show a connection to nature? Does the fact that Archie names his cactus, for example, show us a deeper tie to the natural world?
Is there something particular about the desert setting of this novel that makes the natural world more compelling to Stargirl?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. The farther removed Stargirl is from nature, the less happy she becomes. It is through a connection to the world around us that we feel comfort, security, and peace.

While nature may be pretty and interesting at times, Leo's character shows us that it is not necessary to feel like it is a part of your day-to-day life. You can be happy without nature, as long as you have people to love.

Memory and the Past
Stargirl tells us a great deal about our ancient past as humans, and how connecting to that past can help us understand ourselves better. By focusing on these remnants of the past, before we created planes, trains and automobiles, we may learn some interesting things about the universe and ourselves as humans. That's what Stargirl does, and it brings her great joy and meaning. That's what Archie does, too, and he seems quite content with his lot in life. We can't forget that we come from the earth and will return to it, too. Or at least that's what Stargirl would have us believe.

Questions About Memory and the Past

What do Archie and Mr. McShane teach Stargirl and Leo about mockingbirds and Moas? Does that tell us anything about our connections to the past and the natural world?
Does Leo's relationship to the past change over the course of the novel? How does he view his own personal past as an adult?
What has Archie learned about the past through his digs and through his research?
Do you really think Stargirl is a star person?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. Stargirl is no star person. And she's not any more connected to the past than the rest of the characters. Archie just says all this to explain away her strangeness.

Stargirl's deep connection to the past is what disconnects her from the present moment. The girl can't make a friend because she's too busy daydreaming about cacti and dead birds.

Exploration
Life is a grand adventure for Stargirl. It is full of mystery, wonder, and excitement. She tries new things, she learns new things, and she is full of zest. And when Leo begins to join her on her adventures, he, too, begins to get a bit of that zest. He starts noticing a lot of things around him that he never really paid attention to before because they were so common. For these two, even the most mundane locales, like, say, a shopping mall, are meant to be explored. And that exploration doesn't always have to be physical; it can be mental, too. In Stargirl, both Leo and Stargirl, along with many of the other characters, explore new ideas and knowledge and are better off for their journey.

Questions About Exploration

Besides when she dances in the rain, when else does Stargirl show an appreciation for something that is pretty common? Does Leo ever share in this appreciation?
Stargirl and Leo prefer to walk when they could drive. Why do you think this is?
Why does Stargirl seem to "snoop" on people? What does she do with the information she collects?
What different kinds of exploration occur in the novel? Where do the characters physically explore a place? Where do they mentally explore one?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. Stargirl's explorations into other people's lives only get her into trouble and bring others pain. She should do a little less exploring and a little more minding her own beeswax.

Stargirl shows us that we should view all the world as a place to explore, even the less exciting parts. After all, a random spot in the desert can be enchanted.

"One morning we had a rare rainfall. It came during her gym class. The teacher told everyone to come in. On the way to the next class they looked out the windows. Stargirl was still outside. In the rain. Dancing" (2.39).

Rain, while not so common in Arizona, is still not completely unheard of. Nevertheless, you'd think it was a flat out miracle, based on Stargirl's reaction. Really, she's acting like an explorer of everyday life, here. She goes out to experience and celebrate the world around her.

Theme of Love
Stargirl has a lot to say about love. There is the romantic love developing between Leo and Stargirl, sure, but there's also the love that Stargirl feels for humanity and the world around her. That love is an empathetic one. It's based on sharing in the feelings of others, and wanting to brighten their lives and lessen their pain. Plus, there's the fact that at the very end of the novel, Stargirl reclaims her identity through self-love. She realizes that you sacrifice yourself to make others happy. True love begins with self-love, to which we say, sing it, sister.

Questions About Love

Does Leo ever honestly love Stargirl? If so, when? Does Stargirl ever honestly love Leo? If so, when?
Why is it so hard for many people to love and accept Stargirl?
What is the difference between self-love and arrogance? What do you think Stargirl would say to answer this question? What would Hillari's answer be?
Does Archie ever talk about love, even indirectly? What does he say?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. For much of the novel, Leo does not actually love Stargirl. He's infatuated with her, sure, and he likes her a whole lot. But love? No, he has to save that for when he grows up a bit more.

Stargirl knows that true love is all about acceptance. In her relationship with Leo, she couldn't really accept herself, because Leo couldn't accept her. But by the end of the book, she's totally cool with who she is. Leo is just too slow to catch up.

Friendship
In Stargirl, we see a beautiful example of a real friendship between Dori and Stargirl. Many people jump on the Stargirl bandwagon on her rise to popularity, but these people are the first to jump off on her descent. Even the friendship between Leo and Kevin, which is pretty good, pales in comparison to the friendship between Dori and Stargirl. So, what makes Dori such an awesome friend? Well, probably several things, but one is that she is 100% loyal. This girl always has her friend's back. Even when the music group that Stargirl attempts to make becomes a joke to the rest of the school, Dori is playing the ukulele by her side. Dori is her friend's cheerleader, even when that means she cheers alone. What do you think is the most important quality in a friend? Questions About Friendship

What examples of friendships do we see in this novel? Which ones are the strongest? The weakest?
Are Leo and Stargirl friends?
What does "friendship" mean to Stargirl? What does it mean to Leo? Do their definitions match or clash?
What makes Dori a wonderful friend? What makes Kevin less than a wonderful friend?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. Stargirl's relationships with others illustrate the fact that it is far better to have one true friend than to have hundreds of cronies.

In Stargirl friendship is about loyalty and love far more than it is about having things in common.

