Ellen Outside the Lines

The first clue for the scavenger hunt is a poem called Primera Pista. Ellen uses Google to decipher the clue and realizes that the poem is about a famous architect named Antoni Gaudi and a tiled sidewalk that might be outside a huge, famous church called La Sagrada Família. She comes to this conclusion because the poem includes a line about “light and silence” (75). The team decides to take a train to the church to investigate it.

Abba takes the group on a train ride to the church. In the subway station, Ellen becomes overwhelmed by the noise but doesn’t want to put her headphones on, because she is worried that the others will think she is strange. Isa seems to know what they’re doing, so the others follow their lead and board the train. At the church, everyone is impressed by its size and detailed architecture. The church is busy and chaotic on the outside, but inside, it is quiet and peaceful. The windows are covered in beautiful stained glass, and the team looks around for anything that might have something to do with a line in the poem. Ellen overhears a couple talking about Antoni Gaudi and a place called Passeig de Gràcia, a scenic strip of unique architecture. She wonders if perhaps the team is at the wrong location and should have gone there instead, since the poem mentions something called “Paseo de Gràcia” (75).

Ellen struggles to tell the others that she was wrong and is nervous about how they will react. She manages to explain that she overheard a couple talking about a different place, one that matches the description in the poem. Gibs is irritated by the wasted time, and Ellen wonders if the others are, too. The team decides to create a group chat so that they can talk whenever they aren’t together. Back at the hotel, they run into Meritxell, who asks how they liked their first day in the city. Ellen feels bashful when Meritxell smiles at her. Ellen ends the day feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and she also feels guilty for making a mistake. She wishes that she could start the trip over again.

Ellen wakes up late, and Laurel comes into the room after the morning lecture, which Ellen missed. Her dad insisted that Ellen sleep in, knowing she was probably overloaded from the day before. Now, Laurel asks Ellen how her day went, then tells Ellen that she and her team spent the day at the beach. Ellen is confused about how Laurel’s team can be so easygoing when she feels like she is already running out of time. Laurel asks Ellen if she wants to join her team, and Ellen hesitates for a moment. At that moment, Ellen’s team group chat becomes active, and Isa, Gibs, and Andy all seem happy to hear from Ellen. Even though Ellen’s teammates aren’t angry with her for making a mistake, Ellen agrees to ask Abba if she can switch to Laurel’s team.

Ellen awakens in the night again and reads through the group chat texts that she missed from the morning. The others all seem to be getting along well; they not only joked around, but they also discussed the clue together. They determined that there are two buildings designed by Gaudi on Passeig de Gràcia and decide to go to La Pedrera first. Ellen also notices that Isa referred to her as a “genius” for realizing her mistake yesterday. Isa also wrote about teamwork, which made Ellen feel happy. She also feels as though she is part of something.

At breakfast, Ellen rushes past her teammates to sit with Laurel and her friends. Laurel talks about how excited she is to have Ellen switching teams, and Ellen isn’t sure how to feel anymore. Ellen’s teammates notice that she isn’t sitting with them, and the boys are offended by her choice.

The team meets up and talks about Señor L’s T-shirts, which always have puns on them. Ellen admits that she understands some of the puns, but others don’t make sense to her. Isa offers to make a list of puns for Ellen to practice and learn. The team reaches La Pedrera, and Gibs comments that it looks like a disaster. Inside, however, the windows are designed in such a way that light dances off the walls and floors in a unique pattern. They play shadow puppets together and laugh, and Ellen lets go of some of her insecurity. The team also goes upstairs to see a room with 1900s-era furniture. They also notice chimneys of all shapes and sizes on the outside of the building. Everything matches up with the clue, and they realize that they have found the right place. Afterward, the team goes shopping, and Ellen sees a shirt with a Gaudi quote that reads: “Tomorrow we will do beautiful things” (125). While she finds the sentiment vague, she is also moved. She thinks about tomorrow and realizes that she has no clue what will happen, but she decides to buy a postcard featuring the quote.

Ellen wakes up after the nap nervous to ask Abba to switch teams. Laurel is excited and encourages Ellen to do this. Outside the hotel room door, Ellen finds a sketch that Abba made of her with her team exploring the city. She notices that Isa has one on her door as well. Ellen approaches Abba, and they have a brief call with Ellen’s mom. Afterward, Ellen gets a text from Isa, who lists all the puns they know, hoping to help Ellen learn them. Ellen thinks about how much fun she has had with her team so far and decides that she doesn’t want to switch to Laurel’s team, especially when they aren’t taking the scavenger hunt seriously. When Ellen goes to tell Laurel that she changed her mind, she can’t bring herself to say it, so instead, she lets Laurel assume that Abba said no. Ellen feels that she belongs with Isa, Andy, and Gibs.

Ellen wakes up far too early again and sees Isa outside in the courtyard. She gets up and goes to join them, and finds Isa and Andy hanging out together. Neither of them could sleep either. They talk about Abba’s graphic novel series, and Andy encourages Isa to read it. Andy’s favorite part of the series is that nobody is officially dating, so he can imagine any relationship he wants. When Ellen asks him which characters he likes to put together, Andy hesitates to answer. Together, Isa, Ellen, and Andy figure out that their next clue is telling them to go to a street with performers and a mosaic made of primary colors. After some searching, they decide on a strip called La Rambla.

The team arrives at their next destination, which is a bustling boulevard filled with people, street performers, and all kinds of shops. The noises and sights quickly overwhelm Ellen. Her thinking slows down, and she can only follow fragments of what people are saying to her. Then Ellen freezes and is brought back to earth by Isa and Abba, who each take one of her hands and lead her to a quiet shop. Once inside, Ellen can breathe again, and her vision returns to normal. Gibs asked Ellen what happened, but she isn’t able to talk about it. Ellen needs time to feel like herself again, so the team spends a few minutes walking around the shop. Ellen explains to Isa what it’s like to experience sensory overload, and she finds a postcard of the hotel that they’re staying at.

Afterward, the team goes for lunch at a nearby café. Many of the menu items contain pork, which is not kosher, but Ellen and Abba manage to find some things to share. The group jokes and laughs together, and Gibs proudly holds up his purchase: a stuffed lizard that he names El Drac. The food is delicious, and Ellen feels at ease again.