In chapter twenty-six when Leo next saw Stargirl at school, he was surprised. She had on jeans and lipstick; she told him her name was Susan. She wasn't carrying her ukulele or her rat. She looked just like all the other girls at Mica Area High School, and Leo was thrilled. He held her hands in the hallways and sat with her at lunch. They hung out, went to movies, and ate pizza together. She ignored bulletin boards and began shopping more. She created a fictional character called Evelyn Everybody, and Susan would ask Leo if Evelyn would do something in order to decide if it was "normal" and whether she should do it. However, the shunning at school continued. Stargirl wondered why they still didn't like her. Leo noticed there were only two pebbles in her happy wagon.

The next day at school Susan sat in the courtyard with a sign offering free back scratches to anyone who would talk to her, but no one did. The following day she told Leo that in her dream the night before, she had a premonition that she would win the state speech contest and return to school a hero. Everyone would be there cheering with big signs to congratulate her. She believed it could turn things around.

Chapter twenty-seven focuses on the state oratorical contest. Mr. McShane drives Susan and Leo to Phoenix. Susan tells Leo that Dori Dilson wouldn't come because she's mad at Stargirl for not acting like herself. Susan tells Leo that she wants him to hold the big silver plate that she expects to win when they return to school for the celebration that she thinks will await her. As they pass through the desert, Susan asks Mr. McShane if he can stop a minute. They walk among the cacti and Mr. McShane tells them about an extinct bird called a moa. It was twelve feet tall and lived mainly in New Zealand. Susan says that it reminds her of something Archie said about mockingbirds. He said that they imitate the sounds of other birds, so it's possible that mockingbirds are still imitating the sounds of the moa hundreds of years after they've been gone. Then they get back in the car and continue on their way.

In chapter twenty-eight they arrive at the hotel and meet up with Susan's parents. She has to make it through the first round to make it to the ten finalists who will perform their speeches for the crowd that evening; of course, she makes the cut. She changed her speech yet again and called it "I Might Have Heard a Moa." She changed her clothes for the final competition into a peach jumpsuit that her mother sewed for her. When Susan's turn came in the final competition, she started by just chatting comfortably until people eventually realized that she was actually giving her speech. She ended it with the words, "Can you hear it?" which led to ten seconds of complete silence until people jumped out of their chairs applauding wildly.

Chapter twenty-nine has Stargirl holding the silver plate that she received for winning first prize. As they walked around the hotel afterwards, everyone offered their congratulations. They had snacks and danced together in the lounge before heading off to bed. Mr. McShane drove them back again the next day. Susan worried about the large crowd that she was sure would be waiting back at the high school. When they go to the parking lot, they saw two teachers and Dori Dilson holding a sign in front of her, which read "Way to go, Susan. We're proud of you." It was trembling because Dori was crying.

In chapter thirty, Leo is given the silver plate by Susan's father then he does not see her for the rest of the weekend. On Monday at school she is back to her old self: Stargirl, with ribbons in her hair, handing out cookies. Dori Dilson applauded her when she sang at lunch. When Leo asks her if she's giving up on being popular, she says yes. She tells him that she understands that he won't ask her to go to the Ocotillo Ball, which is their big end-of-the-year dance. When Kevin asks Leo if he's going to the dance, Leo says he isn't sure.

The next day at school there is a sign on the Roadrunner bulletin board announcing that Stargirl is looking for people to audition for her band, the Ukee Dooks. People had signed up a bunch of fake names. A few days later Stargirl and Dori, the only Ukee Dooks, performed a duet in the courtyard, and they were pretty good. Leo watched from inside the building even though he knew he should go out and support her.