Where It All Goes Down
A High School
Everything important takes place at the high school in Jumped. "But wait," you say. "What about Dominique's ball game? Ivan's visit to Trina in the hospital? Bea and Leticia's confrontation with Jay?" Fair enough, Shmoopers.
While it's true that some events happen off campus, the real heart of the novel is what happens on school grounds. This is where Leticia comes to her big passive decision (yes, we're calling it that), where Dominique feels like she's driven to violence, and where Trina expects people to pay attention to her. And even though all the girls reflect on things that have happened at home or in their neighborhoods, what's important are the events at school.
It's a big deal that neither the school nor its location is named. We get the sense that Jumped is a universal story, and that the point is that Trina and Dominique and Leticia's triangle can happen anywhere, at any time. The only dates that are listed are historical ones, but since the book was published in 2009 and there's nothing suggesting otherwise, we're thinking that's around when it takes place, too.
Classrooms
Williams-Garcia has played it smart, and the contents of the classes reflect the symbols in the story. Leticia takes geometry during zero hour (hop on over to the "Symbols" section to unpack why this matters), plus there are several references to France in Leticia's French class (duh), as well as her English and history classes (again, we'll direct you to the "Symbols" section to dig deeper with these). The classes, in other words, contain clues to the plot and characters, so while you might space out in Geometry normally, while reading you just might want to pay attention.
The Cafeteria
Anyone who's ever been in high school can tell you that lunch is one of the most important times of the day. It's where gossip and drama spread like wildfire, where friendships and relationships are made and broken, and all within the space of about half an hour, where seating arrangements are of the utmost importance.
So it comes as no surprise when Dominique reaffirms her decision to beat up Trina at lunch, as Trina's stepping on a few of the Boosters' toes, and that lunch is also when Leticia commits to not telling Trina about Dominique's intentions. Lunch can be a tornado of activity, and sometimes, people are caught in the swirling winds.
The Hallways
If lunch is the heart of the school, the arteries are the hallways; these are where news travels. It's surprising how much can take place in a single passing period, and the high school in Jumped is no different. Every hey is important, every gaze met or avoided can hold meaning. Nonverbal language reigns supreme. Check it out:
No one's talking about it but the buzz is there, like the gray wall tiles are there. It's in everyone's eyes. (24.1)
Just like the fight starts without a word being exchanged when Trina brushes against Dominique in the hallway, word of the fight spreads without any words, too. So pay close attention to everything that goes on in the hallways—they're abuzz with nonverbal communication.