Greg’s first concern after reading the note from Maura is her use of the word “love.” While he knows she is referring to love of comic books, not love for him, it still feels like a strange word to read in a note from a girl. When Mrs. Sanborn asks him a question while he is still distracted by the note, he becomes extremely worried about the risk of her seeing the note and asking him to read it out loud to the class.

His overwhelming fear, however, is that Maura appears to be trying to befriend him. Greg, who is accustomed to considering Maura an annoyance and a threat, is disconcerted by this.

Greg's fear takes a different turn when Maura catches up with him after class. Overnight, she has studied comic books and learned everything that she needs to know to create great comics. He realizes that she will quickly learn how to make copies and so will imminently be a formidable competitor in the comic book industry at Ashworth Intermediate School.

When his classmates start teasing him and Maura, implying that they are more than friends, Greg’s concern reaches fever pitch. He responds by calling Maura’s work “junk”—in spite of actually thinking that it is brilliant—and tells Maura to go away.