Wisdom and Knowledge
Sometimes we think of teachers as the ones who have all the answers. They are the great holders of all the facts that we must memorize and regurgitate on a test. But that's not what we're dealing with in Stargirl. In this novel, the true teachers, Archie and Stargirl, impart valuable wisdom and surprising knowledge in unconventional ways. It's all about showing students how to pay attention and ask the right questions. That way, those very same students will one day become teachers in their own right. And thanks to Archie and Stargirl, Leo has learned a whole new way of looking at the world.

Questions About Wisdom and Knowledge

What are some of the things that the students learn from Archie? And what makes the retired professor such a good teacher?
Is Stargirl a teacher? How so? Can you be both a teacher and a student at the same time?
Does Leo ever teach anyone anything? Or is he solely a student?
What is the most valuable lesson learned by any of the characters in this novel? Why?

Chew on This Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. For Stargirl, and then for Leo, the most important learning comes outside of the classroom.

Archie teaches Leo the valuable lesson that sometimes, the questions you ask are far more important than the answers.

Stargirl Summary

How It All Goes Down The prologue wastes no time telling us that the narrator, Leo Borlock, is attracted to the unusual in our world. This becomes clear when he tells us about his love of porcupine ties. Through this seemingly small detail about him, a whole series of spectacular events is placed in motion. Leo's mother places a birthday announcement in the paper for him when he turns fourteen that tells of his penchant for the porcupines. Little did he know till much, much later that Stargirl Caraway, a most unusual and fascinating young lady, would read this and send an unsigned gift to him. This is the first of many mysteries that Stargirl brings to Leo's life and to the lives of all the other people lucky enough to be around her.

Fast-forward a few years. Stargirl, who up till now has been home-schooled, starts school at Mica High as a tenth grader, where Leo is starting his eleventh grade year. Stargirl's entrance to school is a Big Deal for all the students in this small Arizona town. She immediately starts a stir with her wacky outfits and even more wacky behavior. She does all sorts of stuff that students at Mica High just don't get. Most importantly, she's friendly all the time, even though no one seems friendly back. We can sum her up the same way the older, scholarly gentleman, Archie, affectionately calls her: she's a "rara avis," which translates into "rare bird." Word.

Stargirl continues to take the school by storm. The students are slow to warm up to her; she is nothing like they have experienced before. Hillari Kimble, for one, is totally determined to destroy any chances she has at making friends. However, a few things fall together for Stargirl, and after a very entertaining incident at a football game, she joins the cheerleading squad. Bingo. She's in. Suddenly, she's popular, and Leo's thoughts become more and more consumed with her.

But the dream can't last forever, folks. Her enthusiastic cheerleading, which made her popular in the first place, eventually leads to Stargirl's downfall. She cheers for everyone, in every situation, not just her home team. And while the students are happy with her upbeat kindness when it's aimed at them, they totally turn on her when her kindness extends to a member of the opposing team. Her fall from popularity is fast and ruthless. Everyone stops talking to her with the exception of two people: her one loyal friend, Dori Dilson, and Leo, who is too dizzy in love to see what's really going on.

Then Leo emerges a bit from his foggy love-haze, he realizes the full extent of the shunning and also realizes that he is a target, too. Yikes. This thrusts him smack-dab in the middle of an internal conflict that continues for much of the rest of the novel. He needs to decide who he cares about more: Stargirl or everyone else? He continues to stand by her side, but breaks down one day and tells her how bummed he is now that everyone hates him. He tells her that she has to change in order for them to stay together. Stargirl cries, and then just like that, she disappears.

Susan, the former Stargirl, emerges and tries to become normal to please Leo. Leo eagerly takes on the role of coach, training her to be like everyone else. We don't know about you, but Shmoop smells trouble. Soon it becomes clear that the students do not accept her any better now that she is dressing and behaving more like them. Eventually, she chucks the whole normal plan and embraces her true identity, and Stargirl shows up again the next day.

Leo is ticked, and Stargirl knows it. She accepts the fact that he cannot love her for who she is, and tells him that she's cool if he doesn't invite her to the upcoming dance, so Leo doesn't go at all. Stargirl goes to the ball by herself, looking stunning as usual, and has a blast. Suddenly, the shunning is over. Suddenly, she is the Queen Bee again, leading everyone in a rousing rendition of the bunny hop.

Things are looking up for Stargirl, right? Wrong. After the ball, Stargirl disappears. Nevertheless, her brief time at Mica High has left a lasting impression on Leo and the other students. Mica will never be the same.

Porcupine Necktie

Let's jump right in, shall we? Our handy narrator tells us a story about how when he was little, he adored a tie that his Uncle Pete wore. Yes, this is a strange start. To make it even stranger, the tie he loved so much has a porcupine painted on it.
When the narrator was twelve, he moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona. Well at least we know something: he has a thing for ties with porcupines on them, and he is over twelve years old. Moving right along, then.
As a going-away present, Uncle Pete gave him the tie he adored so much, and our narrator was so thrilled about this that he decided to start his own porcupine tie collection.
Two years later, (oh, so he must be at least 14), his collection was still just the one tie. It seems that there aren't many people out there who love this bizarre tie art as much as he does.
Where did he move to in Arizona? A town called Mica, it turns out.
On his fourteenth birthday his mom wrote a little blurb about her son in the local Mica newspaper: "As a hobby, Leo Borlock collects porcupine neckties" (Prologue.4).
Ah, so his name is Leo, and we know he's at least fourteen.
He doesn't sound mad that his mom shared this potentially embarrassing information about his unusual hobby. In fact, he seems like a pretty chill dude at this point.
A few days later, Leo found a mysterious package outside his front door. Lo and behold… a porcupine necktie! There was no hint about who sent it.
Leo was mystified, but now that he is older looking back, he realizes that he was being watched. Creepy, right?
He ends the prologue with this statement: "We were all being watched."
Yep. Definitely creepy.

