Physical contests, playful cheating, and simmering grudges surface during Field Day, where races, games, and minor humiliations test pride and teamwork, reinforcing the group’s mix of competitiveness, trash talk, and occasional empathy as they balance wanting to win with the reality of uneven athletic ability.

At a rural UIL meet, Sera’s cousin Lalo and former crush Aracely raise the emotional stakes, as mis-started tests, suffocating gym odors, and accusations of cheating collide with rare leniency from officials, leaving Sam and friends to confront how chance, bias, and personal history shape academic outcomes.

Mr. Cavazos’s no-TV challenge exposes who actually sacrifices and who cheats, while JJ’s arrival, tetherball showdowns, and an escalating shoving match that lands several boys in trouble reveal how competition, bravado, and selective honesty complicate both their friendships and their status on the math team.

A mock presidential debate and a high school vocational fair push the boys to research, dress up, and perform adult roles, but Leo’s rumor-based attacks, misspelled jokes, and the allure of flashy exhibits show how ambition, image, and shallow theatrics compete with genuine preparation and learning.​

The boys encounter astrology, personality labels, and new ways of categorizing themselves and others, folding horoscopes and signs into their jokes and identities, as they negotiate adolescence through a mix of superstition, curiosity, and the same teasing dynamic that colors their friendships and rivalries.

Rainy day movies like The Boy Who Could Fly stir Sam’s resentment over never owning many G.I. Joes, contrasting his scarcity with on-screen abundance, as everyday school frustrations and nostalgic media remind him that even small entertainments can expose deeper feelings of class difference and quiet envy.

Leo’s WEBELOS status and embellished campfire “branding” story impress classmates and highlight scouting hierarchy, while Sam, stuck as an older Cub Scout, feels both admiration and irritation, underscoring how Leo manipulates narratives for status and how even uniforms, badges, and pranks become markers of belonging and insecurity.

Before a UIL meet, Leo and Sera convince Sam his sore throat might be mumps, causing him to go home, miss events, and later realize he was fine, while Sera’s injury, a high-stakes San Antonio trip, and an accidentally recycled test highlight luck, pressure, and rivalry within their math success.

A schoolwide no-TV pledge, JJ’s hidden movie-copying setup, and debates over cheating on the challenge intertwine with Sam’s growing suspicion of others’ honesty, as errands for videotapes, shifting loyalties, and loopholes around rules reveal how the boys negotiate temptation, fairness, and their own moral gray areas.

Sam’s meticulously crafted Iron Sheik costume faces unexpected competition, triggering insecurity, a misguided “hooker” comment toward a classmate’s genie outfit, and the sting of losing the contest, while Leo’s crude puns and the teacher’s disapproval underline how image, misunderstanding, and shame shape Sam’s sense of self.