Portrait Collection: Dawn's Book Chapters 1-5

[lisaerin]

Chapter 1

Dawn wakes up wondering where she is. Since I’ve read the line where am I in books where the main character was kidnapped, I’m going to assume Dawn was kidnapped. It turns out that Dawn is in California and was disoriented for a moment. Dawn explains that she recently moved from Connecticut to California. When she was in Connecticut she lived with her mom, her stepfather Richard, and her stepsister Mary Anne. When she’s in California she lives with her dad, her stepmother Carol, and her younger brother Jeff. She asks if it’s confusing. No, it isn’t. A seven-year old can understand the concept of divorce, remarriage, stepparents and stepsiblings. Besides, Dawn explained the situation very clearly. She used to live in Connecticut. When she was in Connecticut she lived with her mom, her mom’s second husband Richard, and Richard’s daughter Mary Anne. When she’s in California she lives with her dad, her dad’s new wife, and her brother. Is that hard for anyone to understand? It’s self-explanatory.

It annoys me that Sharon moved to Stoneybrook because she felt she’d be happier there after the divorce. What about her kids? Did Sharon consider that her kids might be unhappy moving to an entirely new state? The kids just went through a divorce and now they have to move to a whole new place that’s drastically different from where they grew up. They’re also separated from their friends, so a support system is gone. It’ll also be harder for them to see their father. But no, if Sharon’s happy, I guess that’s what matters.

Carol is younger than Dawn’s dad. Why does that matter? My mom’s younger than my dad. My aunts are younger than my uncles. I’m more used to the girl being younger than the guy in relationships. I’m supposed to think that Carol is younger than Jack because she goes rollerblading. What the hell does that have to do with anything? Is Dawn trying to say that only young people rollerblade? Why can’t older people rollerblade? Older people can like rollerblading as well. Is Dawn trying to say that her father is physically too old to rollerblade? Jack comes in with some old report cards, newspaper clippings, and pictures for Dawn to use for her assignment. Dawn has to write an autobiography. That seems like an odd assignment to give eighth graders, but maybe it’s because nothing really exciting happened to me at that age so I would have had nothing to write. All I would have was, “When I was two my brother was born. When I was eight we moved from South Carolina to Florida. We didn’t move into an old house and there was nothing cool in the attic. I went to school. I had a hard time making friends.” Of course I could just lie in the assignment. I feel sorry for the teacher reading the BSC autobiographies. The poor souls will have to put up with reading about the BSC being all judgmental and bragging but trying to be modest.

Dawn walks to school with her best friends Maggie, Jill and Sunny. Maggie is a rich kid but doesn’t look like it. Yes, all rich kids have to wear designer clothes and expensive jewelry and have parties on their expensive yachts. There is no code for how a rich kid is supposed to look and act. Maggie has spiky hair in the front and a long, thin tail in the back. She streaks her hair with colors like purple and blue. Maggie doesn’t care that her family is rich and hangs out with ordinary folk. I’m beginning to think that Ann thinks rich people are snobs who have pools and 400 dollar cats and look down on anyone that isn’t rich. Jill is like Mary Anne. Sunny is outgoing and cheerful.

Dawn describes herself as laid-back, which means she takes things as they come. I nearly typed “take things as she comes,” by mistake. Anyway, that’s a bunch of bullshit. Dawn has a laid-back attitude as much as Kristy is a great leader, Mary Anne doesn’t cry to get her way, and Stacey isn’t a conceited New York snob just because she happens to be from New York. If Dawn is so laid back, then why can’t she just accept that some people eat junk food and move on instead of throwing a fit because someone having different eating habits than you is a personal insult? If she’s so laid-back, why was she acting like the entire world was out to destroy the planet in Dawn Saves the Planet? Why did she sulk when she wasn’t put in charge of the recycling program? Why was she getting bent out of shape when Jenny told her that Andrea preferred a certain set of pajamas than the ones Dawn picked out? Why was she throwing a silent tantrum when Mallory and Jessi got an induction into the club? Why was she throwing a tantrum when Claudia got asked to babysit Charlotte? Why did she steal her father’s credit card and run away when he was going to marry Carol? Does anyone get “laid back and taking things as they come from any of those actions?

