Miss Cornelia’s hatred of Guálinto only grows over time as he blossoms into one of the brightest students in the class. She starts calling him “Eckles” after he mispronounces “equals.” When Guálinto writes out his full Spanish name, “Guálinto Gómez García,” Miss Cornelia makes fun of him by telling the class he has married a man named García.

On the playground, Guálinto has more success. A group of larger boys accept him, including El Colorado, Orestes, and others, despite his smaller size. He feels very manly to be part of such a gang. El Colorado gets into a habit of defending Guálinto from anyone who bullies him, mostly out of sympathy for how poorly Miss Cornelia treats him.

Guálinto lands himself in a fight with Miguel Osuna, María Elena’s brother. Though he wins the fight, he and Miguel are sent to the principal’s office for discipline. The principal, Mr. Baggley, recognizes Miguel as the son of a prominent local politician, and feels his hands are tied and he must punish Guálinto regardless of what happened, but Miguel surprisingly takes responsibility for picking the fight. Mr. Baggley lets the boys go, and the two shake hands amicably in the hallway.