
         ,,MEET+ ,,! ,,*ALL5GE
             0,M>Y ,WILL[S

  ,I "S"TS ASK P 7BO? BL & SI<T$7 6LI/ !
PRO#MS !Y ?9K BL P FACE4 ,"O T ,I ?9K IS
MO/ CRITICAL R>ELY %[S UP NE> ! TOP (!
LI/1 B ,M>Y ,WILL[S1 A L1D] 9 ! ,N,NAL
,F$],N (! ,BL ( ,CALI=NIA1 Z]OES 9 ON X
Z %E TALKS AB MEET+ ! *ALL5GE4 ,"H IS
:AT %E HAS 6SAY AB H[ %E CAME 62LIEVE 9
H]F3
  ,Z A * GR[+ UP 9 ,*ICAGO1 ,I SUPPOSE
,I DID ALL ! ?+S C;Y KIDS D3 ,GIRL
,SC\TS1 BATON MAJORETTE1 *E]L1D]1 "S?+
(A CELLI/1 VIOL9I/1 & O!RWISE AN AV]AGE
/UD5T ACADEMIC,Y4 ,I AM ! SECOND OLDE/ (
SIX &! OLDE/ (! GIRLS4 ,=TUNATELY = ME1
MY "M ALW NE$$ HELP ) H\SE"W4 ,S ,I
LE>N$ E>LY 6BE PRETTY 9DEP5D5T4 ,? RE,Y
PD (F = ME 9 HI< S*OOL4
  ,X 0 DUR+ MY FRE%MAN YE> T ,I
UNEXPECT$LY & SU45LY 2CAME BL 9 A C>
A3ID5T4 ,I _H ?"\ ( "O "D 2COM+ A T1*]1
B AF ! A3ID5T1 T J DIDN'T SEEM POSSI#4
,I WASN'T SURE :AT ! FUTURE HELD 9 /ORE
= ME4 ,I KNEW T ,I _H 6F9D "S?+ 6D )!
RE/ ( MY LIFE4 ,B :AT8
  ,Z "T W5T ON ,I DECID$ T 2+ A
PSY*OLOGI/ SEEM$ R1SONA# & APPROPRIATE =
ME4 ,I LIK$ "W+ ) P & USU,Y DEVELOP$ A
GD RAPPORT ) P ,I MET4 ,2SS1 T WAY ,I CD
OP5 MY [N BUSI;S & N H 6FACE ! REJEC;N (
TRY+ 63V9CE AN EMPLOY] 6HIRE ME4 ,I J
DID N 2LIEVE ANY"O WD WANT 6HIRE A BL
P]SON4
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"O YE> 9 :AT ,I N[ "K 0 ACTU,Y A %ELT]$
"W%OP4 ,I AL GOT A JOB Z A CL]K/TYPI/ 9
A -PANY T W5T BANKRUPT4 ,S M* = T IDEA4
,H["E1 ,I _H HE>D AB T JOB F A BL GIRL
:O TOLD ME T %E KNEW BL P :O 7 DO+ ALL
K9DS ( JOBS4 8,ANY?+ Y C ?9K (1 "!'S A
BL P]SON PROBABLY ALR DO+ T JOB10 %E
TOLD ME4
  ,%E ASK$ ME :AT ,I WANT$ 6BE4 ,N"E M9D
! BL;S4 ,I SD T ,I _H ?"\ AB T1*+4 ,%E
SD %E KNEW S"EAL BL T1*]S1 & %E WD
9TRODUCE !M 6ME4 ,%E (F]$ 6LET ME %>E A
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,BL 9 D[NT[N ,*ICAGO DUR+ ,JULY ( #AIGB4
  ,S ,I W5T 6SEE = MYF4 ,I MET T1*]S1
ALL "R4 ,& LAWY]S1 & SECRET>IES &
/UD5TS4 ,YES1 BL /UD5TS :O 7 PULL+
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6USE A SLATE & /YLUS4 ,HE SD X 0 L A P5
& PAP]4 ,X LOOK$ L A LL METAL PIECE (
FRAME"W )A H+E ON ! LEFT4 ,HE %[$ ME H[
6SLIP A PIECE ( PAP] 9SIDE1 CLOSE X1 &
WRITE ANY?+ ,I WANT$ 6IN ,BRL US+ !
