Maybe He Just Likes You

Ms. Fender keeps Mila after band to talk to her. She wants to know why Mila kicked the music stand and has been “lost in the clouds lately” (166). Ms. Fender asks if everything is okay at home and with Mila’s friends, and Mila lies and says that everything is great. Ms. Fender decides to move Mila to the back row with the kids who never practice or care about band. She tells Mila she thought she could be first chair trumpet one day, but she’s starting to wonder if she was wrong about Mila. Mila feels the “shame burning [her] throat” (167), and she can’t bring herself to answer Ms. Fender.

Mila is ill at ease for the rest of the school day, but she remembers that the basketball boys won’t be on the bus because they have practice after school on Mondays. Samira and another band student Annabel strike up a conversation with Mila on the bus, and Mila explains what happened in band and why she kicked the music stand. Samira is pleased and tells Mila that her kick was “clean and sharp” (169), and she encourages Mila to continue coming to karate. Mila hesitates, but Samira explains that it will take more than two classes to feel stronger and more confident.

After school, Mila, Hadley, and their mother make their afternoon trip to E Motions. Mila’s mom meets the owner of E Motions, Erica, who starts talking about “settl[ing] [their] membership fees” (171) because the free trial runs out soon. Mila’s mom becomes nervous and reminds Erica they still have one more week of free classes. Erica is friendly and says just to let her know when they’re ready to sign up, adding that she used to have an office manager but now runs the whole business alone. Mila knows that her mother won’t sign up for a membership because they don’t have the money to spare.

When Mila arrives in karate class, she notices Samira talking to Ms. Platt. Ms. Platt announces that the class will be learning some basic self-defense strategies today, and she teaches the students about the importance of being confident and strong. She tells them to “kiai with [their] eyes” (175) by giving an intense stare that asserts power. She asks Mila to pretend that some obnoxious kid is making comments about her clothes and body, and she asks Mila if the comment “feel[s] in her gut like an attack” (176). Mila says it does, and Ms. Platt teaches her never to back down and use her voice to frighten an attacker. Ms. Platt doesn’t want to teach the kids how to street fight, but if they are ever under a physical attack, they can kick the attacker’s shins. She instructs the students to line up so they can practice.

That night at home, Mila can’t stop talking about her karate class and how great it was. She mentions how she would love to sign up at E Motions so she could keep taking karate, but her mom becomes quiet, and Mila “realize[s] [she’s] gone too far” (181). Mila doesn’t want to make her mom feel bad, so she spends the rest of the night in her room practicing the trumpet. Mila is still upset that she got moved to the back row in the trumpet section, but she decides that she won’t let Callum win. She practices “Pirate Medley” and then practices her “laser eyes” (182) in the mirror, just like Ms. Platt taught her.

During lunch on Tuesday, Zara and Omi decide to hang out in the chorus room. Omi encourages Mila to join them, and Mila knows that Omi “[thinks] is [isn’t] safe” for Mila to be alone, but she “[hasn’t] mentioned the scorecard to Zara” (184). Mila declines and stays at the lunch table with Max. Max is texting on his phone and laughing, and after some prodding, he admits that he’s texting another boy, Jared. Mila encourages Max to go sit with Jared instead of her, and although Max is nervous about being seen with Jared “in front of everyone” (186), he finally relents, leaving Mila by herself at the table.

Mila decides to go to the band room to practice “Pirate Medley” and show Ms. Fender how hard she is working. Ms. Fender isn’t there and the band room is empty when Mila arrives, and although Mila is nervous and considers leaving, she decides to heed Ms. Platt’s advice: to “Take a step forward” and to “not cede turf” (187). She starts to practice, but Callum arrives and orders Mila to stop playing because he has to work on his solo with Ms. Fender. Mila is frightened because of Callum’s aggression, but she holds her ground and says she will stop playing when Ms. Fender gets back. Callum grabs Mila’s arm, and Mila kicks him in the shin and sends him sprawling, “knocking over two chairs and three music stands” (189).

Mila and Callum end up in Mr. McCabe’s office. Callum accuses Mila of being “sensitive about everything these days” and “[going] crazy for no reason” (190). Mila explains that she kicked Callum in self-defense because he grabbed her, and Mr. McCabe asks if there is any history of problems between the two. For a moment, Mila considers telling Mr. McCabe everything, but then she sees the basketball trophy on Mr. McCabe’s bookshelf. She remembers that he is the basketball coach for Callum’s team, and she worries that he will side with the boys no matter what she says. She tells Mr. McCabe that she and Callum “just don’t get along” (191), and Callum accuses her of overreacting.

Mila is given a three-day detention for kicking, while Callum is given a one-day detention for grabbing her arm. Mr. McCabe decides that Mila and Callum “[can’t] be within twenty feet of each other,” even though Mila isn’t the one who “crowded, and bumped, and grabbed” (193). Mila’s mother is upset and tells Mila she must use her words in a fight. Mila snaps that her mother didn’t win her argument with their dad the other day using words. Mila immediately regrets this, and her mother becomes quiet and sullen.

The next day, Mila is relieved to learn that she hasn’t been kicked out of band. Mila figures that if Ms. Fender punished her, she would have to punish Callum too, and Ms. Fender “need[s] Callum focused” (196) on the upcoming band concert. Mila is also the only one on the back row who can play “Pirate Medley,” so Ms. Fender can’t afford to take Mila out.