Dawn has to go to a meeting of the We Love Kids club. She thinks she should explain. It’s basically a more relaxed version of the BSC. They go to Sunny’s house for the meeting. Sunny’s mom has cancer, but she still put together a snack for the girls. Since I’m so used to Ann acting like a person is horrible and lazy if they’re sick and need to rest, I’m reading an implied, “Sunny’s mom is so much better than those cancer patients who are unable to get out of bed or are too sick to do anything,” even if she didn’t mean it that way. The parents in California are allowed to request sitters because Dawn is asked to babysit for Clover and Daffodil. I think the We Love Kids club is more sensible than the BSC in that respect. The girls get a few more calls, but they basically just eat snacks and talk. I’m going to assume they talked about teenage related stuff instead of Clover being afraid of vampires.

Dawn works on her biography later that night. She thinks she has an interesting life so far. I wouldn’t call organizing countless activities for kids interesting. Dawn titles her autobiography: The Life and Times of Dawn Read Schafer: Bicoastal Girl. West Coast Beginnings. I would personally call the book The Wicked Witch of the West Coast: The True Story of Dawn Schafer. Then I would write: Dawn was a brat as a child- is anyone surprised? Instead of West Coast Beginnings. Now that I think about it, “A Brat is Born” has a nice ring to it as well.

Chapter 2

Dawn is a week late. To induce pregnancy, Sharon goes to the beach. She feels silly walking around with a huge stomach. Is she feeling silly because people might judge how a pregnant person looks in a bathing suit? Going to the beach works and Dawn is born at dawn the next morning. Sharon thinks that this is why Dawn loves the ocean. Dawn’s parents took her to the beach a lot as a small child. When Dawn got fussy, all they had to do was take her for a dip in the ocean and she’d be okay again. When I first read this I imagined Sharon or Jack holding Dawn upside Dawn by the ankle and dunking her in the water headfirst. Water worked against the Wicked Witch of the West. Why won’t it work on Dawn?

Dawn tells the story about when she took her first steps. She was able to walk by holding onto things, so her father stood her at the coffee table, went across the room, and called her. I think this scene would have been funnier if there had been a plate of cookies right past Jack and that was what Dawn was going for. But I’m sure Dawn didn’t eat cookies when she was a child. Dawn and her family are at the beach on a Sunday when Dawn pulls herself up using the cooler and walks to where the sand meets the sea. Dawn tells us not to think that she’s some sort of bizarre kid that you could make a movie about like Baby from the Sea. I wasn’t thinking that. Am I supposed to read this line and think, “No, Dawn, you’re wrong. The story about how you like the beach is absolutely fascinating material! It’ll be a box office hit!”   Here’s the thing, Dawn. My mom’s family camped out on the beach as children. My family went to the beach lots of times. I have fond memories of going to the beach, swimming, building sandcastles, trying to dig a hole big enough so it can be a pool, and having a great night’s sleep. I find I sleep well after going to the beach. My cousin Seth was busy beaming when we took him to the beach when he was a toddler. When we were on a ferry, Seth was having the time of his life because he was outside. So Dawn, you aren’t the only one who likes the beach. Lots of people like the beach as well. Stop acting like you’re the only person who ever liked the beach. But the BSC has a habit of taking a character trait about themselves such as living in New York or liking the beach and acting like no one else on the planet shares those characteristics. The BSC also acts like people doing things they personally don’t do is so strange and weird.

I don’t get the impression that Dawn has the power to communicate with fish nor is a mermaid in disguise. Dawn has to assure us that she likes normal toddler things as well. It is not abnormal for a toddler to like the ocean, Dawn. But Dawn has to assure us that she likes normal toddler things like playgrounds. Suppose there are toddlers than don’t like playgrounds? I love how Little Miss Individual is writing her biography and going, “I’m so special because I like the ocean. But before you get the idea that I’m some sort of ocean loving freak, I liked regular toddler things too. I liked the playground. Toddlers like the playground, right?” In fact, Dawn asks if she sounds weird when she sees a sandbox and cries for the beach. I think a toddler who liked the beach and went there often would associate sand with the beach. No, Dawn, I don’t think you’re weird. I think you’re annoyingly trying to come across as an individual by acting like no other toddler in the world liked the beach and then desperately backtracking and saying, “I’m not a freak! I did normal toddler stuff! I don’t sound weird, do I? Or maybe this is just a ploy for the teacher to write, “You don’t sound weird, you wonderful unique child. Never change.”

