Sunny Side Up

In the narrative present, Sunny and Buzz are squatting down, watching a lizard on the sidewalk, when Sal comes hurrying toward them and asks for their help in finding Myra, his 98-year-old neighbor. He explains that she has dementia and sometimes wanders away. He has been searching for hours but cannot find her. When he mentions that she often likes to go to the golf course, Buzz and Sunny panic, thinking of “Big Al,” the alligator that lives there. They rush to the course and bravely wade into the water, searching for Myra. Then they decide to search the rest of the golf course. After two hours in the Florida sun, they are exhausted and hot. Buzz points out that Pine Palms may be too large for the two of them to search effectively, but Sunny sees a resident drive by in a golf cart and gets an idea. She leads Buzz to the golf cart rentals; he is nervous and reminds her that he does not know how to drive. “I’ve got this” (153), she says, with a determined look on her face. They drive together around the community, searching for Myra. Finally, Sunny spots the elderly woman sitting on a bench at a bus stop. She slides onto the bench beside Myra and asks whether Myra is waiting for the bus. It becomes clear that Myra is, indeed, confused; she believes that she is in New Jersey, waiting for a bus to Hoboken. Sunny gently takes her hand and reminds her that they are in Florida. Myra slouches. “I didn’t think I would end up here” (158), she tells Sunny. “Me neither,” Sunny replies.

Chapter 17’s introductory splash page is a closeup of the spinner rack of comics at the store that Sunny and Buzz frequent. A stack of Swamp Thing comics is depicted in bright red coloring at the top of the rack. Sunny chooses this comic to read and tells Buzz that Swamp Thing is her favorite because he has “[n]o disguises or secrets” (160). Buzz passes along a dinner invitation to Sunny and Pat from his mother.

The next panel moves the narrative action ahead to the following night, as Sunny and her grandfather drive to Buzz’s house. When they arrive, Pat presents Buzz’s mother with flowers, and Sunny is disturbed by her grandfather’s cough as he tells Buzz’s mother to call him Pat. When Pat notices a model rocket, Buzz’s father explains that space is one of his passions. Pat comments that Sunny’s older brother, Dale, shares this passion, and Buzz is surprised to learn that Sunny has an older brother whom she has never mentioned. Buzz’s father mentions having been a chemist in Cuba, and Buzz says that being a gardener in the United States is like his father’s secret identity, just as Bruce Wayne is Batman’s secret identity. Sunny asks how superheroes manage to keep their identities secret; she thinks it must be hard to keep so many secrets inside. When Buzz’s father realizes how much Sunny likes comics, he shows her his large collection and offers to let her take some home to read. One of these comics is the Hulk, which Buzz has talked about but which Sunny has yet to read. On the way home that evening, Pat comments that Buzz has a lovely family. Sunny agrees, but the depiction of her face shows a wistful, sad expression.

Sunny and Buzz take their comic books to the Indian River Juice Company and read them while taking advantage of the business’s all-you-can-drink orange juice. Sunny reads the Hulk comic that Buzz’s father loaned to her. A splash panel shows Sunny and Buzz intently reading at the counter; below them is a large illustration of the Hulk superimposed over the Juice Company’s coral-colored floor. Special effects lettering lists his characteristics. A four-panel sequence follows, alternating between Sunny’s shocked and dismayed expression and various images of the Hulk’s fist smashing things. Sunny tells Buzz that she does not understand the Hulk’s behavior and cannot decide whether he is meant to be good or bad. When Buzz explains the Hulk’s backstory to her, she claims not to understand—but a splash page shows Sunny thinking about Dale, and four images of Dale show him as a friendly, happy person who smokes something, becomes angry, and transforms into a version of the Hulk (176). Sunny gets up and walks into the restroom. The final panel of the chapter is a full-page splash showing the bathroom stall’s closed green door. Sound-effect words emanate through the door: “Sob! Sob! Sob!” (178).

