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“I’m gonna switch calls. You don’t mind, do you, Olive?”

This line is spoken by Willow, one of Olive’s many friends. In this opening scene, Willow ends a call with Olive in the middle of the conversation, leaving Olive feeling abandoned and ignored. The moment foreshadows the social conflicts to come, for Olive is surprised that Willow doesn’t realize how frustrating her sudden departure from the conversation really is. This scene indicates that Olive will soon face a changing and increasingly complicated social dynamic at school that will cause her to feel left out.

“It was amazing!”

With this exclamation, Olive tells her mother about her day at school. The exuberance of her declaration reveals her positive outlook and sense of social belonging at the beginning of the graphic novel. Later, Olive’s mood will change substantially as she is excluded from the various cliques, so this line is meant to create an initial baseline for Olive’s social life and emphasize the drastic shifts that she is about to undergo.

“I…uh…I don’t know yet.”

Compared to Olive’s usual exuberance and enthusiasm, this line reflects her newfound confusion, frustration, and uncertainty with her rapidly shifting social landscape. When she is comfortable and confident, Olive talks to her family in long, excited sentences, describing every detail.