They had become a fixed star in the shifting firmament of the high school's relationships, the acknowledged Romeo and Juliet. And she knew with sudden hatefulness that there was one couple like them in every white suburban high school in America.

Summary

The quote reflects the speaker's realization about the couple's status within their high school's social landscape. By describing them as a "fixed star," it implies that they were a well-known couple with a romantic and tragic reputation, much like Romeo and Juliet. However, the speaker's sudden "hatefulness" suggests their disillusionment with this notion. They recognize that this archetype of a captivating, doomed love story is actually a pervasive cliché found in every white suburban high school across America, stripping it of its uniqueness and authenticity.

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