After the articles papered throughout the school, the principal condemns the parents who did it, carefully staying away from drawing racial lines. Everyone knows whose parents were involved. Adira begins a group called Concerned Students for Justice that meets some resistance in getting official school club status. Graffiti begins showing up around the school, ramping up tension. It even touches the play when a fight breaks out between two students, one of whom is the son of the man who printed the flyers for the parent protestors. Despite all this, Noelle and Gee continue to develop a relationship. One afternoon while alone in the theater, they share secrets with one another. Noelle tells Gee about her abortion, and he tells her more details about Ray’s death. One of Duke’s friends overhears the conversation.

The next day, Gee is attacked in the hallway by several boys. Gee is taken to the hospital where Jade becomes demanding, insisting on a new attending physician when the first tells Gee he’s lucky after his X-rays come back normal. She also becomes angry when the second physician, her boyfriend León, informs her that Gee has already talked to the police and refused to give any information on the boys who attacked him.