Hearing about her terrible grades, Melinda’s parents scream at her. Heather, having been hired as a model, asks Melinda to hang posters as she does, Melinda encounters IT, who whispers “Freshmeat” in her ear as she stands frozen. She helps Heather with a Martha poster project, and faints during a frog dissection in biology (after identifying with the dead frog). School starts and Melinda struggles with her tree. In the following days of winter break, she’s forced to work at both her mother’s and her father’s jobs. Touched, Melinda almost tells them her secret, but cannot. On Christmas, Melinda’s parents give her a sketchpad and charcoals because they’ve noticed her drawing. As winter break starts, Melinda feels nostalgic for her childhood. School continues, bringing an apple dissection in biology (Melinda flashes back to a childhood memory in an apple orchard) and more protests from David in social studies. Freeman approves of the piece, as does Melinda’s artistic former friend, Ivy. The next day, Melinda creates a sculpture using the turkey’s bones. Her father can’t cook the bird either, and after fighting, the family eats pizza.
On Thanksgiving, Melinda’s mother tries and fails to cook a turkey (which she forgot to defrost). Neck goes on a racist rant, David Petrakis begins to protest for his own freedom of speech. In her social studies class, after her bullying teacher Mr.
She notes that it is growing harder to talk, and is grateful for her closet because it allows her to hide her emotions. Melinda cleans her closet and covers its mirror with a poster of Maya Angelou. She freezes, describing him as “my nightmare.” Even worse, Melinda sees a male student she calls IT in the hallway. Although Melinda helps Heather with Martha duties, the other girls make fun of her lips, causing Melinda to cry in a bathroom. Heather joins the Marthas, a preppy clique dedicated to community service. She continues to pay no attention in her classes, and spends Halloween by herself, remembering when she once had friends.
In biology class, Melinda encounters David Petrakis, her brilliant lab partner. They scold her but end up yelling at each other. Meanwhile, Melinda’s parents are upset about her low grades and her apathy. Heather becomes angry with Melinda for being an unsupportive friend, but quickly apologizes. This depression worsens when students at a pep rally recognize her as “the one who called the cops at Kyle Rodgers’s party” and torment her. Although she was once “happy” and “driven,” she now feels detached and depressed. In the following weeks, Melinda has an icy interaction with Rachel, spends time with Heather, works on her tree, and begins to use an old abandoned janitor’s closet in school as a hiding spot. In the bedroom, Melinda hides her mirror she loathes her appearance, especially her raw, bitten lips. She discusses her hatred for her babyish bedroom, decorated when she was in fifth grade. Melinda’ describes her workaholic mother and disinterested father. Freeman tells his students that they will each spend the year on a single subject Melinda gets a tree. She only becomes excited in the art room, where the passionate Mr. Cynical but perceptive, Melinda mocks every aspect of Merryweather. The only person who will talk to her is Heather, an annoying new girl in town who is focused on social advancement. Her former best friend, Rachel, is particularly cruel. Throughout the day, students bully and isolate her. Melinda Sordino begins her freshman year at Merryweather High depressed and alone.
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