The Lines We Cross

Michael creates an interactive invitation for Paula’s movie marathon and uploads it to the event’s Facebook page. Within minutes, Mina sends him a friend request with a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien: “Not all those who wander are lost” (248). Michael evades Terrence’s offer to hang out that night but doesn’t tell him he’s going to Paula’s party. When he walks Nathan home from school, a journalist stops them and asks, “What’s it like being the son of the founder of a racist organization like Aussie Values?” (252). Michael yells at the reporter to leave them alone and hurriedly carries his brother inside. Later that night, Michael asks his parents if Aussie Values is worth the stress it’s putting on their family. With weary resolve, his parents affirm the importance of their cause. Michael pushes back asking: “But what I don’t get is how you can tell if somebody’s assimilated enough. Who decides?” (254). Mary dodges the question, but Alan tells his son that he’s proud of him for voicing his doubts. Michael wishes that he could find the courage to tell his father that he doesn’t want to be an architect.

Mina dresses as Aragorn for Paula’s movie marathon, and Michael dresses as Gandalf. To Mina’s relief, Maha and Tammy from her old school get along well with her new friends, and she’s overjoyed when Michael sits beside her. Mina feels as though she has found “a new corner in the world that [she] can also call home” (263). After the party, Michael asks Mina to get coffee with him on Saturday, and she agrees.

Alan looks through Michael’s sketchbook and sees the drawing of the refugees from Sudan, observing that “there’s something so wretched about them [...] Sad and pathetic and unfortunate” (266). Alan blames the government for allowing refugees into the country and then compressing them into suburbs where they form “ethnic enclaves” instead of assimilating (266).

As Mina’s coffee date with Michael approaches, her brain buzzes with questions: What will her parents think of them going out? How can she see Michael when his parents are bigots? Is this really meant to be a date?

Mina’s mother applies to work at all the afterschool programs in the area, but none of them hire her. As a result, she decides to embrace being a stay-at-home mother and joins a women’s gym where she makes some new friends.

On Saturday, Michael downloads The xx’s new album and meets Mina for coffee. The teenagers talk about everything from music and movies to the afterlife. When they say goodbye, Michael feels hopeful that they are at the start of a new chapter in their relationship, and he considers their date “the best day that [he’s] had in a long time” (273).

Mina realizes that she has romantic feelings for Michael and they begin spending their free periods together. Each morning, Mina feels “a surge of energy and excitement” when she wakes up and thinks about seeing him (277).

Mina tells Michael that she’s thinking about studying journalism, and he teases that she’d be perfect for the job because of her “argumentative and unrelenting” personality (281). Michael’s mother asks him to bring some paperwork to an Aussie Values meeting, and he’s surprised to see that the group’s numbers have doubled. Alan and his followers are trying to stop the opening of the school in Jordan Springs. Andrew brags that his blog is gaining international attention and asks where Michael has been lately. Michael answers that he’s been busy with schoolwork. To Michael’s horror and guilt, his mother uses the story of his interaction with a group of Sudanese refugees to argue that refugees depend on welfare. He feels as though “a chasm has opened” between him and his parents and that his only options are to remain silent or to denounce the beliefs that form the cornerstone of their identity (283).

Mina and Michael talk every day, but they haven’t defined their relationship or informed any of their friends besides Paula. One weekend, he surprises her by taking her to a deserted stretch of beach where they can eat pizza and watch Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Michael asks her what her journey to Australia was like. She tells him about the fear she felt and how it deeply upsets her that she can’t remember her little brother’s face. Michael expresses his worry that he won’t always be able to protect Nathan. Mina connects to that emotion even though she feels excited to be a big sister again. The teenagers share their first kiss.

Mina daydreams about her first kiss with a combination of excitement and guilt, knowing that her actions go against her faith and her parents’ expectations. She tells Paula all about the date on the beach, and her friend is thrilled for her. Seeing Michael headed their way, Paula takes her leave after teasingly quoting Oscar Wilde: “I can resist everything except temptation” (292).

