The Losers Club

Nina compliments the sign on the table, causing Alec to launch into a nervous rant about Mr. Willner’s penmanship. Being around Nina makes his hands clammy. Nina takes a seat next to him. Earlier in the day, Alec noticed Nina is in his language arts class. He’d also noticed her at lunch, sitting alone and reading. Alec can’t believe he was brave enough to approach her yesterday.

Nina is surprised that they allowed the club to be made considering the name. She adds that it sounds a bit sarcastic, or perhaps like a motorcycle gang. Alec replies that it’s like the book The Outsiders, which Nina says she loves. Alec mentions that he loves that author’s works, referring to S. E. Hinton with female pronouns. Nina is shocked to learn S. E. Hinton is a woman. Alec wants to go on about S. E. Hinton to impress her, but he holds his tongue, not wanting to look like a know-it-all.

Nina says it’s better sitting at their own table than listening to the Origami Club talk about folding paper. She pulls a book from her bag. Alec notices it’s not the same book as the day before and assesses that Nina must be a fast reader or perhaps she reads multiple books at once. He opens his own book and begins reading a chapter with a battle scene—one of his favorites. It makes his heart pound. He relates the feeling the battle scene gives him to how it feels talking to girls.

Alec and Nina’s reading is interrupted by a stray kickball flying at their table. Kent approaches to retrieve the ball and calls Alec a loser while doing so. Kent notices Nina and strikes up a conversation. They know each other because Nina doesn’t live far from Kent. When her family moved into the neighborhood over the summer, Kent became friends with Nina’s older brother. The two play basketball in Nina’s driveway regularly.

Nina and Kent’s conversation is full of playful banter. Before leaving, Kent comments that he might have joined the club if he knew Nina would be in it. Alec feels like Kent’s smile is fake. Nina jokes back that she wouldn’t have joined if Kent was part of it. As Kent leaves, he bids farewell to the losers, but this time the term losers has less bite to it.

Nina explains to Alec how she knows Kent. Alec compliments Kent’s sports abilities and comments that they used to be friends. He doesn’t elaborate. Nina explains she had friends like that at her old school. Alec wonders to himself if she uses reading as a way of coping with life the way he does.

Alec and Nina talk more about the name of the club, and how it could be an open invitation for other kids to call them losers. Alec is secure in knowing he’s not a loser, while Nina doesn’t care what others think. Nina asks if Alec really invited Kent to join the club. Alec considers telling her how Kent butted into the conversation with Dave and would’ve never joined the club anyway. He wants to tell her how Kent ensured Dave didn’t join either. Instead, he decides to do the honorable thing. He says he invited a different friend and Kent overheard. He adds that Kent could’ve joined if he wanted to, but he loves sports and is good at kickball. Nina sounds disappointed when she asks if Kent doesn’t like to read. Alec again takes the honorable route and says that Kent can tell her more about that.

Nina turns to watch Kent play kickball. Alec observes that Kent knows Nina is watching and is trying to show off for her. Alec wishes he could reach into his book and take a blinding potion from the battlefield. He’s not sure if he’d rather blind Nina or himself, but he decides it would be more honorable to blind himself.

On Friday, a girl from the Origami Club waits by the Losers Club table as Alec approaches. The girl, Lily, is a fourth grader. She asks Alec if the club is really for losers. Not wanting the club to grow, Alec says yes and adds that they just sit around and read. Lily explains that she’s bad at origami, so that makes her a loser in a way. She wants to join the Losers Club because she likes reading.

Alec is hesitant at first, but when he looks at Lily’s face, she reminds him of Fern from Charlotte’s Web. She’s so young, and Alec admires that she came up and admitted to being a loser before asking to join the club. It took courage. Part of him wants to accost the origami club for making her feel bad about her abilities. Alec feels a sense of responsibility for Lily, almost like a big brother.

Alec confides in Lily that no one is a loser for not knowing how to fold paper, and that the Losers Club is secretly just a club for people who want to read. Lily is happy to hear this. Alec tells her to inform Mr. Willner that she’s switching clubs and asks if she brought a book. Lily doesn’t have a book for today, so Alec gives her his copy of Charlotte’s Web, which Lily says she loves.

As Lily goes to speak to Mr. Willner, Nina approaches and takes a seat. Alec explains that Lily is joining the club. Nina is confused because she thought they were keeping the club small. Alec says it’s okay because Lily won’t take up much space and she likes to read. He almost tells her about how Lily made him feel like a protective big brother, but he decides not to. He’s worried about telling Nina too much about himself because she’s friends with Kent, and Kent is a bully.

On Saturday, Alec wants to read first thing in the morning, but the letter from Mrs. Vance arrived on Friday. His parents confront him about the letter on Saturday morning, and they sit down to have a talk.

Alec’s parents insist he needs to take this seriously and work out a plan to manage his time. Alec explains he’s already worked out a plan. He’s been paying attention in class and not reading at all during school hours. He pulls out several recent quizzes and assignments to show his parents as proof. He adds that he’s kept up with his homework, and his parents know it. He sits at the kitchen table every evening until it’s complete (because he’d never be able to focus in his room with all his books).

Still, in light of the letter, Alec’s parents suggest he switch to the Homework Room during Extended Day, partially because Alec’s dad wants him to focus on interests besides reading. They reason he can do his homework during Extended Day and have more time for hobbies after, but Alec doesn’t like this plan. He’s worried about losing his club after working so hard to start it.

Alec and his parents make a deal. Alec will have his teachers sign off on his weekly performance, rating it from one to ten. If he gets below an eight, he will attend the Homework Room for the following week and try again. Any week with eights or above, he gets to stay with the Losers Club. Alec’s parents warn that he shouldn’t coast with just eights: He needs nines and tens in the mix.

Alec is thankful he gets to keep his club. He feels responsible for Lily, and he doesn’t want to lose time with Nina. He feels an obligation to the club. He relates it to reading a book: He must stick around to find out what happens.