Baldo by Hector D. Cantú and Carlos Castellanos for August 27, 2011

I’m with bookgirl about 80% of the way. I’m not getting “awkward” vides off Estella, at least not to the extent it translates to “insecure.” I think she knows what she’s doing. My read of her giggles isn’t nervousness/relief, rather that she finds the idea of “hanging out” (which she understands as “dating”, even if Baldo doesn’t) cute, but she’ll go with it. I’m getting a LOT of confidence off Estella, along with a “Let’s go with it” impetuosity.

I’ll get a better read on her when she’s out of that bathing suit (no, I don’t mean it THAT way), but given the hairstyle and choice of eyewear I still predict that she’ll be a bit…alternative. Something of a hipster. She might have “interesting friends,” which might lead to intimidation for Baldo. What kind of name is “Estella Dank” anyway? As bilingual wordplay, wouldn’t it suggest something like “Star of Darkness”?

(By the way, I’m COMPLETELY aware that almost all of the above is my own projection, based on very little information.)