Roller Girl

Zoey is Astrid’s new friend on the roller derby team. Their friendship develops slowly, as Astrid is still in the midst of losing Nicole and the drama surrounding that friendship, but over time and through trials, Zoey and Astrid grow close to one another.

Zoey is passionate about Broadway and films. Her room is decorated with movie posters and a stand-up of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Zoey is a vibrant, energetic girl who joined the roller derby team just a couple of months before Astrid. She is still learning the game, but is a decent skater, and spends time with Astrid helping her master the basics. One afternoon, Zoey invites Astrid over to her house to dye her hair and create a new, tough persona for Astrid and her roller derby life. Zoey shows alarming confidence as she bleaches and dyes Astrid’s hair, but it turns out well, and the girls spend much of the evening laughing and watching movies together. Zoey and Astrid begin hanging out regularly, and Zoey sees firsthand what Astrid is going through with Rachel and Nicole.

When Zoey is chosen to be a jammer for the upcoming bout and Astrid is not, Astrid is upset and does not consider Zoey’s feelings. Zoey is hurt by Astrid’s reaction, remarking, “You could be happy for me…I would have been happy for you, you know” (158). Astrid knows this is true but struggles with selfishness in her friendships, which is part of the reason Nicole began moving on from her. Zoey gives Astrid the silent treatment at the next practice, and then Astrid accidentally makes matters worse by accidentally knocking Zoey down hard during a practice jam. Zoey believes she did it on purpose and yells at Astrid in front of everybody. Meanwhile, Zoey is extremely nervous about the upcoming bout. She does not believe she should have been chosen for jammer and sees herself as not being good enough.

As Astrid begins reflecting on everything she has done wrong the past few months, she concludes that she must try to make things right with Zoey. In the university library, Astrid finds a book on actors and comes across a photo of Hugh Jackman. She decides to photocopy as many copies as she can afford and attaches his face to popsicle sticks to make masks, which she then hands out to the crowd at the bout. Astrid adds to her gesture by asking Rainbow Bite to make a sign for Zoey, even though Rainbow Bite originally offered to make a sign for Astrid. Astrid’s choice to have the sign be dedicated to Zoey illustrates that she is learning how to be more selfless in her friendships. At the bout, Zoey freezes up in the washroom, and Astrid comes to her rescue, much like Nicole did for Astrid years before. Astrid encourages Zoey by telling her, “You are ready for this! Remember how you stayed after practice for two whole weeks? You’ve got this!” (212). She holds Zoey’s hand as they skate out onto the rink together, and it is a monumental moment for them both. After the game, Astrid chooses to stay with her team and then go out with Zoey and her family to dinner, illustrating how Zoey and Astrid’s friendship has survived the conflict and has grown stronger by working through it.

Nicole is Astrid’s best friend in elementary school. They met in first grade and were inseparable ever since. Because of their strong friendship, Astrid builds her identity around being Nicole’s friend and does not begin seeing herself as a separate entity until Nicole begins to pull away. Astrid struggles to adapt when Nicole starts distancing herself from Astrid to find friends who are interested in ballet like Nicole is. Astrid describes Nicole as the best friend she ever had. When they first met, Astrid was being bullied by Rachel and told she had rabies and would die. Nicole comes into the washroom to check on Astrid, who is there washing her hands over and over. Nicole reassures Astrid and then hands her paper towels while Astrid dries her eyes. Astrid remembers this moment well: “When someone saves your life like that, you can’t help but become best friends” (32).

The graphic novel begins with a montage of Nicole and Astrid being taken to various locations by Astrid’s mother for cultural enlightenment. They attend opera, poetry readings, art museums, and the like. One day, Astrid’s mother takes them to roller derby instead, and Astrid immediately wants to participate. Nicole is not interested, however, and this begins the distance that grows between the girls. She instead begins hanging out with Rachel, who takes the same dance classes as Nicole. Ironically, Rachel’s bullying of Astrid and telling her she had rabies was the reason Nicole and Astrid became friends. Now, Rachel is contributing to the end of that friendship.

Rachel spends more and more time with Nicole, and it seems like every time Astrid runs into Nicole, Rachel is there and ready with a rude remark such as, “She’s probably on drugs or something” (140). Eventually, all of this results in Astrid exploding at Nicole and Rachel and throwing her drink on them. The more time goes by, the less interested Astrid becomes in hanging out with Nicole. This is in part because Nicole never seems to defend Astrid in front of Rachel and also because Astrid finds a new friend in her roller derby teammate Zoey. The loss of a significant friendship with Nicole forces Astrid to grow as a person and step outside herself by being courageous and willing to go to skate camp without her.