Stargirl Chapter 1 Summary

Commence the story proper. It's the first day of school, and Leo is starting the eleventh grade.
Kevin, Leo's friend, asks our narrator, "Did you see her?"
Apparently, there's quite an uproar over some new girl in school.
Leo wonders what all the fuss is about, and all day long he hears murmurs about the new girl.
Finally, in Earth Sciences, he hears the name "Stargirl." Her full name is Stargirl Caraway.
Over the course of a few pages, we learn all kinds of tidbits about the new girl:
She is wearing what appears to be an old fashioned wedding gown, and she has sandy, shoulder-length hair. She doesn't wear makeup, and she has big ol' eyes.
She carries around a ukulele, which is like a tiny guitar.
After lunch, she plays her ukulele and sings along. Everyone is staring at her.
Leo thinks she is not gorgeous, but not ugly, either. Um, thanks?
Leo and Kevin run a TV show at school called "Hot Seat," on which they interview students about all kinds of things. After learning more about Stargirl, the two of them are totally determined and excited to interview her. Talk about a ratings boost.

Stargirl Chapter 2 Summary

This chapter begins with a whole new character. Meet Hillari Kimble.
She believes that Stargirl isn't real. According to Hillari, the administration planted her there as an elaborate way to scam the students into having more school spirit. A bit far-fetched, don't you think?
This Hillari character must have some sort of status at the school, because a lot of people believe her theory; it spreads around all day long.
Leo, on the other hand, believes that the story is ridiculous. Why would the administration do such a thing in the first place?
But Kevin-the-opportunist hopes the story is true so he can do an exposé on "Hot Seat."
Meanwhile, Stargirl continues to wear really different clothes. Today, she wears red overall-shorts and has dotted freckles on her face. Leo thinks she looks a bit like Bo Peep.
After eating by herself again at lunch, Stargirl takes her ukulele off her back and starts going around from table to table as if she is searching for someone.
Leo becomes nervous that she might be looking for him, so he turns from her as she walks by his table.
But the kid's safe (phew), because Stargirl finds who she is looking for—Alan Ferko. She plays her ukulele and sings him "Happy Birthday."
When she is done, she marches right out of the cafeteria.
This causes the lunchroom to go crazy with people whistling and cheering--not for Stargirl, but to make fun of Alan, who is totally embarrassed by the whole incident.
For some reason, Hillari seems very annoyed by this scene.
As they walk out of the lunchroom, Kevin tells Leo that if she is real, she is in big trouble and won't last very long in their school. Clearly things are cutthroat at Mica High.
Leo starts to believe that Stargirl is not real, too. She is just too different for him to believe.
She continues to wear bizarre clothing to school in the next weeks like a Kimono, a flapper dress, and Indian buckskin.
In the hallways, Stargirl says hello to everyone, and has no problem answering questions in class.
She joins the cross-country team briefly, but she gets kicked off at her first meet because she doesn't follow the course.
When they have a rain shower (remember, Arizona is a desert, so it rarely rains) she stays outside and dances in it.
Leo tells us that everyone thinks she is a weirdo. To be fair, the girl clearly marches to the beat of her own drum. But weirdo? That seems a bit harsh.
At this point, most people at school think that Hillari Kimble is right; Stargirl cannot be real.
Leo, however, seems to be thinking an awful lot about Stargirl. Almost as if he's a little bit smitten, if we may say so.
So smitten in fact, that he thinks of her every night as the moonlight shines through his bedroom window. Swoon.
When he is in his room in the moonlight, he often feels like he gets a bit of understanding from it, and it's during one of these contemplative moonlit moments that he realizes that Stargirl is, in fact, real.

Stargirl Chapter 3 Summary

Kevin and Leo aren't seeing eye-to-eye on whether or not Stargirl should be on "Hot Seat." While Kevin is all for it, Leo is hesitant. He is just not sure about it, which irritates Kevin to no end.
But the two of them have been best friends for the past four years, so this isn't a major bump in the road.
Apparently, they came up with the idea for "Hot Seat" together and pitched the idea to the faculty, and the show became popular right away.
Leo isn't really sure why he doesn't want Stargirl on the show, but his gut feeling tells him that they should leave her alone.
Meanwhile, Hillari comes up with several possibilities to explain Stargirl, including that she is an alien and her parents are circus acrobats. She has several ridiculous hypotheses about why Stargirl is so different, each one more unbelievable than the last.
We learn some more of Stargirl's quirks:
At the beginning of classes, Stargirl covers her desk with a ruffled curtain and places a daisy in a vase on top of it. She does this at the start of every class.
Students have started joining in with her when she sings "Happy Birthday" to people in the cafeteria.
She knows everyone's names somehow, and greets each person in the hall.
Often, she'll laugh or dance at random, inexplicable moments.
She has never heard of football is and says she doesn't have a television in her house.
Needless to say, just about everyone is trying to figure this girl out. They ask Leo to put Stargirl on "Hot Seat," but he keeps making excuses about why he can't.
Leo studies Stargirl and feels panicky whenever he sees her come around a corner. He is also getting a warm, shaky feeling when she is around. Ah, that old familiar feeling.
One day, he follows her after school in true stalker fashion.
She walks all over town. At one point she takes something from her pocket and puts it in a mailbox.
After she leaves, he takes the letter from the mailbox. (FYI, this is totally illegal. Do not try this at home, folks.) It's an unsigned note that says, "Congratulations." Very interesting.
He continues to follow her for several hours.
Eventually, Leo suspects that she knows that he is following her. Could she be secretly leading him somewhere? Hey it's possible
She plays her ukulele and her pet rat rides on her shoulders, and she continues to walk into the sunset.
As he stalks behind her, Leo hears something, but he's not sure what it is. Maybe it's a coyote?
He feels like calling out to her, but does not. He wants to warn her, but he doesn't know from what she needs to be warned or why.
At this point, Leo turns and runs back the way they came.

