Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

A girl is moving... again. She has had to move every time her mother breaks up with a boyfriend - and that seems to happen frequently. This time she is starting a new middle school in St. George, Utah. She wears crazy clothes to help distract from her Tourette's tics. Her neighbor is an Asian boy who happens to be student body president at her school. He likes to play baseball and is attracted to the new girl, but reluctant to be seen with her. The other kids at school tease the girl all the time for her clothes and tics. Finally the boy is willing to be seen with the girl. It all comes to head when his friends make fun of her and he punches them. This gets him suspended from school and causes him to lose his leadership position. But now they are good friends. Alas, her mom has married a guy in Nevada and they are going to move soon. The friendship has helped her to be more bold in her new school and be forward about her tics. The story is told in an open narrative style with various verse. It brings together the challenges of coming of age with peer pressure, medical conditions and family issues. There is even a side story of the "mean" girl and the challenges from her history.