- Remember that oratorical contest our girl won? Well, the next phase of competition is fast approaching. She wins the district contest, and now she is preparing for the state completion.
- When there is an announcement about her district win, Leo stifles the cheer he wants to let out, and listens to the boos from the other people in homeroom.
- Meanwhile Stargirl practices her speech on Leo. Every time she practices it, it changes a bit. She keeps on tweaking it, and it isn't really a memorized speech in the traditional sense.
- They are really enjoying each other's company, it seems. They ride their bikes, go for walks, and talk all the time.
- See, what's great about Stargirl is that she teaches Leo to look at things in a different, more observant way. She always sees things that he doesn't because he considers them too common. She notices everything. Leo starts to notice more and more, too.
- But Stargirl doesn't just see things; she internalizes them and feels them. For example, she noticed that the owner of a house repainted his front door a different color a few times each year, and this made her feel so curious that it was hard for her not to go knock on his door and ask him what was up with his habit.
- She plays games by inventing newspaper headlines about the things she sees like "Door Begs: Knock Me!" (20.19).
- Leo tells her he wants to be a TV director when he is older. Stargirl wants to be a silver lunch truck driver. She wants to bring lunch to all the hardworking people out there. She will own a fleet of the lunch trucks and deliver food everywhere she can, astonishing people with the variety and quality of her food.
- Plus, Stargirl goes on some really fun missions. Leo even tags along with her on some, like when she delivers a potted African violet to someone.
- Leo asks why she never signs the cards she leaves with her gifts, and in response she just asks why she should.
- Suddenly Leo has a flash of understanding. Remember that porcupine tie, from way back in the Prologue? Yep, that was a gift from Stargirl. She totally admits it.
- Leo says it is nice to get credit for doing things, and she responds with "is it?"