Ducks
- It's now the day before the last day of school, and Auggie is in Mr. Tushman's office.
- Edward Johnson, the thug from the other school who bullied August, has been busted with Auggie's hearing aids in his locker. Does August want to press charges?
- The first thing August asks is if the kids would end up in jail. Tushman says not jail, but possibly juvenile court.
- Mr. Tushman suggests that perhaps they'll learn a lesson, but Auggie knows better. He says, "Trust me: that Eddie kid is not learning any lessons" (8.Ducks.12).
- The conversation between August and Mr. Tushman deepens.
- Mr. Tushman wants to know if the year has been okay for August, and congratulates him on the High Honor Roll.
- Mr. Tushman also touches on some of the year's lows. He reveals that he has been aware of Julian's malevolence, and wishes that Jack and Auggie had come to him about the nasty notes.
- They joke about the network of security cameras and secret microphones that allow middle school directors to know all.
- Auggie downplays things as usual, telling Mr. Tushman it wasn't a big deal and that they left some notes too.
- Auggie is surprised and happy to see his animal self-portrait framed on the wall behind Mr. Tushman's desk.
- "Why did you choose to represent yourself as a duck?" (8.Ducks.53) asks Mr. Tushman. Mr. Tushman has imagined a wealth of meaning in the portrait—ugly ducklings and swans and all that—but Auggie says he just thinks he looks like a duck, end of story.
- Mr. Tushman has a good laugh at himself, and shakes Auggie's hand, letting him know it's been great having him at Beecher Prep and he looks forward to another year.