Stargirl Chapter 4 Summary

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hillari Kimble is well known. There are several reasons for her fame.
(1) Her mouth: she is a big-time complainer.
(2) "The Hoax": She tried out for cheerleading, made the squad, and then turned it down. She said she just wanted to prove she could do it, but finds cheerleading to be stupid and she hates sports. Gee, she sounds like a real winner.
(3) Wayne Parr: Her boyfriend. He's a quiet guy, but everyone agrees that he's gorgeous. Other than his hotness, he doesn't really have much on his resume, though: no sports, organizations, awards, no A's in classes. He's pretty dull, really.
Still, everyone looks up to him. He is the "grand Marshall of [their] daily parade". (4.6) In other words, he's the leader of the school.
It isn't really talked about, but subconsciously, look to him for how to look, dress, and behave. But Wayne doesn't care much about anything and is a pretty dull guy overall, so everyone else doesn't care about much and is pretty dull, too. Sounds like good times, right? Wrong.
Pondering Parr, Leo wonders, "did Parr create us, or was he simply a reflection of us?" He doesn't know the answer to this chicken-or-the-egg question.
Leo understands that Wayne is the uncrowned king of their school, so in the past he invited him on "Hot Seat."
But Kevin, on the other hand, couldn't understand why they would want Wayne on the show since he had no accomplishments to speak of.
Of course Leo couldn't really explain what it is about Wayne that makes him so important to their school. He ended up just shrugging when Kevin asked him for a reason to put Wayne on the show.
We guess the shrug was mighty convincing because Leo got his way.
During the interview, Kevin asked Wayne who his role model is. Wayne responded that the magazine GQ is because it is his goal to be a male model one day. He then threw a pouty "model look" to the camera. Um, should someone tell him that a magazine isn't a person?
That was last year. Leo thinks about how he was so sure that Wayne would always be the grand marshal of their school; how could he have known that Stargirl would challenge him for that title the very next year?

Stargirl Chapter 5 Summary

Kevin calls Leo and tells him he must drop everything and get to the stadium immediately. But why? No one ever goes to the football games, and their marching band is so small that they're a "standing" band instead.
Leo arrives in a rush. Kevin is waiting for him at the gate, and the two of them run into the stadium together.
Stargirl is on the field with the band, and she is dancing around with them on the field. Except, the problem is, Stargirl is not in the band.
Nevertheless, there she prances, barefoot, twirling around, pretending to play the flute. To be honest, she looks like she's having a grand ol' time.
Shocked, everyone just stares at the free spirit.
When the band finishes and the football team takes the field, Stargirl is still out there. She joins right in with the football team's warm-up activities.
When the ref blows his whistle and tries to kick her off the field, she grabs a ball and starts running around with it. What a scene.
The officials are preparing to physically remove her when she punts the ball over the visiting team's bench and runs off the field and out of the stadium. Stargirl out.
Everyone cheers and stomps the bleachers for her, and the old folks say that they can't remember the last time there was such a burst of enthusiasm at the game.
In fact, when the next football game rolls around, a ton of people attend—many more than usual.
Notably, Wayne and Hillari do not attend.
At the next game, everyone eagerly awaits more excitement, entertainment, and true cheerleading from Stargirl. But their hopes are dashed, because she's a no-show.
The next Monday at school, Mallory Stillwell, the school's head cheerleader, asks Stargirl to join the cheerleading squad.
Everyone at school is all atwitter about this news. Will Stargirl wear the regular uniform, or something outrageous instead?
She practices with the squad for two weeks and then starts wearing the regular uniform.
Even though she wears the uniform, she remains true to herself; she still sings "Happy birthday" in the lunchroom while playing her uke. Some things never change, right?
On Halloween, she gives everyone in her homeroom candy pumpkins.
At this point, most of the people at school have decided that they like Stargirl. It's quite the turnaround.
But mostly they like her for entertainment value; they can't wait to see what she'll do next. When it comes to true friendship, she doesn't have a lot of options. People don't get too close because she's still so totally different from everyone else.
Just to add a little suspense, we find out that Hillari Kimble's birthday is fast approaching. Will Stargirl sing for her? And if she does, how will Hillari respond?

Stargirl Chapter 6 Summary

The day before Hillari's birthday, Hillari approaches Stargirl and warns her not to sing to her.
Stargirl quietly promises that she will not sing to her. Honestly, it's a little sad.
At lunch the next day, everyone is waiting eagerly to see what will happen.
Sure enough, after Stargirl finishes her lunch, she picks up her ukulele and starts strumming.
She walks over to Hillari's table, sings the song and adds Hillari's name to the end, but she does not look at Hillari when she sings it, so she didn't fib the day before. See, even though she's singing about Hillari, she's not singing to her. So there.
Instead, she looks directly at Leo as she sings, and Leo feels all flustered and his face gets hot.
Hillari stomps off in a huff, and Kevin asks Stargirl why she chose to sing to Leo.
She responds with "He's cute." Aw. Leo feels about a million different feelings all at once.
Having observed everything that just went down, Kevin states that things are getting even more interesting. He tells Leo that they should go visit Archie.
Wait a minute. Who's Archie?

