Goodbye Stranger

On the first day back after winter break, the school administration makes Em wear a sweatshirt over her spaghetti strap top because the top does not meet the dress code. Em runs to the bathroom crying in shame, and Bridge follows to console her friend. The next day, the administration gives each student a printed copy of the school dress code, and Em is certain it’s to keep others from becoming “bad girls” (204) like her. Tab assures her it is not her fault, but Em admits she should have listened to her friends and never sent the photo to Patrick.

Sherm and Bridge walk to his house to retrieve an American flag for part of the Apollo 11 talent show set decoration. When they arrive, Bridge loves the coziness of Sherm’s house and the smell of freshly baked cookies in the air. Sherm leads her to his grandmother’s room to find the flag. It is filled with her belongings, including photos of her in her youth and books she is translating from English to Italian. Staring at the photos, Bridge tells Sherm he resembles his grandfather, but he has his grandmother’s eyes.

Sherm finds the flag and yells “Bingo!” (209), an expression he learned from his Nonno, and grabs Bridge’s hand as they walk downstairs.