Melissa Austin is sixteen-years-old. She is close with her
mom and older brother, Michael. They may not have a lot of money like her best
friend, Jory, but they have a much happier home. Melissa is a very smart girl,
and is planning on going to Princeton. She also has a lot of bruises and cuts
that won’t heal, and she’s tired all the time, but she ignores that.
She’s also trying to ignore boys, and concentrate solely on
school. Especially now that she’s been asked to tryout for the Brain Bowl.
Y’all, they take this shit seriously. Not only is there a knowledge test,
there’s also a psychological test. But Melissa feels she did well on them. But
she was too nervous to stay after and talk to her crush, Brad.
He finds her when she’s visiting Jory’s country club,
though. They go for a walk in the gardens together, and he’s coming on really
strong. Talking about how he always gets what he wants, and he asks to unbraid
her hair. It’s creepy, and he shall henceforth be known as Creepy Brad.
After a few rounds of actually playing the game, Melissa and
Creepy Brad both make the Brain Bowl team. Yay.
One day, Melissa gets called to the dean of women’s office,
where her mother is accused of beating her because of all the bruises on her
legs. Melissa runs home, and when her mother arrives, they agree she needs to
go to the doctor. He says her red blood count is low, but her white blood count
is high. She needs to go into the hospital for a few days for testing.
Of course, because this is a Lurlene McDaniel book, she has
cancer. Lymphocytic leukemia to be exact. She gets a bit pissy about this,
snaps at her doctors, and even blames her mom.
She meets another patient on her floor, Ricter –Ric- Davis.
He has bone cancer, and has had his lower leg amputated. He gives her the deets
on having cancer and chemo. As he leaves, he’s all “Too bad about your hair,
the chemo’s going to take it all.” He’s a real charmer.
Melissa asks Jory to come in with a pair of scissors, and
they cut all her hair off.
Melissa begins her medication and chemo, and it goes about
as well as expected. Her mother, Michael, Jory, and Ric are all there for her,
though. Until Ric gets discharged, but he says he’ll call her, cause he thinks
she’s hot and wants to date her. She meets a little girl named Rachael, who is
four and also had leukemia. She sounds adorable.
After two weeks, Melissa is stable enough to go home. She
even goes to take the PSATs. After the test, Jory and Melissa go to Steak and
Shake, and they see Creepy Brad there with another girl. Melissa’s a little
sad, but I feel it’s for the best.
Jory suggests getting a wig, so they go buy one. They can’t
get a real hair one as long as Melissa’s was, it would have to be special ordered
and very expensive. They choose a short style, similar in color to her own.
When they get home, Melissa’s PSAT scores have arrived, and she scored in the
98th percentile.
Melissa gets to go back to school after Christmas, and it’s
weird. She has a very awkward encounter with Creepy Brad. She’s kind of bitchy
with him since he never called or anything. But in good news, she kicks ass at
her Brain Bowl practice.
Ric kind of stalks her, showing up and waiting for her after
school, and checking out the competition. But Melissa doesn’t seem to have a
problem with it, and starts going out with him. I think he’s too old for her.
He’s nineteen and in college. He takes her to frat parties, and then asks her
to go on spring break with him, and says he wants to make love to her. It’s all
very rushed.
Of course, Rachael dies. Damn you, Lurlene.
Melissa breaks up with Ric, and I rejoice.
Melissa gets picked for the final panel for Brain Bowl, even
though there was some doubt with some of the teachers being prejudiced against
her and her cancer. They don’t want her to have to drop out. I told you it was
srs bidness. But she stood up them, and gave a good little speech, and they let
her on the panel.
On the day of her first match, Jory shows up with a
surprise. She ordered a wig just like Melissa’s original hair. Jory is the
shit.
o
I may still have Flowers in the Attic on my
mind, but that series is all I can think of when I read the name Jory.
o
Remember when renting a bunch of movies for your
VCR was a big, fun deal?
o
Jory’s a really good friend. She doesn’t freak
out when Melissa throws up, and even washes out the bowl for her. She also
guilt trips the teachers into holding Melissa’s Brain Bowl spot for her.
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