True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Summary of True Believer LaVaughn is fifteen now, and she's still fiercely determined to go to college. But that's the only thing she's sure about. Loyalty to her father bubbles up as her mother grows closer to a new man. The two girls she used to do everything with have chosen a path LaVaughn wants no part of. And then there's Jody. LaVaughn can't believe how gorgeous he is...or how confusing. He acts like he's in love with her, but is he? (Simon and Schuster)

But when Myrtle & Annie got cleaning jobs at the church and got invited into the Jesus club there, first Myrtle, then Annie, they acted like Jolly was dirt down beneath them. Then Jolly ended up a slight hero so they were wrong about her, even if they never said so. But they are still loyal to me for life, and me to them. We don’t have to say it in words, it just is. It’s true the pavement around here is filthy from side to side, the alleys reek and they are full of deadly events that could happen any minute. High school students shoot their classmates and if you even take one glance at the science of the world you would want to never get out of bed in the morning, birds and beasts are going extinct, the rivers are poison, the fish are dying, there is dangerous rain. But I have these friends, and my mom even took a harder job so I can get out of here when I’m grown up.

And my hope is strong like an athlete. Every morning when we walk through the metal detectors to get into school I know in my heart it may feel like a day of just waiting in lines and hearing bells ring and watching teachers try to keep order among those wrongdoers in the classes. But. It is an important day of dues-paying so I can go to college and be out of here. I’ll pay. (Page 13-14)

Lester arrives in person, he is carrying live flowers in paper. I feel bad immediately for my grudge on him. He leans forward, he shakes my hand, his hand is soft. My mom exclaims so bright over the flowers and tells me almost in a song voice to get the blue patterned ceramic pot and put them in. Only she says “arrange,” not “put” If Lester could read minds he would see the history going between my mom and me. That blue patterned pot was a wedding gift. She always keeps it on that shelf and it is sacred. I reach up for the pot, keeping my ears alert to their conversation. I have to prop the flowers up against each other purple and yellow and smelling fragrant. Lester sees me drop an aspirin in the water and crush it with a spoon, and he asks me why. I tell him it keeps flowers fresh longer. Lester says, “A brilliant idea, you must be a brilliant girl.” I would feel flattered but Lester evidently doesn’t get it about how known this is about aspirin. It was in science way back in school.

My mom says, “Oh, LaVaughn, they look so pretty, put them in the center of the table, will you, dear?” Listen to her. The table has a middle but tonight it has a center. On the table is a tablecloth my mom ironed twice. (Page 107-108)

Extension 1. What is the theme of the first poem “4?” What evidence supports that? 2. What is an example of alliteration from the first poem “4?” 3. Describe the conflict in the poem, “34?” 4. What evidence is there that LaVaughn’s mom is acting different around Lester?