NOT*ES T 7 ALR CUT = ME 9 ! FRAME"W4 ,HE
US$ X 9 ALL ( 8 CLASSES 6TAKE NOTES4
  ,!Y US$ L;G :ITE CANES4 ,!Y TALK$ AB
_! JOBS & _! FAMILIES & _! GOALS = !MVS4
,I 0 2G9N+ 6RECOGNIZE ! *ALL5GE1 & ,I
/>T$ 62LIEVE T MAYBE ^! ?+S 7 POSSI# =
ME TOO4
  ,I DID GET MY BA*ELOR'S DEGREE 9
PSY*OLOGY1 B 0T "T ,I 0 R1DY = YET ANO!R
*ALL5GE--MY MA/]'S DEGREE4 ,I / N"E TOLD
ANY"O T :AT ,I RE,Y WANT$ 6D 0 6T1* *N 9
A REGUL> CLASSROOM1 2C ,I DIDN'T 2LIEVE
,I CD D X4 ,AB T "T ,I MET ,JIM ,WILL[S1
A L1D] 9 ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N (! ,BL (
,CALI=NIA4 ,WE 7 M>RI$ & N[ H TWO BOYS4
  ,*N C1S$ 2+ LL CR1TURES F \T] SPACE
6ME4 ,F> F X4 ,I H C>$ = Z _M Z SEV5 AT
A "T 9 MY HOME4 ,I LE>N$ 62LIEVE 9 MYF
0PUTT+ "O FOOT 9 FRONT (! O!R4 ,T LL
FLICK] _H 2COME A BURN+ FLAME4 ,I 0 R1DY
6A3EPT ! *ALL5GE ( RETURN+ 6S*OOL = MY
ELE;T>Y T1*+ CR$5TIAL4
  ,I ID5TIFI$ ?REE >1S ( 3C]N = MYF3 H[
6GET >.D 9DEP5D5TLY 9 AN UNFAMILI>
5VIRON;T2 H[ 6WRITE ?+S D[N QKLY = LAT]
USE2 & H[ ON E>? 0 ,I GO+ 63TROL ?IRTY-
?REE "Y/]S4 ,I 2LIEVE 9 TAK+ "O /EP AT A
"T & SOLV+ PRO#MS Z !Y O3UR4
  ,MY F/ AC;N Z SOON Z ,I KNEW ! "N (!
S*OOL 0 69VE/IGATE ! GR.DS4 ,I RECALL$ T
,I KNEW A BL * :O ATT5D$ T S*OOL S ,I
ASK$ H] 6BE MY MOBIL;Y 9/RUCTOR =! "D4
,%E 0 PL1S$ & PR\D 6GIVE ME ! GR& T\R4
,_M S*OOLS 9 ,CALI=NIA >E MADE UP (
SMALL BUILD+S CALL$ PODS4 ,S9CE ,I DID N
"K ! CLASSROOM ,I WD 2 IN1 WE LOCAT$ ALL
! ROOMS4 ,WE EV5 F.D ! JANITOR'S (FICE4
,%E %[$ ME ": ASSEMBLIES 7 HELD1 ": !
LIBR>Y 0 LOCAT$1 & H[ 6F9D ! SW+S ON !
PLAYGR.D4 ,S9CE ,I DID N "K : GRADE
LEVEL ,I WD 2 "W+ )1 X 0 IMPOSSI# 6OBTA9
ANY (! TEXTS 9 ADV.E4
  ,:5 ! "T CAME = ME 62G9 T1*+ LESSONS1
,I PREP>$ MYF ) ,BRL NOTES4 ,I US$ A
SLATE & /YLUS = ANY LA/-M9UTE 9/RUC;NS F
! T1*]4 ,I S*$UL$ AMPLE R1D]S 9 ! EV5+S
S ,I CD PREVIEW MAT]IAL =! NEXT "D4
  ,IF "! 7 PAP]S 6COLLECT AF A LESSON1
,I PUT !M 96A FILE FOLD] ) MY ,BRL NOTES
S T ,I KNEW :AT ^? PAP]S W]E4 ,T EV5+ ,I
DIRECT$ A R1D] 9 CORRECT+ ! PAP]S4
  ,L;G :ITE CANE 9 H&1 SLATE & /YLUS 9
MY BACKPACK1 ,I SET \ F9,Y 62COME AN
ELE;T>Y S*OOL T1*]4 ,ON MY F/ "D ( /UD5T
T1*+1 MY HE>T 0 P.D+4 ,"! ,I 0 /&+ 9
FRONT (A CLASS ( ?IRTY-?REE V 9TIMIDAT+
F\R? GRAD]S4
  ,MY MA/] T1*] SU7E/$ T ,I TAKE ! *N "O
AT A "T 6! BACK (! ROOM & LET !M 9T]VIEW
ME4 ,!Y CD ASK ME ANY?+ !Y WANT$ 6"K4 ,S
,I DID1 & !Y DID4 ,!Y WANT$ 6"K AB MY
SLATE & /YLUS4 ,S ,I DECID$ 6SEIZE !