Dawn likes Play-Doh. She goes around the house putting Play Doh on everything. One day Sharon is getting vegetarian chili out for dinner and she sees something white in it. My first reaction would be, “What the hell?” and to gingerly examine the white substance. By the time Sharon puts the chili on the table, she figures out that the white stuff is Play-Doh and confronts Dawn. Dawn says it’s sour cream and puts the Play Doh back in. Sharon doesn’t scold her because she’d burst out laughing if she opened her mouth.

There was this one time when Dawn was playing alone in her room. Sharon came in with laundry and she saw red stuff coming out of Dawn’s ear. Sharon asks Dawn to let her look at her ears and Dawn says, “Huh?” Sharon panics because her precious girl can’t hear. Maybe Sharon just needed to repeat the question louder. Or maybe Dawn wasn’t paying attention. There have been times when I look up and realize, “Wait, is someone calling me?” I can buy Sharon panicking and calling 911, but I don’t know if she thought, “Oh, no! My precious girl can’t hear!” I bet Dawn is the type of person to think that her classmates are beating on their breasts and crying, “Oh, lo! Our beloved Dawn is absent from school today! How are we to go on without seeing her angelic visage? Let us make her a get-well basket so that we may hasten her recovery!” when she’s out sick with the cold. I think Dawn just expects everyone to make a gigantic fuss over her at all times and throws a tantrum when they aren’t.

When she’s three Dawn gets the biggest surprise of her life. Her parents aren’t there to tuck her into bed. They’re still gone the next morning. Dawn’s grandparents come that day. Then who stayed with Dawn that night? Dawn’s parents are still gone, but they come back with Jeff. They tell Dawn they have a new baby and she’s confused because she thought she was the baby. Did Sharon not have a baby bump with Jeff? Did Dawn not notice her mom’s expanding belly? Did Sharon tell Dawn she swallowed a watermelon? Why didn’t Sharon and Jack try to discuss that Dawn was going to have a baby brother with her?

Now, I can relate to being jealous of a sibling and thinking your parents don’t have any time for you when you have a new siblings. But Dawn is so melodramatic that I just want to laugh. She says that there is no sunshine in her life. Her sun has set. A new sun has risen for Dawn’s parents- a son. Yeah, who needs a daughter now that you have a son? I’m just snickering because Dawn is being so melodramatic. Her days are bleak and cheerless now because she isn’t the center of attention. Dawn knows that her parents weren’t ignoring her when Jeff was born. She knows that after she’s babysat kids with new siblings. Then why does she act like an older sibling not acting like their younger sibling wasn’t carried down from the heavens by the angels is a horrible person? Maybe this sibling jealousy is a retcon.

Sunshine comes back into Dawn’s life when she goes to nursery school. Dawn likes all the different activities there. Her favorite activity is blocks. She and her partner Ruthie build the Eiffel Tower because they like the Madeline books which are set in Paris. Dawn notices Jackie and Harry eying the tower. The teacher, Mrs. Anderson, tells the kids it’s time to switch stations. I’d forgotten about it until I read this book, but I think we had something similar when I was in elementary school. Kids could play at different stations for a certain amount of time, and then they move on to a new station. Mrs. Anderson says that everyone gets a turn. I don’t think Dawn grasps that concept. She wants to play with blocks so only she should play with blocks.

Dawn gets upset when Harry and Jackie destroy the tower. I can get being upset about the tower being destroyed, but some other people deserve to play with the blocks. It’s not your turn anymore, Dawn. And Dawn leaves out that it was Harry and Jackie’s turn to play with the blocks, so they have every right to use the blocks to build something else. I can understand being mad if they destroyed the tower when they were building it, but it’s Harry and Jackie’s turn. I bet Dawn would throw a tantrum over someone wearing her favorite costume from the dress-up chest. Now I’m imagining Dawn trying to tear the costume off the other person, keeping the costume on because she’s the only one allowed to wear it, or destroying the costume because if she can’t have it, no one can.