Chapter 19 opens with a splash page featuring close-ups of three Bicentennial flags against a red-and-white striped background. On the Fourth of July, 1976—America’s Bicentennial—Sunny and Deb watch a parade, decorate their bikes, and play games in a park with their families. Later in the day, the two families drive to Valley Forge Park, where they picnic and watch historical reenactments. Finally, it is time for the fireworks, which are vividly depicted in the artwork, along with Sunny’s delight at the spectacle. On the following page, Dale slouches toward the family. His eyes are red and surrounded by baggy folds of skin, and bubble-shaped emanata following him indicate that he is not sober. A close-up of his hand holding a beer can is also featured, and the next frame shows Sunny’s startled, upset expression. Sunny’s father confronts Dale, asking where he has been and demanding to know if Dale is on drugs. He then angrily tries to grab the beer can from his son’s hand. Dale furiously declares that he cannot tell him what to do. Sunny runs in between the two, but Dale is already swinging a fist at his father. The punch lands on Sunny’s shoulder, and she falls to the ground. A large panel shows Deb’s parents, Sunny’s mother, and Deb watching in shocked horror. The final page of the chapter is another full-page splash, showing the aftermath: against a background of fireworks, Dale’s dark form stalks away from the families as the shadowed figure of Sunny’s father stoops to comfort her. Three small insets travel diagonally from the page’s upper left down to the middle right. These show Sunny’s reaction to what just happened: her face gradually transitions from shock, to pain, to frightened tears.

Chapter 20 continues the action of the flashback in Chapter 19; it is the next day, and Sunny stares at a deep purple bruise on her shoulder that marks where Dale hit her. When she enters the kitchen a little later, her mother is on the phone, letting Deb’s parents know that the family’s plan to take Deb with them to the beach has changed because of what happened last night. When she gets off the phone, she reluctantly tells Sunny that the family vacation is canceled. Sunny is upset, and her mother tries to convince her that the new plan to send Sunny to stay with her grandfather for a few weeks will be a lot of fun, too. Sunny stares at her mother, upset and anxious.

The narrative moves forward to the present, showing another depiction of the same upset and anxious expression on Sunny’s face. This time, she is lying awake in bed at her grandfather’s, early in the morning. She sighs and starts to get out of bed. Onomatopoeic sound effects emanate from Pat’s bedroom door: “COUGH! HACK! COUGH!” (193). In the bathroom, Sunny realizes that there is no toilet paper. She remembers the roll inside the Barbie toilet paper cover and lifts the doll up. Underneath, she finds a hidden pack of Pat’s cigarettes. An extreme close-up of Sunny’s eyes shows volcanoes exploding, and she stomps into the kitchen, where Pat is now working on a crossword puzzle. He asks her whether she knows another word for “enthusiasm,” and she explodes, “It’s NOT terrific!” (196).

Sunny pours out her anger, explaining that she cannot pretend anymore. She won’t pretend that she doesn’t know about Pat’s smoking, she won’t pretend that the hide-a-bed isn’t terrible, and she won’t pretend that nothing is wrong with Dale. Pat apologizes for trying to hide his smoking and holds Sunny as she cries. When she tells him that Dale’s situation is her fault, he is surprised and asks her to clarify. Sunny reveals her belief that she has been sent to Florida because she got Dale into “bigger trouble” at the Fourth of July celebration. Her grandfather explains that this is not the case; he tells her that her parents are trying to get Dale some help and did not want Sunny to be upset by this painful time. He promises to stop smoking and then goes with her to check out the sofa bed’s constant squeaking.

At the retirement community’s dumpster, Sunny helps her grandfather throw away a small garbage bag containing packs of cigarettes. Back in Pat’s apartment, he announces that because Sunny will only be in Florida for a few more days, he has “BIG plans for today” (207). Sunny is skeptical, but this time, Pat’s promise of big plans is exactly what Sunny has been hoping for. Pat, Sunny, Buzz, Ethel, Teezy, and Sal all pile into Pat’s car and head to Disney World. Sunny is delighted to see Cinderella’s Castle, and in the lower center of the page, an inset panel shows Sunny’s enormous smile as she pronounces it “TERRIFIC!” (209). The next page consists of four panels in the shape of Polaroid prints, showing the whole group having fun on the rides and modeling Mickey Mouse hats. A few days later, Sunny packs her flowered suitcase, carefully laying her Mickey Mouse hat on top of her neatly folded clothing before she snaps the case shut. At the airport, Buzz gives her a bag of comics for the ride home. Swamp Thing, her favorite, is on top of the stack. She thanks him, and they bid each other a cheerful goodbye. Sunny’s goodbye to her grandfather is more emotional; she throws her arms around Pat, and they agree that they are going to miss one another. Sunny has tears in her eyes. As Sunny walks toward her plane, Pat calls after her, “Keep your sunny side up!” (215). Sunny looks back and smiles broadly. The novel ends with a sequence of panels that show Sunny in her seat as the plane takes off. She holds her Pine Palms ID and the Barbie toilet paper cover in her hands as she looks out the window and smiles.