Astrid’s mother is a librarian at the university, which Astrid admits her mother took this job so Astrid, her mother’s only child, can attend the university for free when she is older. Although it is never directly stated, several other instances throughout the story also imply that Astrid’s mother’s finances are often tight. While Nicole gets $20 when they go out, Astrid gets $10 per week for roller derby camp. Astrid also must rent her derby equipment, which comes out of a stinky box of used gear. Astrid also does not complain about any of this, likely because she is used to it and understands that her mother is doing her best.

Astrid’s mom is a kind, affectionate woman who cares about how Astrid grows up and what worldview she develops. She regularly takes Astrid to “evening(s) of cultural enlightenment” (8) to help Astrid learn more about the world around her and the different types of people in it. One of these evenings, Astrid’s mom takes her and Nicole to a roller derby game to observe some strong female role models. Astrid comments, “Whatever this is…It’s a lot better than the art museum!” (14). From this experience, Astrid develops a passion for roller derby, which inevitably changes her life and the person she is becoming.

When Astrid’s mom finds out Astrid has been lying, she is understandably angry at first. However, she is a reasonable person and asks Astrid to leave the room so she can calm down before dealing with the issue. A few minutes later, she listens to Astrid describe all the struggles she has been having lately with her friends, roller derby, and life in general. Astrid’s mother reacts with compassion and thanks Astrid for her honesty. She maintains her motherly role by making Astrid promise not to lie anymore and to come with her to work after derby camp instead of allowing her to continue to skate home. Astrid uses the time to think about the mistakes she has made and how she can begin mending them. Ultimately, Astrid’s mother does what a mother should: she helps her daughter grow and realize her potential.

Heidi (roller derby name Heidi Go Seek) is the main coach at Astrid’s roller derby camp and for her new team the Rosebuds. Heidi is understanding and kind but also pushes Astrid and the rest of the team very hard. She knows that roller derby is a tough sport and wants to toughen up the girls as much as possible. When she sees Astrid struggling and nervous on the first day, she is patient with her, but Astrid takes this as an affront at first. Heidi sees that Astrid is just learning to skate and asks her to skate apart for her own safety, but Astrid thinks she is being cast aside. It takes several weeks of Heidi’s tough and strict attitude for Astrid to adjust.

Heidi passionately encourages Astrid, knowing how hard it is for beginners: “Remember, a lot of these girls have been skating for 5, 6 months with the Rosebuds already. It will get better, I promise” (70). Heidi says this to a downtrodden Astrid to inspire her not to give up. Heidi teaches Astrid everything she needs to know about roller derby, including how to hit, block, jam, and fall small. Astrid uses what she learns from Heidi to slowly improve and eventually excel at the sport. Although she dislikes being pushed at first, she soon begins pushing herself even more than Heidi pushes her. Heidi notices Astrid’s effort, telling her she is “really impressed with all the extra skating” (151). Heidi shows herself to be a great team leader and mentor for Astrid, and she becomes an example of a strong female figure in Astrid’s life.

Rainbow Bite is Astrid’s hero. She is the star player and jammer for the Rose City Rollers, the local roller derby team in Portland, where Astrid lives. When Astrid’s mother takes her and Nicole out for cultural events, they are usually boring, but she surprises Astrid one day by taking them to a roller derby game. Astrid has never seen anything like it before and is amazed by the confidence and strength of the women on the team. She is particularly astounded by Rainbow Bite, who wears signature rainbow socks and looks to Astrid “like a superhero” (18). In the second turn, “Rainbow Bite takes a big hit” (20) and the crowd gasps. Astrid is sure she is hurt as she lies on the floor. Then, Rainbow Bite gets up, winking at Astrid as she does so. The announcer calls her a champion, and Astrid decides she wants to be a roller girl too.

When Astrid signs up for roller derby camp, she thinks Nicole will be joining her, but Nicole opts for dance camp instead. Astrid bravely attends anyway, learning to skate and meeting a whole new team of faces at the same time. One day, when she is on the verge of giving up, she notices Rainbow Bite’s locker in the locker room and looks up at it with wide-eyed amazement. She decides to write Rainbow Bite a note, saying, “I hope to skate like you some day” (86). To Astrid’s surprise, Rainbow Bite writes back and includes the mantra, “Tougher. Stronger. Fearless” (93). This influences Astrid and propels her to be as courageous and persistent as possible. When Astrid goes to skate in the bout, she gets to meet Rainbow Bite, who tells Astrid she is a hero for taking hits for her team and helping her friend Zoey. Astrid is evolving into the person she wants to become, who is someone very much like Rainbow Bite.