A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama, Rumors & Secrets. Nancy Holyoke
rewrite the script
feelings rule
Drama. Don’t get me started. My school is the biggest place for drama. There’s schoolwork—tests, homework, classes. There’s dating. Who’s in and out. The feeling that other people are against you. Some days I feel like the whole world is watching me look for a place to sit. It’s not fun. —American Actress
the daily drama
Uh-oh.
Emma’s in tears because
Gracie and Anna were
whispering together
on the bus.
Katie sent a mean text
to Maya from Liam’s
phone. Maya yelled at
him in the hall.
Ava sat next to
Aaliyah again at
lunch. Wait till
Lila finds out!
Min-joo is still ignoring
Jasmine for spreading
rumors about her, even
though Jasmine told
her that Mikayla bullied
her into it.
Three hours after Bianca broke up with
Jason, Rachel was talking with him at the
bus stop. Now all the soccer girls are
saying mean stuff about Rachel online.
Olivia is talking a mile a minute. Is she
happy? Is she mad? You don’t know.
But she’s excited, that’s for sure.
What’s with all the drama?
Everyone’s always excited about something. A problem that starts
between two people suddenly involves five. Then twenty. One crisis
dies down and the next one starts. There are days you’d rather stay
in bed with the cat than get up and deal with it all.
People often use the word drama to describe making a big deal
out of “nothing.” But conflicts about little things can really be about
big ones, and no drama feels small when you get dragged into it.
Drama changes how friends treat friends. It changes how you feel
about yourself. The fact is, living with daily drama is a very big deal.
tears and fears
I hate puberty! I’ve got so many emotions and I can’t control them. I feel like my world is falling apart. Help! —Kidnapped by Puberty
You’re not alone! Most people feel torn up by emotions during puberty,
and science says there’s a very good reason for that.
In puberty, a girl’s body produces chemicals called hormones. These hormones create physical changes that are easy to see. What you don’t see is that those same hormones are also at work on your emotions. The structure of your brain is changing. The way your nervous system works is changing. It’s not as obvious as getting taller and curvier, but it’s every bit as real.
Those big, new emotions can get pretty confused by your physical
changes. Chances are, you’ve never been so aware of your body in your
entire life—or so worried about how others see you. You compare your-
self with your friends. You may compare yourself with models and movie
stars. Lots of girls become their own worst critics.
Getting ready in the morning used to take you five minutes. Now your