Dawn hatches a secret plan to stop Jackie and Harry from using the blocks. She convinces Mrs. Anderson to have story time next and she is so flattered by a child telling her that she reads beautifully that she relents. Dawn’s plan is to glue the blocks together so that Harry and Jackie can’t destroy the tower. Dawn, those blocks don’t belong to you. Other kids have the right to use those blocks. When Harry and Jackie go to kick the tower down it falls over. Dawn doesn’t even get punished. Well, she does, but she has to soak the blocks in water and Dawn likes it. She even says it doesn’t feel like a punishment. Is anyone else thinking that something similar would happen to Karen? Since Dawn loves water so much, I wonder if she’s ever taken ungodly long showers. I would laugh my ass off if Dawn took really long showers. Would she have to take long showers to wash her hair? Wouldn’t it take a little longer to wash long hair? I’m also imagining Dawn being like the vegan powered boyfriend from Scott Pilgrim versus the world. I can just see Dawn going, “Wait, this isn’t health food?”and losing her powers. I would laugh so hard if Dawn realized that the healthy foods she boasted about eating weren’t that healthy. Dawn doesn’t go by the block corner anymore.

Dawn also learns to like having a little brother. She only likes having a little brother because Jeff hero-worships her. Once Jeff was able to kiss her ass he went way up in Dawn’s book. You only like someone once you realize they can do something for you, don’t you Dawn? Dawn thinks that Jeff saying “Da-Da is him trying to say her name instead of him trying to say Dad. Or maybe it’s easier for babies to say “Da- da.” Jeff also gets it into his head that it’s his job to entertain Dawn. Now that Dawn has a personal jester, life is suddenly much brighter. Dawn says that if Jeff grows up to be a professional comedian it’ll be because of her. Now I’m imagining one of Dawn’s friends getting recognized and Dawn going, “It’s all because of me that this happened,” because Dawn is responsible for everyone’s successes in the world.

Dawn also learned to like having a little brother because it taught her at an early age that the sun doesn’t rise and set around her. I just want a picture with a cat saying, “Lol, wut?” or “Bitch, please.” I think cats make great snarkers. If Dawn really thinks the world doesn’t revolve around her, then why was she throwing a tantrum when Mallory and Jessi got an induction ceremony? Why did she get caught up in pageant madness and the desire to prove that she was the very best sitter like no one ever was? Dawn just contradicted herself with this statement because earlier she said that she liked having a little brother because he worshipped her and thought it was a great privilege to entertain her. She didn’t like having a little brother because she liked doing things with him or teaching him new things. She liked having a little brother because she has a new minion.

When Dawn is old enough to live on her own she’ll live in a house by the sea. I think that I want a library when I get my own house. I want shelves of books and a comfy chair because I think a comfy chair when reading is a must. I also saw pictures of great window seats and bookshelves, so I want those for my library as well. I also want to live in a place with beaches. I’m not sure if I want to live in a state where I can see the seasons change. I miss seeing the leaves change colors and watching snow fall, but I despise the cold. We obviously don’t have snow if Florida. I’ve lived in Florida for most of my life and the weather will still make me go, “What the fuck?” But I find it amusing how Dawn talks about how warm California is and how they have warm winters when I can just say, “Yeah, same here.”

Chapter 3

Dawn and her family move to a new neighborhood when she’s six. Dawn is upset at having to leave her friends, but her parents tell her there’ll be lots of kids for her to play with, but the kids are three. Dawn is upset that she doesn’t have a best friend within walking distance. I can understand Dawn there. There were no kids my age around when we moved into our new house, but there were plenty of kids my brother’s age. Dawn isn’t interested in playing with three-year olds and they aren’t interested in playing with her. Smart kids. Dawn doesn’t want us or the teacher to think that she’s antisocial. Yes, being antisocial is the worst thing in the world. It’s kind of funny because I’m a psychology student so when I hear the term antisocial I think about hanging out alone instead of the psychology term. But now I might start thinking of the psychology term when I see the word antisocial in books.

