Speak (40-80)

Summary
In this section of the book Melinda talk a bit more about her family life. From how she describes it, her family seems like its sort of falling apart. They don't even have a normal thanksgiving dinner, they usually order pizza. Her grades are slipping, shes a social outcast at school, he home life isn't the best, and she still has a painful secret she has yet to share with anyone, including the reader. The one thing that seems to be going right for her is her art class. She seems to enjoy it more than anything else in the book. Its her escape, the only thing that keeps her distracted from the disasters of the world around her. She puts a lot of effort into a project her Art teacher assigned to her class. So far shes done tons of different drafts of drawings and sculptures of s tree and she doesn't feel like she's quite gotten it right. Some how i have the feeling that the end result of the project will tie into her telling her secret.

Quote
" I just thought of a great theory that explains everything. When I went to the party, I was abducted by aliens. They have created a fake earth and a fake high school to study me and my reactions. This certainly explains cafeteria food. Not the other stuff, though. The aliens have a sick sense of humor." (Anderson).

Reaction
This quote really shows how Melinda is avoiding her secret. Rather than telling someone and facing it, shes making up excuses for it and avoiding the whole thing all together.