For the first several months of middle school, Christina prioritizes keeping her friendship with Megan and becoming popular by joining the cheerleading squad. Christina feels extremely out of place when she enters middle school, which intensifies her need to be liked by her peers. This desire is shared by Megan and many of the other students. Aside from school, Christina also feels distanced from her community and culture, exacerbating her anxiety about conformity, as she seldom feels secure being herself. Throughout the story, Christina learns that it is more important to embrace the talents and traits that make her unique than to conform to the interests of others. 

As she begins middle school, none of Christina’s teachers can pronounce her last name and she is bullied with racist name-calling on the first day. She just wants to be popular, but instead, she is immediately “othered,” bolstering her need to gain approval from her peers. Christina notices that all of the girls wear loafers, and the cheerleaders seem to have a glow around them. When she sees them perform at the football game, Christina instantly wants what they have, believing that the key to being accepted and happy is to be popular.