If he was a girl, that rich sable tint would’ve gotten him made fun of, and for sure no one would have been checkin’ for him to be a bae or boo. But being a dude, it made him a lady’s man.
-- Lena (Chapter 3)

Importance: When Lena describes Black's dark skin tone, she praises its beauty at the same time she recognizes dark skin in Black women is considered undesirable by traditional beauty standards. This quote is important because it shows the ways in which racist ideologies can slip into the minds of young people without their realization.

Cops showing up did not make things better. Hope Becky sees that now. Before, people were just kinda acting a little annoyed. Hell, I thought for a second Becky’s terrible customer service set off a brawl. But leave it to the police to really aggravate folks.
-- Lena (Chapter 5)

Importance: When the school's security officers first...