Dawn has friends. She’s friends with Jill and Maggie, but they don’t live near enough to Dawn for her to permanently boss them around. She wants to be able to run over to their houses early in the morning and ask what they’re going to do today. Well, I would personally tell Dawn to get lost so I can sleep. I refuse to do anything before ten on a weekday or holiday. A year goes by and Dawn still doesn’t have a friend. But then a house is sold and a family with a girl Dawn’s age is going to move in. Dawn is overjoyed because she’ll have a friend her own age on the block. I used to fantasize about having a girl with similar interests to mine move to my street.

Dawn lurks around the house so she can get a glimpse of her new best friend. It’s Saturday when the new family arrives. Dawn goes to great lengths to say that a strange car arrives and it’s not unfamiliar strange, it’s unfamiliar weird. The car is a beat up red thing and is painted with flowers and peace signs. Maybe the car is beat up because it’s used and that was what the family can afford? Maybe they’ve had that car for years and it’s seen better days. Maybe the family likes flowers and peace signs. Maybe they thought it’d be nice to paint things they liked on their car. My mom has silver and purple stripes on her car. I like those stripes. It makes it easier for me to know which car is hers. I told my mom that when I get my own car, I’m getting a stripe or something painted on it so that I’ll know right away that it’s mine.

I’m paranoid about forgetting which car is mine. I was at Starbacks and my mom was waiting outside in the car. We had gotten a new car so we used that instead of her car. I forgot where we parked and I forgot what the car looked like because we didn’t have it long. So I go to a car that’s not ours and I’m trying to get the door open and sipping my coffee when my mom comes. It turns out she didn’t know I was trying to get in the wrong car. She just wondered why I was just standing there. Dawn pretends to tie her shoe so she can spy on the new neighbors. A man with a ponytail and a woman with an ankle length dress get out of the car. The girl Dawn was longing for gets out as well. I’m not the only one reading lesbian undertones in this scene, am I?

The girl is wearing an ankle-length dress as well. Dawn has never seen anyone wear an ankle -length dress outside of church. The family is also barefoot. Maybe they don’t like shoes. I despise wearing closed shoes. I wear flip flops most of the time and sandals when I’m going out. I like boots, though, so I’m willing to wear those once or twice. Dawn is horrified when the family starts dancing on the lawn. The family is just dancing in circles, Dawn. Maybe it’s been a long drive and they need to stretch their legs. Maybe they’re excited about moving into a house. Why is Dawn horrified by that? I can understand being weirded out, but horrified seems to be a strong reaction for a six year old. I can understand being horrified if the new neighbors set the car on fire or punched one of the movers in the face without provocation, but dancing around in circles seems to register a little low on the horror scale for me. I guess even as a child Dawn was judgmental. The family is strange. They don’t even notice or care that the movers are laughing at them. Maybe that’s because they’re individuals and don’t care what people think. I bet they don’t constantly need to be reassured that they’re individuals every second, and need to be reassured that they aren’t too strange.

The woman asks Sunshine to help her with the plants. Dawn thinks the woman is talking to her and goes over. It turns out the girl is called Sunshine as well. Dawn gets upset because she’s the only person in the world allowed to be called Sunshine. Dawn, the world does not rise and set over you. Get over it. She’s going to be one of those mothers than has a tantrum when other people name their kids what she was going to name her kid, despite the name selection being a popular one. Dawn decides not to talk to the new neighbors, but before she can run away they spot her. The neighbors introduce themselves as the Winslows. The girl is called Sunshine Daydream Willow.

