Guts: A Graphic Novel

At home, Raina’s dad comments that he heard from Lauren that Raina had begun to make jokes, which is a sign of progress. She shows her father and grandmother the comic strip she made with Jane about their family, for which she receives a tepid response. The one person who understands her art and humor, Telgemeier suggests, is Jane.

When Raina shows up at school the next day, she discovers Jane having a pleasant conversation with Michelle. Immediately, she gets very anxious. She asks Jane why she is being friendly with Michelle. Jane explains that Raina was not on the bus that morning, so she sat with Michelle instead. Jane comments that Michelle is actually nice. The next panels show Michelle and Jane bonding as friends: sharing jokes, passing notes, sharing food, sitting together on the bus, and—to Raina’s horror—even drawing cartoons together. Raina’s anxiety about Jane’s relationship with Michelle grows until she finds herself lying in bed, holding her stomach. She asks to stay home from school the next day, saying her stomach hurts. Raina spends the day lying on her bed, listening to music.

Raina’s mother takes her to see the doctor.