Stargirl Chapter 7 Summary

Archibald Hapwood Brubaker (now that's a name), aka "Archie", is a retired paleontologist..
His house is covered with fossils and old bones of prehistoric animals. Luckily, since we know his profession, we don't have to be frightened of his rather spooky décor. It's just a perk of the job, not an indication of insanity.
When he's not out digging for fossils, Archie is a professor.
After his wife passed away when he was 66, he moved from the East to Arizona to "join 'the other old fossils'" (7.3).
He loves the company of students, so he chose to live in a house near the high school.
It doesn't hurt that the house also has a giant, 30-foot-tall saguaro cactus, of which he is quite fond. He even gives it a name: Señor Saguaro.
While impressive in height, Señor Saguaro has seen better days. Instead of green, he is mostly a decaying brown and a lot of his, shall we say, skin is falling off the trunk.
Archie often talks to this cactus, but he also likes talking to high school students, too. So the guy's not totally nuts.
He doesn't officially teach, but students flocks to his place every Saturday, and he helps them learn some neat stuff about all kinds of different things. He even gives the occasional fossil necklace as a gift.
His regular visitors are known as the "Loyal Order of the Stone Bone," but any student is welcome to visit anytime.
Leo and Kevin are no exception. Hoping to discuss Stargirl, they arrive at Archie's house to find him reading out back. Welcome welcome, he tells the boys.
After they greet Archie, they greet the cactus, as all visitors are expected to do.
They explain that they are "baffled" by a new girl at school, but she needs no introduction to Archie. As it turns out, Stargirl is often at his house.
He admits that she is quite a different person (this from the guy who talks to cacti?), but he doesn't mean different in a negative way.
When Kevin tells Archie that Stargirl is like a different species, Archie tells the boys, "on the contrary, she is one of us. Most decidedly. She is us more than we are us. She is, I think, who we really are. Or were" (7.17). Those are some deep thoughts right there.
Unfortunately, they're lost on Leo and Kevin, who don't get what he means. To be fair, Leo says that Archie often speaks in riddles.
Archie takes this opportunity to give the boys a little more background on the new girl. Apparently, Stargirl's mother began bringing her to Archie about 5 years ago.
But the boys are mainly concerned with whether or not Stargirl is putting on an act at school. Archie's got an answer for that one, too: he tells them that if anyone is acting, it's everyone else. He considers Stargirl to be as real as a 60-million-year-old rodent skull he calls Barney.
Leo and Kevin aren't done asking questions. They want to know if Stargirl's name is real.
Wise old Archie tells them that that yes, all names are real. In fact, in the five years that he has known Stargirl, her name has gone from Pocket Mouse to Mudpie to Hullygully to Stargirl. She names herself what she feels like. Hey, that's not such a bad idea. Although it might get confusing after a while.
When Leo and Kevin wonder aloud what Stargirl's parents think of this, Archie theorizes that they must agree with her. Otherwise, why let her change her name?
The boys then wonder what kind of parents they could possibly be, and Archie assures them that they are normal people with normal jobs.
Her mom, who once home-schooled Stargirl, is now a costume designer for movies. Her father works at the same place most people work in Mica, MicaTronics.
They ask Archie where she is from, and he responds in riddles again and some foreign language. He whispers "Rara avis" which means "A rare bird."
When Kevin explains his and Leo's argument about whether or not to put Stargirl on the "Hot Seat," Archie just tells the two of them to work it out.
After talking with Archie a bit more, the boys take off. Just as they're leaving, Archie says something else that is rather cryptic and riddle-esque: "you'll know her more by your questions than by her answers. Keep looking at her long enough. One day you might see someone you know" (7.50).

Stargirl Chapter 8 Summary

By Thanksgiving, Stargirl has become the most popular person at the school. Leo is pretty flabbergasted: how did it happen?
He considers whether it was because she is such a fantastic cheerleader. Not in a typical sense of course, but she really does a great job of entertaining the crowds at football games.
Even though the team is not great, she never takes a break from her enthusiastic cheering. She even goes across the field to the other team's cheerleaders and cheers with them.
Once she shimmied up the goal post on the field, did a tightrope walk to the middle of the post, and threw a touchdown signal. She got in hot water for that one, but the crowd loved it.
Her antics help them forget they had a losing team.
The local newspaper even refers to her as the best athlete on the field.
But still, there could be another reason for Stargirl's recent popularity. It just might be backlash from an incident with Hillari Kimble.
Flashback to a few days after Stargirl sings "Happy Birthday" to Hillari. Hillari took Stargirl's beloved pet rat Cinnamon by his tail and dangled him over the railing of the stairs. Not cool.
People screamed at Hillari not to do it, but she dropped Cinnamon. Also not cool.
Or maybe, Leo thinks, Stargirl has become popular because of Dori Dilson. Who?
See, Dori Dilson is a small ninth grader who writes poetry. Most people don't know her until she decides to sit with Stargirl one day at lunch. After Dori makes the first move, many more people want to sit at Stargirl's table, too. All it takes is one person to set a trend.
Finally, Kevin wonders if her new popularity is due to "us." He wonders if the students have changed on the whole.
No matter what the reason, the reality is that Stargirl is very popular. How can we be sure? Well, everyone is imitating her, just like they used to imitate Wayne Parr. Many people are now playing ukuleles, putting flowers on their desks, and buying pet rats.
Stargirl, meanwhile, participates in an oratorical contest and is, by far, the best speaker.
As the judges pretend to make a decision, they play a documentary to the kids in the auditorium. The documentary is about last year's winner, who, after advancing and eventually winning the state finals, arrived home to a hero's welcome. There were massive crowds awaiting him and they carried him off on their shoulders. Could this be Stargirl's future?
Maybe. She wins handily, and will advance to the next round of competition.
At this moment, Leo notices that the students are not only happy with Stargirl lately, but they are also happier with themselves.

