Hmm… from Nate’s point of view, he is seemingly presented with a choice. Trudy Is not open to hanging out with 6th graders. While she says it is because she is still trying to find her footing with her grade, she obviously already has a reputation of being liked by the 7th grade (2.8.16 and 11.3.15 as examples). Unless she is oblivious to this attention and still feels insecure nonetheless? In my opinion, hanging out with one kid from the 6th grade is all that she could handle, and if she is that insecure, she most definitely thinks the rest of here 7th grade classmates would judge her for hanging out with more 6th graders than she already is (they probably would, 2.9.16), and she could lose the popularity she holds (which she might not even be aware of). Now from Nate’s point of view, leaving the friends he has always known (literally 25 years) is the only way he can stay with Trudy, his girlfriend he has known for less than a year. The right choice for him is loyalty. A respectable decision, but the right one? I think so, his friends were more accepting than Trudy.
Now that’s impressive!