Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

July 24-September 29

Reading Check

1. Their SAT exams (August 1)

2. She thinks they are “restricting” and “a trap.” (August 18)

3. Her light skin (September 16)

4. Having the “least amount of pregnant girls in [the] school district” (September 23)

5. That she is a witch (September 25)

Short Answer

1. Gabi is named after her grandmother, who didn’t want to meet Gabi because she believed Gabi’s mother was “living in sin.” (July 24)

2. After a successful vacation bonding with his dad, Sebastian is considering coming out to him. Sebastian decides to tell his parents that he is gay, and his parents kick him out of the house—disowning him; his mother tries to slit her wrists. (August 5-7)

3. Gabi believes she has this type of relationship with her mother because “sometimes she’s wonderful [and] sometimes not so much.” Gabi shares that her mother says derogatory words about Gabi’s weight, yet her mother is very proud of the fact that Gabi does well in school. (August 18)

4. Gabi rarely sees her father, who has an addiction to meth. She misses her father and wishes she could communicate her feelings with him, but her family ignores the fact that he has an addiction. (September 10)

5. While Sandra is “expensive,” Gabi writes that Gabi herself is a “discount” version. Gabi believes Sandra is physically more desirable to boys, while Gabi acknowledges that Gabi herself is overweight. Although Gabi used to be friends with Sandra and even “tried to be her for a little bit,” Gabi realized that when interacting with Sandra, Gabi was not being herself, so she instead chose to be friends with Cindy and Sebastian. (September 15)

6. Gabi’s father owes so much money from his drug addiction that her family figures they either need to find the money to pay the debt or Gabi’s mother needs to sleep with the debt collector. Gabi writes her father another letter describing how he broke her heart but admitting that she still loves him and wants him to come back. (September 23)

October 3-November 16

Reading Check

1. Sex (October 6)

2. Sylvia Plath (October 20)

3. For tagging the side of a freeway during school (November 10)

4. She is pregnant. (November 15)

Short Answer

1. While near the vending machines, Gabi sees her crush, Eric. The two start to flirt; as they are about to kiss, a teacher reprimands them to get back to class. As they run away, Gabi seizes the moment and kisses him. (October 12)

2. Gabi’s father announces that he is going to sober up. While Tia Bertha believes this is related to her healing powers, the family is apprehensive that anything will change. Gabi writes her father a letter congratulating him on his decision. (October 20)

3. Gabi writes a poem for her poetry class about her grandfather dying. Her classmates love it, including Martin, and her teacher recommends that she enter it in the poetry journal. (October 30)

November 17-January 14/15

Reading Check

1. After Gabi’s grandmother died (November 17)

2. “[P]lanned or disastrous” (November 24)

3. Anaphora (December 1)

4. “[O]f being pregnant or gay or poor or having a crackhead dad” (December 26)

Short Answer

1. Sebastian and Pedro invite Gabi to skip class with them and smoke marijuana, but she decides not to go so she does not anger her mom. Sebastian and Pedro are caught by the police, who arrest Pedro for a large amount of marijuana; however, they let Sebastian go. (November 30)

2. Ms. Abernard gives Gabi and a select few students a “secret” reading list of poetry. Ms. Abernard also invites a spoken-word poet named Poppy to the class and invites the students to a spoken-word poetry jam. (November 30)

3. Gabi and Sebastian see Gabi’s boyfriend Eric kissing Sandra. At first, Gabi is hurt, but then she is slightly relieved since she can come to terms with having feelings for Martin. (December 1)

4. Martin asks Gabi to work on their poetry together, and Gabi invites him over. The “date” goes surprisingly well, and she is comfortable with Martin; she even shares with him her poem about her dad. The two of them agree to go to The Grind Effect together. (December 10)

5. Initially, Gabi does not want to go to the cafe because she is worried that Martin likes Lindsay; however, after she learns they are cousins, she is relieved and enjoys the night, receiving a warm response from the audience for her work. Martin drives her home, and they share their first kiss. (January 14/15)

January 17-Gabi’s Zine: “The Female Body”

Reading Check

1. Sebastian

2. Because she says, “I didn’t know your dad was a crackhead” after Gabi’s father dies from an overdose (February 13)

3. Running (March 13)

4. To go to her prom (April 3)

Short Answer

1. Gabi discovers her father dead in the garage with a pipe in his hand. She realizes immediately that he is dead. At his wake, she is surprised how the corpse does not look like the father she remembers, and in her funeral speech, she highlights her father’s good qualities while condemning the people who took advantage, knowing that he had an addiction. (February 3-February 7)

2. One night, Beto comes home drunk with a black eye. After Gabi takes care of him, Gabi’s mother, who is close to her baby’s due date, begins to physically assault him for acting similarly to their father. As a result of the commotion, Gabi’s mother goes into labor prematurely. (March 1)

3. Georgina confides in Gabi that she is pregnant. Gabi is surprised she shared such sensitive information with her, since Georgina is her “enemy,” but she offers her some advice, including to consider abortion. After considering the options, Georgina agrees to get an abortion and asks Gabi to accompany her. (March 16-March 19)

4. Gabi is accepted into her dream school, Berkeley. At first, her family is excited for her, but then their fear is that she will leave and partake in “promiscuous” activities. They are also concerned about the cost, even though Gabi has received a scholarship. (March 29)

5. Gabi’s Zine is about the truth of the female body from a female perspective. In each Diagram, she focuses on a different part of the female body, including these: breasts, vagina, hair, hands, legs, and mouth, approaching each part of the body from the expectations of gender roles. She writes the Zine in a second-person perspective. (Gabi’s Zine) 

April 8-June 12

Reading Check

1. “[H]ow girls are raised to think about our bodies and who gets to decide how we think about them” (April 8)

2. That her brother (Gabi’s father) is dead (April 19)

3. Because Ian told him about what happened at his house (April 23)

4. Condoms (May 13)

Short Answer

1. Ian invites Gabi over to tell her that he thinks she deserves better than Martin. Having seen many teen movies, she was prepared for this scenario, but she is still attracted to him and succumbs briefly to his kiss. She then stops him, turning him down since she is in a relationship with Martin. (April 16)

2. Cindy reveals that the night German impregnated her, he actually raped her. Gabi and Sebastian are shocked, and Gabi reflects on the meaning of the aphorism, “Boys will be boys.” (May 3)

3. Gabi loses her virginity on prom night to Martin. She bought condoms, but he was prepared. Her tia found out and promised not to tell her mom, and Martin’s father found out and told him to be careful. After they have sex, Martin tells Gabi he loves her. (May 15-May 23)

4. At school, Gabi attacks German for raping Cindy. As a result, Gabi is suspended and is not allowed to walk in her graduation; however, she is still able to attend Berkeley. (May 24-May 31)