Stargirl Chapter 9 Summary

Leo starts this chapter by comparing the Mica students, who are going through an awakening, to the awakening of mud frogs. We're just going to have to roll with him on this one.
Apparently, mud frogs live right beneath the ground in a dormant state. Their heartbeats are slow and they sleep deeply until life-giving rain frees them. When this happens, they spring to life and their voices ring out.
According to Leo, Stargirl is like the rain. She has started an awakening in the students in both their sense of individuality and their feeling of connection to each other. They feel a student's pain when he hurts his ankle; they are happy for a student who gets an A. They are participating, joining, and expressing themselves. This is in stark contrast to before when they were stuck in Wayne Parr mode.
It's not as if there are any public announcements about this phenomenon. No one is even discussing it. But it's totally happening.
Leo notes the irony that the more the students become involved in groups, the more confident they become in their individuality. He even refers to it as a miracle, in a conversation with his old pal Archie.
But Archie is much more subdued about this. He knows that miracles don't last long.
Indeed they don't, Archie. The chapter ends with Leo informing us that these wonderful, idyllic days are coming to an end quickly. Foreshadowing much?

Stargirl Chapter 10 Summary

Leo finally agrees to let Kevin interview Stargirl on "Hot Seat." Kevin asks her, and she agrees. No one ever turns down an offer to be on their show. Hey, it's a chance to be on TV.
This kind of surprises Leo, and he wonders if Stargirl may be a bit more like everyone else than he originally assumed.
They are totally pumped for this interview, and plan a month-long advertising campaign to promote her appearance on February thirteenth.
But then a few things happen that get in the way of that plan:
(1) In the courtyard of their school, they have a giant plywood bulletin board in the shape of a roadrunner that the students use to post messages. One day, there is a paper with an unusual version of the Pledge of Allegiance. Whoever wrote it takes great liberties with the actual words. One part reads "with justice and black bean burritos for all." Whoever pinned this to the bulletin board claims that this is how Stargirl says the Pledge. Leo doesn't notice anyone getting upset about this. In fact, several people begin to say the pledge this way themselves.
(2) Anna Grisdale's grandfather dies, and Stargirl attends the funeral and the wake. She even gets visibly upset by crying. This does not go over well with Anna or her mother who realize that she didn't even know him. Mrs. Grisdale is very angry about this and throws Stargirl out of their house. Uh oh.
(3) Danny Pike, a nine-year-old boy, crashes his bike into a mailbox, breaking his leg. There is a big celebration when they bring him home from the hospital, and a photographer from the newspaper snaps some pics to document the occasion. A few days later, one of the pictures appears on the bulletin board at school and someone has circled a small face in the crowd of people there. It is Stargirl, of course. Not only did she attend the coming-home party of a boy she doesn't know, but also it is pretty obvious to the students that she is the person who gave the boy a brand-new bicycle. The family has no idea where the bike came from, and they end up throwing it out.
These were all small incidents that people noticed, but it wasn't as bad as what was to come during basketball cheerleading season. Leo sure likes to foreshadow, doesn't he?

Stargirl Chapter 11 Summary

Basketball season starts and Stargirl is her usual enthusiastic, cheerleading self. She is getting a little unorthodox in her cheerleading, though:
(1) She goes over to the opposing team's side and does a welcome cheer to them.
(2) She cheers whenever anyone scores a basket, not just her team.
(3) She extends her cheering off the basketball court and into the regular day-to-day life of Mica High. For example, if she sees a random person do something good in the hall, like pick up a piece of garbage off the floor and throw it away, she'll put on a big show of cheering for him or her.
You may expect people to die of embarrassment when she does this, but Leo assures us that they don't because she is giving them honest credit for doing good things. Frankly, it makes people feel happy and appreciated, and hey, who doesn't like being appreciated?
Overall, most people agree that she is pretty crazy, but they seem to accept her brand of craziness as, well, the good kind of crazy.
But that all changes soon enough.
Let's dig in. The basketball team is really good. In fact, they are great, and they win game after game after game. They're undefeated all the way through December and January.
Then comes February.
The fans are really pumped up, proud, and definitely not willing to go back to their usual losing ways.
The more people love their team, the more they despise the opposing teams. Shmoop smells trouble.
Their hatred for the other teams translates into a whole lot of booing. Basically, the Mica fans become carried away and lose all sense of sportsmanship.
They don't just want to win anymore. They want to slaughter the other teams.
Enter, Stargirl. True to herself, she still cheers for every basket made regardless of which team gets the points. Yep. Trouble is definitely coming.
Sure enough, the fans start booing her. Luckily, Stargirl doesn't seem to notice.
Leo notes that she never seems affected when bad stuff happens to her, but she is very affected when bad stuff happens to other people. Hmm. That's interesting.
We arrive at the 19th game of the season. The Mica team is hoping to continue its winning streak at Red Rock, a nearby school.
They slaughter Red Rock worse than any other slaughter. It's just plain painful to watch.
Stargirl gets up and leaves half way through the game and chats with the bus driver because she feels bad for the other team. She says she doesn't want her cheers to make the slaughter worse.
The other cheerleaders are majorly ticked off. They tell her that her job is to cheer for their team no matter what.
Everyone rides the same bus home, and when the team boards the bus, and hears about what Stargirl has done, they decide to get revenge.
They tell her that someone left something in the gym. Would she mind getting it? Of course, she does this. Stargirl is always doing people favors.
While she is gone, they tell the bus driver that they are all on the bus and leave her stranded at Red Rock, the jerks.
A custodian from Red Rock drives her home that night, and the next day people tell her that it was all a mistake. Poor Stargirl believes them.
Oh, and by the way, tomorrow is her interview on "Hot Seat."

