Portico as a space superhero
Portico watches the TV Ccrtoon episode for entertainment, and it does not cross his mind that a human being can imitate the space characters. Cartoon panel is a TV episode whose characters are super space warriors. When Portico learns his parents are about to relocate, he dislikes the idea. He thinks the best way to stay in the current neighborhood is by being a space superhero because that would play the magic of dodging his parents. The paradox is that Portico is doing something he never imagined, acting like a space superhero to do the imaginary magic of being invisible from the eye of a regular human being.
Herbert Singletary
At first, Portico thinks Herbert is the worst neighbor in the apartment. According to Portico, Herbert is a bully who cannot be of any aid. Ironically, toward the end of the book, Portico discovers that Herbert is a good person because he offers to help in his time of need. When Portico feels sad, Herbert comes to console him and encourage him that all shall be well. Therefore, despite thinking that Herbert is a tormenter, Portico learns that he is a genuine person. The irony, in this case, is used by the author to illustrate the significance of not judging the book by its cover.
The paradox of Zola
Although Zola is the youngest amongst her friends, she has a unique character that makes her stand out from the rest. When Portico first meets Zola, they become friends, but he thinks she is just an ordinary young girl despite her theatrics and evil character of putting on glasses. Mrs. Reeves, Portico's mother, thinks Zola is her son's ordinary friend. However, towards the end of the book, it is revealed that Zola understands Portico's secrets more than even his parents. Consequently, it is paradoxical that Zola can know Portico's most guarded secret, which his parents are unaware of.