Dawn doesn’t want the Winslows to know where she lives. Does she think they’re a bunch of child murderers or something? Dawn helps the Winslows move in. They don’t have a couch. Instead they use a bunch of large cushions. Dawn thinks that they need a couch to sit on when they watch TV. A couch isn’t a necessity to watching TV. Sunny says that TV rots your brain. I wonder if the BSC has ever said that to one of their charges they ask if they can watch TV. Sunny invites Dawn to stay for lunch. The Winslows are having kelp soup. Dawn is weirded out by this and goes home for lunch. When Dawn leaves she hears Mrs. Winslow saying, “We thank the earth and the sea for this meal.” Dawn figures that she can’t be friends with a girl as strange as Sunny. Yes, it’s completely unusual for friends to have different interests and hobbies. That’s why the BSC always has to draw great attention that they’re all friends despite being different.

Chapter 4

Dawn and Jeff are watching TV when Sharon asks if they’re going to invite Sunny over to play. Sharon turns off the TV and makes them go outside because it’s a beautiful day. You aren’t required to go outside and pay when it’s a beautiful day. Dawn goes over to Sunny’s house because she’s bored watching Jeff and his friend Mark play swords. The Winslows have left their door open, so Dawn wanders in. She goes upstairs and sees them around something that looks like a rubber raft. Sunny tells Dawn they’re setting up her parents’ water bed. Dawn thinks this is strange. She’s never heard of a bed made out of water. Did it ever occur to you that the thing that looks like a huge raft is the bed?

Sunny invites Dawn to help her set up her room. Dawn is relieved to see that Sunny has a regular bed, even if it’s on the floor. Do six-year olds usually care what kind of beds their friends have? Why does Dawn care what kind of bed Sunny has? She’s not going to be sleeping over anytime soon. Is Dawn going to refuse to be friends with someone because she has a different bed? I have to say, that’s a weird kind of deal-breaker. Sunny’s bedspread is tie-dyed. Dawn thinks that Sunny means the bedspread is made out of dead ties. I can see Claudia thinking something like this. Dawn asks Sunny where her toys are. Sunny shows Dawn some wooden blocks, a wooden whistle, a rag doll, and a wooden train set. Dawn can appreciate the blocks because it’s something she personally likes, but she outgrew them years ago. Why does that matter, Dawn? You don’t want to be friends with a girl as weird as Sunny. Do you think you have the right to go into someone’s house and play with their toys? Dawn is a judgmental brat and says Sunny’s toys are pathetic. Just because you wouldn’t play with the toys doesn’t mean they’re pathetic. Sunny may really love those toys.

Dawn asks if Sunny has any Barbies because normal people play with Barbies and that’s what Dawn would play with. Okay, that statement isn’t explicitly stated, but I’m positive it’s there. Sunny and her family don’t buy plastic because it’s bad for the environment. Dawn asks if Sunny can play with other plastic stuff if it belongs to someone else. Sunny says yes and tries to show Dawn her favorite stuffed animal. Dawn is disgusted. I’m disgusted at Dawn’s attitude. The stuffed animal is all mangy, but that’s what happens to stuffed animals. I’ve had my favorite bear since fourth or fifth grade and he’s all ragged looking now.

Sunny sees Dawn is getting bored with her toys, so she tries to entertain her by teaching her Morse code. Sunny is talking about Morse code. Dawn doesn’t give a shit because she can’t be bothered to care about the interest of others, but she’s polite enough to pretend to be interested. I think you’re being a rude little brat by saying that you don’t care about what Sunny is saying, but you’re such a good person that you’ll pretend to care. Dawn is still being rude. Would it kill her to listen to someone else talk about something they like instead of being all, “What freaks. Why can’t they talk about things I like or like things I like?”

Sunny talks to her mom in Morse code. I think this is cool. Sunny and Dawn go over to Dawn’s house. Sunny stops Jeff and Mark from playing with swords because that promotes violence. I don’t think Sunny has the right to go to someone else’s house and stop them from playing what they were playing because she personally disapproved. Sunny goes home after a while and gives Dawn a chart for learning Morse code. Dawn doesn’t plan on learning it.

The next day Sunny invites Dawn to help her tie-dye some curtains. Dawn is excited when her mom tells her she can tie-dye one of her white shirts. Then Dawn realizes that the Winslows are going to tie-dye the curtains in the front yard where people can see her. Dawn sees people looking and bails out. Dawn feels guilty about this but figures that Sunny doesn’t care. Sunny is too weird for Dawn to be friends with. Dawn is disappointed that the only girl her age on the block won’t be her friend. Sunny’s tried to be your friend, Dawn. You’re the one being a judgmental brat and refusing to have anything to do with Sunny because she’s different than you.

