How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Her. I'm gonna kick that ass at two forty-five." (3.60)
This is the event that drives the novel. When Trina gets too close to Dominique after Dominique's shut down by Coach, Dominique pronounces Trina's fate. And Trina has no idea. Consider exactly what the perceived slight is and why Dominique decides to direct her anger toward Trina.
Quote #2
A person with a temper is set off by anything. But I don't have a temper. I'm not what they say. What they write. I'm not a problem child.
I just care about my stuff. Take a shot at me or to me and I block it. It's reflex. Instinct. Natural. I just don't back down. And it—BOOM!—happens quick. That's different from having a temper. (6.14-15)
How does Dominique define temper? And how are her words here ("block it," "natural," "BOOM") at odds with what she's saying? Do you agree with her or not, that she has a temper?
Quote #3
I have to fight grown men just to be picked to play. They be knocking me down just to make me sit down. Ride the bench. Know my place. So this team is all the shot I get. I'm done once I'm out. So this can't come down to five points in science. This isn't a "Do better next time, Dominique." This is "Fix it now." (15.17)
Even though we never really get to know Dominique's background, we can learn a lot about her from this snapshot. She's got grit enough to go up against the men of her neighborhood, and she knows that she'll likely not go on to any sort of higher education after high school. She's used to fighting, physically and psychologically, for her place in the world, so it makes sense that this is her first instinct.