Chapter 7: Diana – The Shunning Pact

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Diana rushes to her summer job teaching cheerleading and gymnastics to eight-to-twelve-year-olds at a camp. She manages the social media account Ride or Dance with her friend Kenji, which has amassed nearly a hundred thousand followers but generates only pocket-change ad revenue. Annoying comments about Shane Lindley under her latest video make her want to delete the account. At camp, she leads the 11–12 age group through stunting drills, renaming them from "bunny rabbits" to "majestic eagles" after the girls protest. During lunch, she notices camp counselor Crystal appears subdued. Crystal confides that Shane treated her disrespectfully after their hookup, sending a blunt message that he did not want to see her again. Diana is surprised by Shane’s rudeness. On the bus home, she replays Crystal’s story. At the Sycamore, she meets neighbor Priya in the mail vestibule. They discuss Shane’s behavior, and Priya decides not to invite him to the neighbors’ group chat. Grumpy neighbor Niall joins them, complaining about noise from Shane’s apartment. The three agree to a pact: a full shunning of Shane Lindley. Diana relishes the idea, noting that hate can bring people together.

Key Events

Diana edits videos for her social media account Ride or Dance and notices comments about Shane.
She teaches cheerleading camp, working with girls on double thigh stands.
Diana does a "zit-shaming" joke with her campers, then affirms that pimples persist even in adulthood.
Crystal reveals that Shane sent her a curt, dismissive text the day after they slept together.
Diana memorizes the message and shares it with Priya.
Diana, Priya, and Niall form a pact to shun Shane: ignore him in the hallway, exclude him from summer barbecues, and make him feel unwelcome.

Character Development

Diana Dixon: The chapter deepens Diana’s duality. At camp she is patient, playful, and nurturing—renaming her squad, correcting stances gently, and joking with the girls. Privately, she shows a vengeful side, eagerly agreeing to a shunning. Her empathy for Crystal is genuine, but her delight in orchestrating social exclusion reveals a more calculated, sometimes petty personality.
Crystal: A minor character made significant by her vulnerability. Her hurt over Shane’s cold dismissal and her admission that she feels "used" adds emotional weight to the conflict.
Priya: Acts as a confidante and moral sounding board. She initially considers giving Shane a chance (through the group chat) but quickly aligns with Diana, showing that fairness matters to her but loyalty to a friend matters more.
Niall (Broomstick): Previously the building’s most disliked resident, he transforms into an ironic ally, relishing the shunning. His gleeful "Outstanding. A good old-fashioned shunning" highlights how shared animosity can forge unexpected bonds.
Shane Lindley (absent): Seen only through Crystal’s hurt and Diana’s judgment, Shane is painted as cold and disrespectful. The text he sent ("I’m not interested in seeing you again. Best of luck.") establishes him as a figure who lacks the tact Diana expects from a hookup partner.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Social Exclusion as Punishment: The shunning pact is the chapter’s central motif. It mirrors the way campers who break rules are excluded, but here adults use it to enforce an informal moral code. Diana frames it as "tormenting," which raises questions about whether two wrongs make a right.
Public vs. Private Persona: Diana’s public role as a caring camp counselor contrasts with her private willingness to gossip and shun. This tension between the nurturing professional and the vengeful neighbor is a recurring theme in her storyline.
Community Formed Through Shared Dislike: The unlikely trio of Diana, Priya, and Niall—who were previously antagonistic to each other—band together against Shane. The line "Nothing like hate to bring people together" encapsulates this ironic bonding.
Digital Footprint: The Ride or Dance account and its comment section act as a low-level stressor, linking Diana’s online presence to real-world drama. The comments about Shane show that the characters’ private lives are bleeding into her curated content.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the neighborly conflict that will likely drive much of the plot between Diana and Shane. It creates a clear antagonistic setup: Diana is now personally motivated to dislike him, beyond the initial noise complaints. The shunning pact also positions Diana as an active instigator rather than a passive observer. Additionally, the chapter humanizes Diana through her camp interactions, making her later actions feel more complex. It deepens the theme of consequences for careless romantic behavior, introduces the building’s social dynamics, and sets the stage for future encounters between Diana and Shane under a cloud of deliberate hostility.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Diana agree to shun Shane, and what does this reveal about her values?

Answer: Diana agrees because she feels Shane disrespected Crystal by sending a cold text after their hookup. This reveals that Diana values loyalty and expects romantic partners to treat each other with basic decency—even in casual relationships. However, her enthusiasm for the shunning also shows she is not above using social pressure to punish someone, which may conflict with her otherwise warm, professional demeanor.

2. How does the author use the camp setting to contrast with Diana’s later behavior?

Answer: At camp, Diana is patient, encouraging, and respectful toward the girls—renaming their group at their request, correcting technique without belittling, and managing entitlement gently. This nurturing side makes her willingness to participate in a cruel shunning feel jarring. The contrast highlights that Diana compartmentalizes her life, and that her kindness is conditional on the setting and the people involved.

3. What role does Priya play in the shunning decision, and how does she influence Diana?

Answer: Priya initially considers including Shane in the neighbor group chat, showing an open-minded attitude. But after hearing about Shane’s text, she quickly sides with Diana and even volunteers to spread the word. Her support validates Diana’s anger and makes the shunning feel like a group consensus rather than a lone vendetta. Priya’s shift from neutrality to active partnership strengthens the pact’s legitimacy in Diana’s eyes.