The next morning, Paula feels despondent because her older sister has taken a job in New York and won’t be returning to Australia as planned. Terrence mocks her, and she hurries from the classroom. Mr. Morello gives Terrence detention and asks Paula to see him in his office. Michael promises Mina that he’ll talk to his friend about his behavior. Mina calls Jane out for fawning over someone who bullies her cousin. Jane explains that she and Terrence had sex the previous weekend and that she isn’t sure if that means they’re a couple. She mistakes her friend’s concern for judgment and lashes out at Mina: “Just because you come from a backward culture you think I’m a slut now” (297). Jane immediately apologizes for her outburst and makes Mina promise not to tell anyone about her and Terrence. 

Michael calls Terrence out for his behavior towards Paula, but the boy shrugs off the criticism. Recalling how patient Terrence is with Nathan, Michael thinks that both his parents and his friend have a frightening ability to be both kind and cruel. Michael is fired from his job at the call center after he makes up endangered animals to win donations for an animal charity.

Michael tells Mina about how he got fired on their next date, and she finds it hilarious. Their conversation turns to Terrence, and Michael tries to explain that he doesn’t want to end their friendship because of all the times that Terrence has been there for him. When he asks her not to think about Paula and Jane for a moment, she answers, “You don’t just leave people to go through things on their own” (304). Michael wishes that he had Mina’s big heart.

Jane asks Mina if she and Michael are a couple, but she denies it. Terrence continues to alternate between flirting with Jane and ignoring her. Mina tries in vain to convince her friend to move on. Mr. Morello suspends Terrence for cheating on an essay. Terrence’s parents punish him by confiscating his car for a month and cutting his allowance, leading the boy to plan his revenge against Mr. Morello.

An Islamophobic couple comes to the restaurant and makes a scene about all of the meat being halal even though this information is clearly displayed. The couple learns that some of the restaurant’s employees are on bridging visas and accuse Kabul Kitchen of taking jobs away from Australian citizens. They reveal that they are “part of a new political organization,” prompting Mina to realize that they’re from Aussie Values (312). The manager panics and orders the couple to leave and they comply with smug smiles. Mina’s parents are distressed at the prospect of more negative media attention, and she pleads for Michael to stop Aussie Values from involving the media or immigration services. He promises to talk to his parents.

Michael wants to speak with his parents in person, so he has to wait until they return from a convention on the Central Coast. He apologizes to Mina, telling her, “There’s nothing in this world that kills me more than the fact that you’re in this situation because of my parents” (318). The next morning, he brings up the restaurant and asks his father to show mercy for a change. His parents are baffled by his concern, and he explains that Kabul Kitchen’s owner has a daughter in his class. When Mary expresses indignance, her son explains that Mina is on a scholarship and that her family isn’t “going to overtake [the Blaineys] on the class ladder” (320). Alan sees the bridging visa issue as a clear-cut matter of right and wrong, but he agrees to talk to his organization’s members about staying away from the restaurant because this clearly means a lot to his son.

At school, Michael gives Mina a hug and a kiss when no one else is around because she doesn’t want her parents to find out about their relationship. He explains that he talked to his parents and that his father said that he can’t promise anything. Later that morning, Terrence tries to start a rumor that Mr. Morello is in an illicit relationship with Paula. When Mina comes to Paula’s defense, Terrence calls her a terrorist. Michael shoves Terrence, saying: “If I was really your mate I would have called you out for being an asshole a long time ago” (327). The bully sulks off.

Mina confronts Jane for betraying her cousin and telling Terrence about Paula’s crush on the teacher. Filled with shame, Jane apologizes. Mina wishes she could convince her that she doesn’t need the attention of a boy to make her feel worthy. Mina consoles Paula, and the two friends confidently enter Mr. Morello’s Society and Culture class together. Mina quickly deduces that the teacher hasn’t heard the rumors and Terrence realizes his malicious stunt backfired.

Terrence and Michael ignore one another during their basketball team’s semifinal game. Afterward, Terrence asks Michael if he’s in a relationship with Mina and if he plans to throw away their friendship “for someone like her” (333). When Michael asks what he means, Terrance reminds Michael that his father founded Aussie Values. Michael explains that he’s figuring out for himself what he believes and says that he and Mina are just friends. Later that evening, Michael receives a text from his father confirming that he’s spoken to his organization about Kabul Kitchen: “It’s under control. Don’t worry” (335). He passes this information along to Mina.