Set around December 1962, this chapter follows Timmy as he stumbles through his first real interactions with girls and the complicated social world of school dances and parties. His overactive imagination and love of comics collide with the expectations of classmates, teachers, and disapproving adults. Valentino continues to contrast the escapism of four-color heroes with Timmy’s uncomfortable, sometimes painful experiences at home and in public, deepening the portrayal of how an anxious, sensitive kid processes a world full of mixed messages and casual cruelty.