Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying, racism, and anti-gay bias.

“A snare drum eight-count RAT-A-TAT-tats on my tongue. I feel the joy of sunshine and the luxurious salty goodness of the cheesy powder covering my fingertips.”

The first lines of the text introduce Lotus’s character, as she is happy and excited to be going to her new school. Her mind thinks in terms of music, as she envisions an upbeat drum playing in her head, the onomatopoeia of the “rat-a-tat” drum reflecting her cheerful mood while emphasizing the importance of music in her life.

“But when it comes to causes she believes in—and there are many—Rebel’s intensity can be downright volcanic. And what has her spewing lava this morning? The bright, shiny new performing arts middle school that opened near our neighborhood.”

In contrast to her own, upbeat attitude, Lotus uses a metaphor to describe how Rebel feels, comparing her personality to an erupting volcano. This metaphor immediately introduces the difference in characteristics between Lotus and Rebel, introducing them as foils: While Lotus is cheerful and upbeat and thinking only about the opportunity she will get from attending Atlantis, Rebel is already fixated on the larger picture and the impact the school will have on the community.

“My dear, ‘You know the place between sleep and awake? The place where you still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll always love you’…Peter Pan. I’ll be waiting, muse.”

The first time Lotus meets Dion, she is impressed by his outgoing attitude and his love of drawing. He quotes Peter Pan, which emphasizes his love of drama and his immediate attachment to Lotus. However, the allusion to this work also conveys the idea of the text as a Bildungsroman.