A Good Kind of Trouble

Shayla struggles to put her armband on in the morning because her hands are itching so badly; she is anxious about violating the dress code. Hana and Shayla raise fists at one another as she leaves for school. In the car, she and Momma listen to a radio broadcast about another protest. At school, Shayla covers her armband with a sweater but later removes the sweater. Bernard tells her that “some stuff is okay to get in trouble for” (319), but her hands still itch. When Mr. Levy tells Bernard to sit down, Shayla stands up for him but then encourages Bernard to sit. He does.

At break, Shayla notices Isabella isn’t wearing her armband. Isabella cautions her against wearing it, but Shayla dismisses her. She realizes she’s slightly disappointed she hasn’t gotten in trouble so far; wearing her armband has been anticlimactic. Ms. Jacobs gives Shayla a supportive nod when an intercom announcement reminds them of the armband ban. At lunch, Principal Trask walks around with scissors and cuts off students’ armbands; she heads to the basketball courts, where the Black kids tend to eat. Shayla is appalled. After school, Principal Trask walks past her, noticing the armband, and she tells Shayla that she’s off the track team if she wears the armband tomorrow. When Momma asks what their exchange was about, Shayla lies. Lying causes her to worry further, for “lying is probably the worst thing you can do in my family” (324).

With Hanna’s advice to “go down big” (325), Shayla goes to school armed with a bag of armbands. Shayla arrives early and passes out armbands in front of the school. Almost everyone takes one, which is exhilarating to Shayla. Students are chanting in support of Black lives. Then Principal Trask tries to confiscate the bag and rips Shayla’s armband off, ordering her to take back every band she gave away. Shayla holds back tears but refuses. Principal Trask simply tells her to follow the rules and walks away. Mr. Powell tells her how proud she is of her for taking a stand, and he shares that he wears his scarves to help students understand it’s “okay to be different” (329). In English, Ms. Jacobs shares an excerpt of the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou, giving Shayla a meaningful look. Instead of shrinking as usual, Shayla welcomes the attention.

At lunch, the students march. Principal Trask pulls Shayla to her office and tells her Momma is on her way. Shayla worries that she may have sacrificed track team and her parents’ respect by breaking the rules, but when Momma arrives, she confronts Principal Trask about whether the armbands were actually a dress code violation (Shayla had already researched: They were not). Principal Trask complains about students being disrespectful and disruptive, but Momma admonishes her for not representing the values of the school’s namesake. Shayla leaves with Momma, elated to still be on the track team and in her parents’ good graces. At home, Momma returns Shayla’s phone. Julia sends a picture of her, Isabella, and Shayla with the caption “United Nations.”

Shayla is nervous about their last track meet, which could win them first place in their district. The 200 starts, and Carmetta stumbles, injuring herself. This distracts Shayla enough to not worry through the hurdles, and she runs better than she ever has. Coach West congratulates her then asks her to take Carmetta’s place on the relay. Shayla agrees. 

All the relay girls but Natalie hug Shayla before they stretch. Natalie pumps them up in a huddle, then they begin. The handoff between Natalie and Shayla is rough, but the remainder of Shayla’s part goes smoothly. Natalie thanks her for rescuing the baton and they cheer on Angie. They win the relay, and they all raise their fists to the sky in a display of support for Black Lives Matter. Coach West hugs them and thanks Shayla for her help.

It’s almost the end of Shayla’s first year of junior high, and she and Isabella are hanging out in Shayla’s room. Shayla apologizes for her behavior regarding Jace. Isabella tells her she should go for Alex next, and they dissolve into giggles. 

Julia arrives at Shayla’s home, saying that she knew they were both there from Instagram. Shayla feels guilty for making her feel excluded. Julia tells them she misses them but that she got wrapped up in feeling like she belonged with people who understand the nuances of being Asian American. Isabella relates, being Latinx. Shayla doesn’t relate, because “when people make assumptions about [Asian Americans], no one dies” (350). Julia and Isabella both understand. Julia apologizes, admitting that commanding Tyler to kiss Shayla was cruel, and she explains that her newfound popularity got to her head. Isabella argues that being mean isn’t a requirement for popularity, and Julia says she only thought it was funny and that she didn’t expect the kiss to really happen. They talk about how it's hard to stand up to peer pressure, and the United Nations are officially reunified.

At lunch the next day, Shayla drags Julia, Isabella, and Julia’s friends to the basketball courts where the Black students usually eat. Bernard smiles at her, and she sees Yolanda and Tyler holding hands. Shayla asks Bernard if he thinks they could be lab partners again, and he gives her an enthusiastic high-five. 

Later that night, Shayla looks over her eyeball journal. Hana comes in, and they talk about how much Shayla has changed throughout seventh grade. Shayla decides not to clip any pages together before turning in the journal; she wants Ms. Jacobs to read the whole thing. She ends the journal with “some things are worth the trouble. For real” (358).