Third Marking Period Pages 113-136.

Summary

Melinda's parents have another meeting with the principal and her guidance counselor. Melinda doesn't talk but her parents are furious. When she refuses to talk, she is sent to Merryweather In-School Suspension. While there, Andy Evans comes in for being in trouble. When Mr. Neck isn't looking, he breathes into Melinda's ear; Melinda says she wants to kill him. In art, Mr. Freeman says Melinda needs to expand her imagination. He gives her Picasso books to look at; she likes his cubism section. For not skipping class and getting her grades better, Melinda gets an award; she is going shopping with her mother. She doesn't like shopping with her mother but is in need of new clothes. While walking to the mall, a bad snow storm comes in. Mr. Freeman offers her a ride. They have a nice talk about art and Mr. Freeman says anytime she needs to talk, he's there to listen. She has to shop at Effert's so her mother can buy her clothes discounted. They have really unfashionable clothes but Melinda shops and finds clothes anyway. While changing she looks in the mirror and begins to care about her appearance again. She wishes she could forget everything and be normal again. Melinda's grades are getting increasingly better, she plans on acing her biology test. To avoid walking into the cafeteria awkwardly, she packs bologna sandwiches so she can go and get to a table faster. Heather is sitting with the Marthas and they have a new member, they begin laughing and Melinda wonders if they are laughing about her. After school, Melinda goes to the closet for sleep when she is supposed to be staying after for help. She oversleeps and wakes up to cheers coming from the basketball game. She walks into the gym to watch the end of the game and when her school's team wins, David offers her to come to his house with a few friends to celebrate. Melinda is scared and says she is busy. Melinda talks about the night at the party. It was a senior party that Rachel got them into because her brother. There was alcohol and Melinda was drinking. She walked out of the crowd and a senior came up to her, they began to dance and kiss. He asked her if "she wanted to", but Melinda said nothing in confusion. Next thing she knows, they were on the ground. Melinda tried to say no but he covered her mouth, Andy Evans raped her. When she got up she was confused and scared so she called 911. The police came and everyone knew that she was the one who called the cops. She ran off for her house in fear.

Analysis

There appears to be lack of communication and family problems at Melinda's house. Her parents don't get along and when asked about marriage problems by Melinda's guidance counselor, her mother begins to yell. In MISS, she sees Andy Evans and he breathes into her ear. This brings back memories from the night of the party. Melinda seems to be getting better, she now cares about how she looks and just wants everything to be back to normal. She is hurt when she thinks that the Marthas and Heather were laughing at her at lunch. Melinda is still scared to go to parties when David offers her to come to celebrate her basketball teams win. A part of her wants to go and a part of her says it's a bad idea. We learn that she was raped by Andy Evans at a senior party after drinking. She called 911 in fear but nobody knew what had happened so they all got mad at her.