Stargirl Chapter 12 Summary

"Hot Seat" takes place on a stage in their studio at the school. On the stage are two chairs. One with flames painted on the legs (get it? hot seat?) and one regular ol' chair for Kevin, the interviewer.
They have six chairs off to the side for a "jury." Of course this isn't a real jury, in a traditional sense. No one is on trial. Instead, their job is to ask tough questions. Nosy and embarrassing questions are acceptable. Mean-spirited or hurtful questions are forbidden.
They call the person being interviewed a "victim" to play up the inquisition-type feel of the show. Does this show sound kind of, well, un-fun?
They have three cameras to film the show. One on the stage, one on the jury, and one handheld, close-up camera. Strangely, they call this camera "Chico."
Chico was a student who was very enthusiastic about this position in the past and did a great job, so the lucky duck got a camera named after him.
The host and the "victim" both wear small microphones, and the jury passes around a hand-held one.
As the show is being filmed, Leo works in the sound room across from the stage. He wears a fancy headset and directs the shots while watching the monitors. These guys mean business, huh?
Their faculty adviser, Mr. Robineau, is always present, but he doesn't have to do much. These kids have totally got it under control.
The show airs during prime-time on local cable to about ten thousand homes. At least fifty percent of the student body watches most episodes, and they expect much higher numbers for Stargirl's episode.
But Leo has a secret: he hopes no one will watch the episode because Stargirl has lost a lot of her popularity lately. He's worried that the show may turn ugly.
It is time for the episode.
Stargirl and the jury come in and are briefed about what to expect. Leo notices that the faces of the jury are grim and that Hillari is on the jury. Not good.
Leo gets to his place in the sound room and gets things started; he feels a great sense of dread.
The interview starts with Stargirl asking Kevin if he would like to hold her rat, Cinnamon, and he does.
When Kevin begins the interview, Stargirl freezes and her eyes get really big. She is pretending it is an actual "hot" seat. No one gets it except Leo and Mr. Robineau. To everyone else, it is just awkward.
After a few more moments of her pretending to burn her hands on the seat, she lets out a shriek. The shriek sends the rat running, and finally Kevin gets what she is doing and this causes lots of laughter.
The rat is running all around and they are trying to get it on camera.
Mr. Robineau said later that it was the greatest moment in the history of "Hot Seat," but they would never be able to air it because of what was going to happen next.

Stargirl Chapter 13 Summary

After the silly start, they are ready to start the interview.
Kevin starts by asking about her name. He comments that it is unusual, and she responds that it isn't unusual to her.
A juror with a nasty tone asks her what was wrong with the name her parents gave her.
She tells them nothing is wrong with the name her parents gave her, which is Susan, but she renamed herself when she didn't feel like Susan anymore. Then she tells them all the names she has given herself over the years.
Another jury member rudely asks if her next name will be Dog Turd. Cool it, buddy.
Kevin jumps in to try to change the tone. He asks for clarification about when she changes her name, and she responds that she changes her name when she feels like she has worn out her name.
Um, moving on. A member of the jury asks her about her revised version of the Pledge of Allegiance, and then calls her a traitor.
Jury rule violation! Jury rule violation! Remember, jury members are only allowed to ask questions, not comment.
The next question, from a girl named Becca Rinaldi, is about why Stargirl cheers for the opposite team. She responds that she does this because she is a cheerleader. Sounds about right, right?
That juror calls her a "dumb cluck." The tone is getting nastier, and they are clearly throwing the rules out the window.
Unfortunately, a distracted Mr. Robineau misses this name calling incident.
Stargirl asks if they ever want the other team to be happy, too, and the jury answers no, which surprises our girl. She follows up by asking Becca if she always wants to be the winner. Becca says yes, and can't understand why Stargirl doesn't just root for Mica.
But you see, Becca, Stargirl roots for everybody.
Kevin tries again to turn the tone more positive by suggesting that every district should have someone like Stargirl to cheer for everyone.
Just then, a jury member interrupts to call Stargirl a "nut roll."
A well-meaning Kevin scolds him and tells him that the jury isn't allowed to comment, thank you very much.
All kinds of questions and accusations are flying around now. Why did Stargirl stop homeschooling? Why does she meddle into other people's business?
Hillari gets the mike. Dun dun dun.
In a fit of nastiness, she calls Stargirl all sorts of names, and she tells her she must be from Mars. She tells Stargirl to get out of their school, and accuses her of acting like this just to get attention to get a boyfriend. Yikes.
She has got all kinds of cruel questions for our girl:
Why can't you just be normal, Stargirl?
Why don't you wear makeup?
And on.
And on.
And on.
It's a mob scene, in the truest sense of the word.
That is, until Mr. Robineau flips on the light and tells them that the show is over.
We hate to say it Mr. Robineau, but you should have done that ten minutes ago.

Stargirl Chapter 14 Summary

Mr. Robineau destroys the tape of the episode, and it is never aired. Thank goodness.
Of course, everyone talks about what happened on the show at school, but Stargirl does not seem affected.
Meanwhile, there is an important game the day after the "Hot Seat" interview.
The team has advanced through post-season play. They are now at the State level competition. The Big Show.
The team they play is from Sun Valley and the fans for Mica are as enthusiastic as ever.
Stargirl only cheers for Mica at this game, which makes Leo feel better inside.
Unfortunately, Mica is losing the game, mostly due to the fact that Sun Valley has a really amazing and huge player named Ron Kovac.
Just when Mica has fallen far behind, Ron Kovac has a terrible fall and breaks his foot.
As everyone stands and stares, Stargirl immediately runs to Kovac and tries to comfort him as others attend to his foot.
As they take him out to the ambulance, people cheer. Leo wonders why; is it to honor the injured player or because they're glad he's not in the game anymore?
Sure enough, without Kovac to contend with, Mica is able to win the game easily.
The next game is against Glendale, whose team has a ton of excellent players, not just the one like Sun Valley.
As it becomes clear that Mica will lose, the Mica fans are totally bummed. We're talking devastated. Girls are crying; boys are booing; everyone is casting blame on officials. Let's just say that sportsmanship is not their strong suit.
During all this hullabaloo, Stargirl seems unaffected. She turns her back on the game and continues to cheer as enthusiastically as ever.
All of a sudden, someone throws a tomato at Stargirl's face. Seriously? Seriously?
Of course all the people in the stands laugh and cheer at this.
The next day, Leo finds a card that apparently had been hidden in his notebook for a while. It is a Valentine's Day card from Stargirl with the message "I LOVE YOU" inside. The plot thickens.

