What strikes the reader first about Antonia and Jazz is how different their appearances are and how differently they react to the world. Antonia is all about convention and Jazz screams anti-establishment. Antonia would never dream of wearing black lipstick or having tattoos like Jazz, but Jazz seems quite comfortable and confident showing up to school with one side of her head shaved and often changing the color of her hair. She bucks convention to express herself as an individual, while Antonia plays by the rules.

Jazz may find Antonia's style nondescript and her attitude boring, but Antonia finds Jazz's appearance and mannerisms quite offensive. In fact, Antonia hesitates to attempt to relate to someone who appears to stand for everything she herself is against.

Antonia is an honor student at Oberon Middle School, and when Dr. Dileo asks her to become a peer counselor, she...