Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, "big" becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. Shes tired of the rude stares, the degrading commentseven the physical violenceshe endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So shes built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother