Starfish

(This section summarizes Poem 91: “Ignored out of Existence,” Poem 92: “Different and Okay,” Poem 93: “Spewing Anger,” Poem 94: “Mismatched,” and Poem 95: “Pure Garbage.”)

When Ellie returns to school on Monday, her bullies ignore her, making her feel as if she doesn’t exist. Through a school project on how beauty standards have changed over time, Ellie learns that bodies like hers were once considered the peak of beauty; she thinks people should acknowledge that everyone is different and that this is perfectly acceptable. The librarian pairs Ellie with Enemy Number 3 to create a special display for the library. Ellie chooses the topic—bullying. She selects books about characters who are bullied for their size and is surprised when Enemy Number 3 adds books about children who are bullied because of their backgrounds. Enemy Number 3 creates an artistic depiction of bullying, but Ellie harshly dismisses the idea that he could be bullied. Although Ellie learns that Enemy Number 3 bullies others because he is bullied for his economic status, she can’t understand why someone who knows this kind of pain would choose to redirect it at others.