Stargirl Chapter 15 Summary

Leo does some investigating to see if others received similar cards from her. Stargirl could be the kind of girl who throws that phrase around. But nope. Her homeroom classmates received some cards, but none like this one.
Kevin asks Leo why he wants to know about old Valentine's Day cards, but Leo lies that he is just wondering.
The same day, the day after the tomato incident, Stargirl seems different, somehow. She just sits and talks with girls at her table at lunch. Nothing quirky, strange, or fun.
On her way out, she approaches Leo's table, and Leo panics. He gets up and tries to get out fast, but she calls "Hi, Leo" to him on the way out. He pretends not to hear.
At home, he tells his parents that he has to work on a project and spends the night thinking about Stargirl and rereading her letter. He lies in moonlight for hours thinking about her. Ah, what a little moonlight can do.
The next day, he goes over to Archie's house with a gaggle of other students. They give Archie the scoop on the tomato incident and the disappointment of losing the game.
Archie, armchair philosopher that he is, connects this to the animal skull he just happens to have in his lap (we'll let the creep factor slide on this one).
He tells how the animal that owned the skull also lost his championship game due to a stronger opposition.
They all stare at the skull for long silent minutes.

Stargirl Chapter 16 Summary

Monday at lunch, Stargirl approaches Leo's table again, but this time he doesn't run.
She comes over and asks for a "thank you" for the card; he thanks her, and she walks away. Don't you just love how bold she is?
Kevin, in true best friend fashion, starts teasing Leo about Stargirl's obvious crush on him.
Leo pretends to have no idea what his buddy is talking about, but he realizes that when she smiled at him, he was really affected by it. Looks like those feelings are mutual, as if we hadn't already seen that coming.
In school that day, he hears rumors that Stargirl has been kicked off the cheerleading squad for being a traitor.
Later on, after school, Leo decides to walk over to her house, which is two miles away.
Her house seems very normal. It's not at all where he would expect her to live.
By the time he arrives, it's dark out. He walks back and forth, up and down the sidewalk across the street from her house. Eventually, he works up the nerve to move in a little closer, but gasp--
The door opens. He panics and hides behind the car in the driveway.
As he is crouched down, he hears Stargirl's voice ask him about the time he followed her before. So she did know he was following her around town that one day. How embarrassing.
They talk for a while in a very cute, witty way. He ends up holding her rat, Cinnamon. The whole conversation takes place in the dark with him hiding behind the car. It's a bit awkward.
Cinnamon jumps on Leo's shoulder at one point and this freaks him out, but she tells him that Cinnamon won't hurt him and that the rat really likes his ears. Gee, thanks?
He sits there and lets the rat lick his ears and scrape stuff out of his ears with his teeth. Gross.
After a bit more chatting, Stargirl calls for Cinnamon to come over to her, and they go in the house.
He really doesn't want to leave, but Leo gets up from his position behind the car and walks home.

Stargirl Chapter 17 Summary

Leo is downright "loopy with love" now (17.1).
But he's a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing because rumors are already circulating about Stargirl and Leo. To avoid them, he skips lunch.
Leo and Stargirl meet after school, and she takes him to an enchanted place. Where, you ask?
Let's find out. They walk in the same direction that she led him that day when he followed her. As they go, they joke around about that time. Stargirl teases him about how smitten he must have been to feel the need to follow her around.
Stargirl tells Leo that she called to him that day he followed her after he turned around and ran. Well, actually she whispered to him. She expected that he would be able to hear her.
Wait a second. Could that have been the noise he heard that day—the one he wanted to warn her about, the one he thought was a coyote?
We'll never know, because they continue to banter back and forth in a fun, flirty way as they walk farther away into the desert.
At one point, she tells him to scream because they are so far away that no one will hear, but he passes.
When they finally arrive at Stargirl's enchanted place, Leo remarks that it is very ordinary looking. There's a tall saguaro and some tumbleweed here and there, but nothing like he expected. She says it provides a "different type of scenery," and instructs Leo to take his shoes off (17.70).
They sit down cross-legged and Stargirl attempts to teach Leo about the art of doing nothing. Sounds like fun.
Leo jokes that his mother always accuses him of doing nothing, but Stargirl means a deeper kind of nothing.
She puts Cinnamon away in fear that a desert animal may think he is a snack before they begin.
Okay, time to start… nothing.
She tells him that in order to be able to hear what the earth is saying to you, you must quiet your mind as well as your body. Training your mind to do nothing is much more of a challenge than training your body to do nothing. In other words, it's easy to physically rest, but it's difficult to mentally rest.
She tells Leo he must find his own way to quiet his mind. Her method is to imagine that there is a giant eraser that erases her bit by bit. The hardest part is erasing the thoughts.
Once she has achieved nothingness, the earth begins to speak to her, not through her eyes and ears, but on a different level. She becomes one with the entire universe. Whoa.
The two of them close their eyes and attempt to become nothing.
As it turns out, Leo isn't so hot at it. He tries, but he can't quiet his mind, so he peeks. When he peeks, he sees Cinnamon getting out of the bag. He is nervous that an animal may get him, so he picks him up and holds him, and tries again to meditate.
He doesn't succeed in becoming nothing, but he notices that the volume of his internal chatter is lowered a bit. After a while, he can't even feel Cinnamon in his hands anymore; he becomes connected to the rat. Wow.
After a while, he doesn't know how long, he opens his eyes and Stargirl is not there. He sees her off in the distance. She returns, and they walk home in silence holding hands.