OPPORTUN;Y & SLIPP$ TWO #C 0#E C>DS
9SIDE & WROTE EA* *'S "N :ILE WE 7
TALK+4
  ,0! 5D ( =TY M9UTES ,I N ONLY _H ALL
_! "NS WRITT5 9 ,BRL1 B ,I AL _H "T
63NECT "NS ) VOICES4 ,)9 MY F/ WEEK1 ,I
2CAME RESPONSI# =! WEEKLY SPELL+ TE/S4
  ,I AL SUP]VIS$ R1D+ & MA? GR\PS4 ,EA*
WEEK ! T1*] R1D ! SPELL+ ^WS 6ME S ,I CD
PUT !M 9 ,BRL4 ,? 0 ANO!R "T T ,I 0 GLAD
,I KNEW H[ 6USE A SLATE & /YLUS4 ,? IS A
SKILL E BL T1*] %D H4
  ,MY ?IRD >EA ( 3C]N 0 4CIPL9E4 ,! F/
"T ,I 0 LEFT AL"O )! /UD5TS1 !Y 7 ALL
OV] ! PLACE4 ,I CD H DI$ 2C MY SUP]VISOR
0 SITT+ "R "!4 ,( C\RSE1 ! O!R /UD5T
T1*]S AT ! UNIV]S;Y 7 HAV+ ! SAME
PRO#MS4 ,! /UD5TS 7 HAV+ A FIELD "D ) _!
NEW T1*]4
  ,ONCE ,I DEMON/RAT$ 6!M T ,I CD WRITE
! "NS (! GUILTY ON ! BO>D1 !Y DECID$ T
,I 0 ! BOSS2 & !Y SETTL$ D[N4 ,I D N LET
MY [N *N GET AWAY ) ANY?+1 S :Y %D ^!8
  ,! V NEXT "D1 ,I 0 PUT 6! TE/4 ,I _H
6TAKE _M DI6]5T R1D+ GR\PS OV] 6!
CAFET]IA 6PRACTICE ! PLAYS !Y _H BE5
LE>N+4 ,I _H N"E BE5 9 A PLAY1 S ? 0 GO+
6BE 9T]E/+4 ,I KNEW ,I CD DIRECT ^!
PLAYS1 & ,I DID4 ,I SAT EA* GR\P D[N AT
! 5D (! /AGE & %[$ !M MY SLATE ) PAP] 9
X4 ,I SD ,I WANT$ 6HE> ONLY ! ACTORS4
,IF ,I HE>D ANY?+ ELSE1 ! GUILTY P]SON'S
"N WD 2 WRITT5 D[N & LAT] COPI$ ON !
BLACKBO>D4 ,"! 7 ONLY TWO :O TE/$ ME4
  ,/UD5T T1*]S TYPIC,Y />T (F )!
RESPONSIBIL;Y ( ESCORT+ ! CLASS F !
PLAYGR.D 96! CLASSROOM AF ! MORN+ BELL &
AF RECESS4 ,? M1NT LOCAT+ MY /UD5TS AM;G
! N9E HUNDR$ O!RS4 ,? 0 NO PRO#M1 = :5
!Y SAW ME1 !Y ALL CALL$ MY "N1 : MADE X
EASY 6LOCATE ! L9E4 ,! L9E ( /UD5TS DID
N MOVE UNTIL ,I GAVE ! ^W4 ,I DID N GIVE
! ^W UNTIL "! 0 SIL;E4 ,_! [N T1*] 0
IMPRESS$4
  ,EA* MORN+ ,I *OSE A MONITOR 6ASSI/ )!
ABS5TEE LI/ &! LUN* C.T4 ,I TOLD !
MONITOR :AT 6WRITE ON ! ABS5TEE SLIP4 ,I
_H ! /UD5TS LOOK LEFT1 & !N "R1 & TELL
ME :O 0 MISS+4 ,=! LUN* C.T ,I _H !M
RAISE H&S2 ! MONITOR WROTE T C.T4
  ,I HOPE T %>+ "S ( MY TE*NIQUES MI<T
5C\RAGE O!RS :O ?9K T1*+ IS IMPOSSI# 2C
( BL;S4 ,9 ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N (! ,BL1 WE
SAY T GIV5 A GD $UC,N & PROP] TRA9+1 A
BL P]SON C -PETE ) SI<T$ PE]S & D J Z
WELL OR J Z POORLY4 ,! R1L DI6];E IS 9
:E!R OR N WE 2LIEVE 9 \RVS4 ,2LIEF 9
\RVS IS ! TRUE KEY 6SU3ESS NO MATT] :AT
! *ALL5GE1 NO MATT] :AT ! TASK4


















