Novel: Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Growing up is all about making mistakes. Teenagers often do things without thinking about the consequences. That's exactly what happened with Melinda Sordino. She made the mistake of going to an end-of-summer party. At the party, she got drunk and raped. She called the cops, and due to crashing the party, lost all her friends, people she didn't know hated her, and she was all alone.
In the book, Melinda started the first day of high school without her friends. She lost all her friends due to the party. Rachel, her best friend, was angry at her and wouldn't even speak to her after that day. Their friendship ended, leaving all the precious memories they had together turn to dust. Melinda's other friends did the same, but the fact that her friendship with Rachel ended, hurt her the most. In the book it stated," If I sit in the front, it will make me look like a little kid, but I figure it's the best chance I have to make eye contact with one of my friends, if any of them have decided to talk to me yet." This quote shows that her friends are still mad at her, and that Melinda still has hope that they will forgive her.
Another thing that happened to Melinda, due to the party, was that people she didn't know hated her. For example, while she was at a pep rally, she sat with a group of people she didn't know, but later found out that they hated her guts. One girl yanked Melinda's hair, and called her an asshole because her brother got arrested at the party, and was fired as well. Another girl jammed her knees into her back, during the pep rally, and made her move an inch forward in her seat. The book states," I have worked so hard to forget every second of that stupid party, and here I am in the middle of a hostile crowd that hates me for what I had to do." This quote shows that Melinda is hated and that remembering what happened that night is something she wants to forget.
Lastly, Melinda was left all alone because of the party. She no longer had friends, and no one wanted to be her friend either. The book states," I close my eyes. This is what I've been dreading. As we leave the last stop, I am the only person sitting alone." This quotes shows that she knew she would be ostracized, but just didn't want to it to be true. She had become an outcast, and a nonentity. I can't imagine being in that situation; everyone needs someone to rely on. If I were in her shoes, I don't think I'd go to school.
In conclusion, Melinda's life changed due to the mistake of going to an end-of-summer party. She didn't expect to lose her friends, have people she didn't know hate her, and to be all alone. Like many teens, she didn't think about the consequences for her actions.
