Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

On the way to school, Sal reflects on Culeco Academy. The term “culeco” has various meanings. To generate interest in the new school, the board had conducted a community-wide vote for the academy’s name. When “Culeco” received overwhelming support, the board welcomed the name, embracing chicken and egg puns and winning the community’s support.

In the courtyard, everyone is reading the front page of the school paper. As Sal walks by, students freeze and whisper, intensifying his unease. Gabi rushes up to Sal and hands him a copy of the newspaper. In her article, Gabi exaggerates the chicken’s impact on the student body and broadly implies that Sal is a “brujo.” When Sal points this out, Gabi sincerely insists she didn’t intend the article to have that effect—she failed to bear in mind that, though neither she nor Sal believes in “black magic,” many Culeco students do.

In retaliation, Sal performs a magic trick, making a bouquet appear in the newspaper. While Gabi is distracted by the flowers, Sal flicks a fake tarantula into her face.

Sal’s trick immediately becomes a source of regret. While he knew Gabi feared spiders, Sal vastly underestimated the extent of her phobia. Initially, Gabi displays no reaction, but on noticing the fake tarantula, her face transforms into a mask of sheer terror. Collapsing, she screams and scrambles back. When Sal reveals the spider is fake, Gabi breaks into heart-wrenching sobs.

Deeply regretful, Sal prostrates himself before Gabi. Apologizing profusely and sincerely, Sal explains that he never intended to frighten her so profoundly. Gabi accepts Sal’s apology conditionally. Sal must carry her books to the bathroom and endure several arm punches on the way.

While Sal waits for Gabi outside the bathroom, Yasmany approaches him. In writing his diabetes paper, Yasmany has learned a lot, and he asks if Sal really has diabetes. Uncertain where this awkward conversation is going, Sal affirms that he does. Yasmany expresses sympathy before mentioning witnessing the incident with Gabi.

To Sal’s surprise, Yasmany is impressed with Sal’s reaction. Yasmany believed that men don’t express their feelings, yet Sal just did. Sal acknowledges that, as performers, they must work to make themselves look good. However, sometimes making things right is more important, as in the case of what Sal did to Gabi. Yasmany states that the entire school now believes Sal likes Gabi as a result. Sal replies affirmatively, only to realize Yasmany means romantically.

Gabi appears, and Sal apologizes again. Gabi tells Sal to make it up to her by allowing her to interview him, a request Sal readily agrees to. Yasmany mocks them both, teasing that they like each other. Gabi playfully chases Yasmany, and they engage in a mock fight. Sal looks on wistfully, acknowledging that his role in their friendship is too new for him to join—not yet at least.

Sal manages to make it to sixth period before being summoned to Principal Torres’s office. While he maintains that his previous visits were not his fault, he takes responsibility for this visit.

After the tarantula incident, Sal’s day steadily improves until sixth period. In textile arts, Sal’s group is friendlier, and he starts to relax—then Gladis enters. She avoids joining the knitting pace group and requests to sit on the opposite side of the room, actively avoiding Sal. Another student jokes that Gladis is avoiding Sal because he is a brujo, prompting Sal to express his desire to prove otherwise.

Another student, Aventura Rios, attempts to comfort Sal. Despite having read the article, Aventura doesn’t believe Sal is a brujo. Partly, that’s because she doesn’t believe in “black magic.” Paradoxically, it’s also partly because her aunt really is a bruja—or at least presents as one, as Aventura clarifies, so she isn’t intimidated by Sal. When Sal next glances at Gladis, Gladis throws down her knitting and complains to the teacher, Dr. Doctorpants. The teacher asks Sal not to look at Gladis anymore; though Aventura defends Sal, he agrees to comply.

Determined to prove to Gladis that he’s not a “brujo,” Sal searches the multiverse for another version of himself. An alternate Sal greets him without uttering a word. Sal explains his predicament, and the alternate Sal taps the alternate Gladis on the shoulder. The pair give Sal an ojo turco scarf that the alternate Gladis is knitting, switching it with this dimension’s version of Gladis’s scarf. Unfortunately, Gladis is terrified by the trick.

Once again in the office, Sal faces Principal Torres, who points out that Sal must have planned the trick in advance, as it required the hand-knitted ojo turco scarf. Unable to explain the actual events, Sal accepts the blame, and the principal assigns him two days of detention. Sal must also write a sincere apology to Gladis. As Sal heads out, Principal Torres also asks if he’d be willing to help another student write a paper on diabetes, a request Sal more happily accepts.

Sal rejoins classes with Intermediate Theater Workshop, a class that uses masks for acting. Initially hesitant, Sal eventually embraces his “goat” character, head-butting people and chewing notebook paper as Mrs. Waked encourages him.

Gabi waits for Sal after class for the interview, already aware of his detention, and joins him. Contrary to Sal’s expectations, Culeco detention occurs in the school’s library, where various after-school clubs meet. In a separate room, students can freely move between clubs, with teachers assisting detention students with assignments. Sal appreciates the light atmosphere.

During detention, Sal lets Gabi read his apology letter aloud. In it, he explains that he turned to magic as a coping mechanism after his mother’s death, and he expresses shame that his magic frightened Gladis; magic should elicit joy, not fear. The room listens attentively, agreeing that it’s an excellent apology.

After Sal completes his apology, he and Gabi assist Yasmany in writing his diabetes paper, with Sal demonstrating how he checks his blood sugar. They only realize detention is over 30 minutes later.

Gabi pulls Sal aside for the interview, but on the way, she stops by Yasmany’s locker, intending to leave a few things for him. Suddenly, Gabi starts yelling. She’s able to see the rift inside. Sal explains the hole in the universe, and Gabi realizes that Sal was telling the truth to the lie detector.

According to Sal, Gabi is the first person to see the rifts. To demonstrate how they work, he reaches through and grabs a chicken from the neighboring alternate universe. They’re both startled when a woman’s head emerges immediately after.

The woman accuses Gabi and Sal of being demons, and she demands, in Spanish, the return of the chicken. Gabi apologizes and returns it. The woman calms down, explaining that their boss requires workers to pay for every missing chicken. She asks them not to steal from the poor workers and returns to her dimension, leaving the hole, once almost closed, now enormous.

Gabi demands Sal explain the process of traveling between dimensions and grabs her phone to record his answers.

Sal takes Gabi to the Coral Castle, where she bombards him with questions. Sal vehemently denies being a brujo. While he acknowledges having supernatural powers, he argues against the existence of brujería—though he empathizes with believers, given his mother’s sincere belief.

Sal insists that he does not fully understand how he accesses the multiverse, even as Gabi demands at least some degree of explanation. Sal shifts the focus to Gabi, questioning how she could see the hole in the universe. Gabi concedes that she can’t explain, but still presses Sal on how he accesses the multiverse. Sal describes using meditation techniques and attempts to demonstrate, opening a small dimensional rift. Gabi peers through, captivated.

Sal reveals some of the drawbacks, such as inadvertently bringing back his deceased mother. Acknowledging his fear of the process, he expresses a need for help controlling his powers. Gabi readily volunteers to assist him. As they arrive at the Coral Castle, they notice a moving truck in front of it. Gabi wonders what to do while Sal confidently throws open the door.