Scrawl

Mrs. Woodrow writes that she will be absent tomorrow, so Tod will have the day off. Tod notices that she seems sad, so he tries to cheer her up. He suggests tossing rocks into a trashcan to feel better like he does. Tod also shares an earlier moment from today. After Tod tried to bully a student for money, the student nervously claimed that he had already given his money to someone else.

Luz had slipped a flyer for an audition for the school play into Tod's locker. She told him to meet her in the auditorium tomorrow. When she left, Stuart accused Tod of having a crush on Luz, but Tod denied this. Tod writes that he doesn't plan on going to the audition.

Tod writes that he went to the audition despite his complaints about it seeming corny. He claims that he doesn’t want to be in the play but would play a good criminal. He overheard a popular girl, Karen, and her friends calling Luz a loser as they headed backstage to audition. Tod began to line up for the audition without thinking, but instead of asking him to participate, Luz asked if Tod's mom could sew costumes. Tod walked away disappointed, and he ran into Rob and Rex. They teased him for going to the audition before they got caught for trying to get out of detention. After they were escorted away, Tod felt ashamed and stupid. On his way out, Tod accidentally knocked over Luz's sphinx and destroyed it. He snuck back into the detention room to write this entry because he feels so guilty. Tod wishes that he could fix it and begs Mrs. Woodrow not to tell anyone.

Tod writes that Bernie didn't stop by this morning. He assumes that Bernie's mother is sick again. Tod almost confessed to his mother that he broke the statue but instead said nothing. She told him to go to the dry cleaners after school to pick up her new mending pile and her earnings from the owner. On the bus to school, Tod tried to borrow money from another student he regularly bullies, but the student claimed to not have any money, which Tod found strange. At school, Tod was shocked to see that the sphinx statue was back in place, unbroken. He thinks that his wish for it to be repaired somehow came true, so now he must fulfill the promise he made with himself in exchange: He has to help Luz with the costumes.

At lunch, Luz gives Tod instructions and ideas for the seven costumes in the play. Tod happily discovers that Luz gets free lunch, too; she lets him have hers. She explains that the play, which she wrote, is about immigrants in America in 1899. After Luz leaves, Rob and Rex join Tod and tease him for talking to Luz.

After school, Tod takes the bus home to pick up the completed mending and then to the dry cleaners to drop it off and pick up the new pile as instructed. In the dumpster out back, he sees a pile of discarded clothes. Back at home, Tod almost asks his mom to help with the costumes, but she is already overwhelmed with her own sewing. In his room, he looks at the book of old pictures Luz gave him to study immigrant clothing styles. He doesn’t know where to start until he remembers the dumpster clothes.

This morning, Tod is awoken by Bernie as usual, although earlier than normal because Bernie couldn't sleep. Since they have time, Tod and Bernie go to the dry cleaners to dig in the dumpster for clothes that Tod can use for the costumes. Bernie almost gets them caught by starting a small fire in the alley. Tod fills a box with potential scraps before they head to school. Tod lies to Bernie and says that he was looking for an expensive ring his mom found in the old clothes because he doesn’t want to tell him about the play. Tod hides the box in his locker before heading to English class.