CHAPTER 32

Summary

Fifteen years later, Leo still remembered that school year followed by a sad lonely summer without Stargirl.

A for sale sign stood in the front yard of the Caraway home. When he saw it, Leo headed to Archie's place. Archie was not surprised to see him. He told Leo that Stargirl went to Minnesota. Leo complained that she left before the school year was over.

Leo asked if Stargirl had been real. Archie did not answer for awhile. Archie said that she definitely was and that they had been lucky to meet her.

Leo wanted to know the connection between star people and stars. Archie told him that people came from stars. Animals did, too. In his mind, star people are more primitive than the rest of us are.

Archie told Leo that Stargirl tried to change because she liked him. In response to Archie's prodding Leo admitted that he knew that he was lucky. Archie figured that it would takes some years before Leo truly knew how lucky he was. Leo knew that there were other things that Archie could say, like how stupid and cowardly he was. But, Archie just puffed on his pipe.

Leo and Archie remained close, but did not speak again about Stargirl until the next summer as he was preparing to leave for college. When Leo arrived in response to an invitation, Archie took him to the tool shed and opened it. He explained that what they referred to as the tool shed had been Stargirl's office. Archie showed him what was inside, There were lots of supplies for making cards. There were boxes of newspaper clippings. There was a map of Mica with stick pins in it. There was a year long calendar on the wall. It was for birthdays. The book that Stargirl made for Peter Sinkowitz was waiting the requested five years before being given to Peter's parents. There was a file with drawers that held hanging folders, each with someone's name on it.

Leo pulled a folder labeled Borlock out of the file. It had candid pictures of Leo and lists of his likes and dislikes. There was a copy of the article from which Stargirl found out that Leo collected porcupine ties.

Stargirl was a spy, a very unusual spy.

Notes

Leo wanted Stargirl to change because he wanted the others to like them, both himself and Stargirl. But, Stargirl changed for Leo, not to make the others like her.

CHAPTER 33

Summary

During the years that he was attending college Leo continued to visit Archie. He visited him after he graduated and got a job as a set designer, but less frequently. The job was not near Arizona. On their last visit, Archie had Leo drive him out to the desert. Then, as on every visit, they talked about Stargirl.

Archie had Leo stop the car out in the desert. They walked a short distance to a place that seemed suitable for the purpose that Archie had in mind. Using a pick, Archie dug a hole. He put Barney, a Paleocene rodent's skull, into the hole along with a piece of paper. Archie cemented the hole shut using supplies that he had brought for that purpose. When he was finished, the hole was not noticeable. Leo was unable to get Archie to tell him the word that he had written on the paper.

The next time that Leo went to visit Archie he was gone. Gone also were the tool shed and Señor Saguaro.

Notes

Leo learned much from Archie, even when he was in college.

MORE THAN STARS

Summary

Leo never attended the class reunions at Mica Area High School. But, he heard from Kevin about them. They were held at Mica Country Club where the Ocotillo Ball was held. The bunny hop that Stargirl led was always a hot topic.

Wayne Parr and Hillary broke up not long after graduation and he talked of joining the Coast Guard.

The high school started a club called the Sunflowers. Members did one good deed every day.

The Mica Area High School band added a ukulele.

A new basketball fan ritual started. A small group of fans began to cheer the first basket by the opposing team at each game.

One day before his birthday recently Leo received another porcupine necktie.

Notes

The things that Stargirl did had a ripple effect. The happiness that she brought to Mica continued to multiply.

This final chapter is similar to the chapter that began this book in that it, too, is not numbered.