Sharon tells Dawn that they’re taking Sunny and her mother shopping the next day. Dawn is horrified because her mom can’t be friends with the Winslows. The Winslows are weird and should be avoided like the plague. How is Dawn supposed to avoid Sunny if their moms are friends? Dawn wishes that Sunny and her mom weren’t wearing ankle-length dresses. I wonder if any of the BSC is ever embarrassed to be seen with Claudia. No, Claudia is the only person allowed to dress eccentrically. Anyone else deserves to be ridiculed. Why does Dawn care so much? I didn’t realize that six-year olds cared so much about what people thought. I doubt people are going to gossip about Dawn being seen with the Winslows because she’s six. Who gossips about six-year olds? Aside from the BSC, I mean. Dawn tries to get rid of Sunny by asking her mom if she and Sunny can go look at the toys. Dawn thinks that Sunny will see all the plastic and be so offended that she’ll go running off. No, that’s what you would do, Dawn. Other people are quite capable of not running off the second someone wants to do something that you don’t like. Sunny just lectures Dawn and Dawn thinks everyone is staring at her and Sunny. Maybe they’re wondering where your parents are. I don’t think the people are thinking, “Look at that little hippie girl. I’m going to stay away from her and her blonde friend.” Dawn is so upset because she thinks people are staring at her and Sunny that she doesn’t realize that there’s a powerful storm.

Chapter 5

Sunny wanders off to another aisle. The power goes out. Dawn is afraid and wants her mom. I was afraid of the dark as a child and I don’t like it now, so I would have been terrified to be alone in a dark store without my mom. Sunny tells Dawn to stay where she is and that she’ll find her. Sunny uses a clown’s lit up noise as a flashlight. Sunny goes to tell someone that they’re by themselves. Sunny and Dawn tell a clerk named Mrs. Stazio that they’re separated from their mothers. The power goes back on and Mrs. Stazio tells the girls their mothers can probably find them now. She keeps an eye on them. Sunny decides to check in with Mrs. Stazio again after they’ve been waiting for a long time. Mrs. Stazio suggests that they go down to house wares to see if their mothers are there. Sunny shows more common sense than the BSC by telling another clerk where they are in case their mothers come looking for them.

They take the stairs down to the second floor because the power might go out again and they don’t want to be stuck on an elevator. Mrs.Winslow and Sharon aren’t on the second floor, either. Sunny sees two men in overalls and asks who they are. The men are repairmen. An elevator is broken. Sunny thinks that their moms are on the elevator and that’s why they’re taking so long. That makes sense. They go over to the men and ask if there’s anyone inside. The repairmen say that it’s possible because it’s a busy day. They shout and bang on the elevator. There’s an answering bang so people are in the elevator. The people in the elevator can’t hear anyone’s voice. Sunny is a badass and uses Morse code to communicate. Sunny’s mom is in the elevator and they use Morse code to say that no one is injured and for the repairmen to give instructions. Everyone is crowded around Sunny. They think Sunny knowing Morse code is cool. No one thinks Sunny looks strange in her long skirt. Dawn is proud to know Sunny. I bet Dawn is only proud to know Sunny because Sunny is saving the day and people aren’t thinking that Sunny is a freak.

Now that Sunny is a hero, Dawn no longer cares what other people think of the new neighbors. I’m sure that if Sunny hadn’t saved the day with Morse code Dawn would still try to avoid being seen with them. I guess it’s only acceptable to befriend people when they do something really cool like using Morse code to help people trapped in an elevator. You shouldn’t befriend people because they’re nice and friendly. I think Dawn just befriended Sunny so she can steal some of the limelight by bragging, “That girl who used Morse code to save the day? She’s my friend!” I wonder if Dawn would have decided that Sunny and her family wasn’t that bad if the incident at the store never happened. I also find it amusing that Dawn thought Sunny was weird but now she shares some of Sunny’s beliefs like no guns and swords.