Summer finds it strange that people who don’t even know her have asked her why she hangs out with Auggie, whom they call “the freak” (119). She thinks Auggie’s nice, and that’s all that matters. For Summer, “It’s weird how weird kids can be” (119). She actually sits with Auggie on the first day of school because she feels sorry for him. He isn’t just new, he also looks different. Everyone is staring and making fun of him, and he knows it. So, she sits with him, gets to know him, and makes friends. It really isn’t a big deal to her.

Though Summer hangs out with Auggie initially because she feels sorry for him, she doesn’t see him this way anymore. Now they’re friends, though it does take time to get used to his face and the messy way he eats. What she loves most about Auggie is that he has a sense of wonder. Other kids, like her former friends, are now trying to act older than they are. They don’t like games or dressing up for Halloween, but Auggie still likes these things. It’s actually while playing Four Square that Summer finds out about a game all the kids are playing called the Plague.