The Color of a Lie

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, graphic violence, death, and bullying.

When Calvin gets to school, he notices a strange energy in the air. Alex and Ben tell him that Mr. Vernon is with the principal, and Calvin gets suspicious about how much power Mr. Vernon has in town. Alex says that Mr. Vernon recently did something to a family that didn’t follow his rules. Calvin asks if that means he killed them, and Alex doesn’t answer. Only later does the reader learn about the mysterious death of Mrs. Sampson, who lived in the house that Calvin now lives in.

Calvin goes to the nurse’s office, hoping to overhear Mr. Vernon and the principal talking. He sees Lily Baker, the girl he noticed at Sojourner. She’s legally enrolling at Heritage, but the principal warns Lily that Mr. Vernon and his squad will be back to protest her enrollment.

At lunch, a teacher escorts Lily. She sits alone, holding her head high despite the whispers. Calvin has science class with Lily. No one lets her sit next to them, so Calvin offers her a seat next to him.

After school, Calvin is worried about her getting home safely.