Anger Is a Gift

Moss is in English again when the Assistant Principle, Mr. Jacobs, enters the class looking exhausted and awkwardly announces that a student needs to come with him and Officer Hull to have their locker searched. He indicates Shawna Meyers, a trans girl who has recently come out. He misgenders her, and Shawna has to remind him that “I told you yesterday that it’s Miss Shawna Meyers” (78).

Shawna refuses to go with them, insisting that she has broken no rules so should not be treated like a criminal. However, Hull puts his hand on the gun in its holster on his hip, and she relents, accompanying them out of the room. Mrs. Torrance is as appalled as the students and speculates about how long the school can keep it up before something goes badly wrong.

After class, Moss and Njemile are discussing how bad the school has become when they see Officer Hull aggressively dumping things out of Shawna’s locker. When Hull pulls out a bag of white tablets, he immediately accuses her of dealing drugs “in my school” (82). Terrified, Shawna tries to insist that she is not, but Hull grabs her by the throat and slams her against the lockers.