After Dinner Barf |
|
Summary:
Angela is looking forward to getting back into gymnastics after the summer break. But she has changed over the summer. Her body is more filled out, more curvy. When she goes to try out, she sees that Tina, a senior student, has become quite thin over the summer. Then Angela bumps into Chris, a football player and member of the student council. She's thrilled that he notices her. Over the next few weeks she spends time with Chris and ignores her old friends. She does not notice that Chris is manipulating her into losing weight. Only when an old friend Sal is accused of stealing money and Angela catches Tina inducing herself to vomit does she start to realize what has happened. Finally Angela, with the help of her friends and a couple of teachers, tricks Chris into stealing more money. Turns out he has a serious drug problem and has been using others to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. |
Before You Read — Pre-Reading
|
|
Chapter One—The Pick-Up
Summary:
Summer is over. It's back to school. Angela grew up over the summer. Autumn and Angela meet in the hallway, catch up on the summer and go to chemistry class together. Mr. Lang, a former student, is their chemistry teacher. |
|
|
Chapter Two—Blood on the Pavement
Summary:
Angela bumps into Chris-captain of the football team and student council president. After English class, Chris is waiting at her locker. Angela is thrilled. Sal thinks Chris is annoying. Autumn agrees that there is something funny about him. He hangs out with a bad crowd from Lincoln High School. At lunch when Angela and her friends are in the cafeteria they hear yelling from outside. They see a guy stumble by the window with blood all over his face. |
|
|
Chapter Three—Making the Team
Summary:
A grade nine student is beaten up and is taken away in an ambulance. At gymnastics practice Angela notices how thin Tina is. She feels self-conscious about her own body. Chris comes by to give Angela a ride home. Sal asks her to ride the bus home with him. Police officers come to Bayview to talk to Sal. Money is missing form the student council account and Sal is the treasurer. |
|
|
Chapter Four—The Big Bucks
Summary:
Chris drives Angela home is his sports car and talks about himself. He asks Angela out to a movie. Angela tries on all of her clothes to find the right outfit. She thinks she needs to lose five or six pounds. Angela finds out from Autumn that one thousand dollars is missing from the student council account. Sal made a deposit but the bag was filled with pieces of paper instead of cash. |
|
|
Chapter Five—The Writing on the Wall
Summary:
Angela sees Sal and wonders how he is doing. He tells her that someone stole five thousand dollars, but only he and the Principal know the amount. An investigation is underway. Chris stops by Angela's locker and asks her out. He checks out her open locker and makes comments about a chocolate bar on the top shelf. Angela decides she needs to lose weight. |
|
|
Chapter Six—Are You Calling Me Fat?
Summary:
Chris arrives a half-hour late for their first date. He ignores Angela's brother, John, and flatters her mother. He seems to be behaving strangely and his eyes are red. Chris and Angela go to a movie that Chris chooses. He is looking for someone and hooks up with some tough-looking guys. When they get home Chris kisses Angela goodnight. She finds out from her mom that Todd, who was beaten up at school, has broken ribs. Her brother is upset. Chris phones her at 11:30 p.m. |
|
|
Chapter Seven—Instant Boyfriend
Summary:
Angela spends the weekend with Chris. He orders low-fat food for her, makes comments about her size in a clothing store and puts down her friendship with Sal. When Angela's mom invites him for supper, he plays the helpful gentleman. After he leaves, he calls Angela. Angela forgets about her homework and lies to Sal when he offers her a ride to school. She decides she needs to lose weight fast. |
|
|
Chapter Eight—Tiny Tina
Summary:
Angela looks for Tina to get her diet tips. In class, Sal sends Angela a note. She gets caught and gets kicked out. In English class, Angela can't answer questions about King Lear. Chris meets Angela at her locker and wants her to stay away from Sal. He comments on her lunch and takes her away from her friends to meet with the principal about student council business. At practice Tina and Angela sit out and talk about diets. They are too tired and too hungry to participate fully. |
|
|
Chapter Nine—I See Bones
Summary:
Angela follows Tina's diet and feels terrible. She and Tina are alternates on the gymnastic team. Tina goes to the coach who tells her she is getting thin and lacks strength. The coach gives Angela a booklet to read on eating disorders. Autumn is annoyed with Angela. She is worried about her getting bone thin and Chris controlling her life. The coach and Autumn tell her she needs help before it is too late. |
|
|
Chapter Ten—Invasion
Summary:
Angela feels tired and sick. Autumn rarely calls her. She sees Sal in the hallway. He is being accused of the theft. Officers check his locker and find a bag of drugs. Sal is suspended from school. Chris continues to dominate Angela. |
|
|
Chapter Eleven—Dance, Porky, Dance
Summary:
Angela goes to the school dance with Chris. Sal has been out of school for a week and now has a lawyer. He warns Angela about Chris. At the dance, Chris goes out to get some “stuff.” He comes back with red eyes and acts goofy with all of his friends. He won't let Angela leave. When she wants to go into the gym to dance, he calls her a chubby pig. |
|
|
Chapter Twelve—I'll Have What She's Having
Summary:
Angela leaves the dance crying. Tina has seen the fight. Autumn sees Angela crying but Angela uses the excuse that she hit her elbow. Angela leaves with Tina to go to her house to eat and watch TV. |
|
|
Chapter Thirteen—A Good Puke
Summary:
Tina and Angela watch TV and eat a tray of junk food. Tina keeps going to the bathroom. Angela stuffs herself with chips, popcorn and cookies. When Tina says to get rid of it, Angela packs up the leftovers to throw in the garbage. She hears Tina gagging and catches Tina with her fingers down her throat.
|
|
|
Chapter Fourteen—Wasting Away
Summary:
Angela confronts Tina about bulimia. Tina drives her home where Chris is waiting. He apologizes to Angela for his behaviour at the dance and says he loves her. Her brother and her mom find out from Autumn about Chris's insults and talk to her. Angela's mom makes her stay away from Chris for the weekend. Angela tries to defend Chris but stays home and enjoys her weekend reading King Lear and cleaning her room. |
|
|
Chapter Fifteen—Reality Bite
Summary:
People stare at Angela at school on Monday. Carly and Autumn take Angela into a storage closet and tell her the truth about Chris. She tries to defend him but goes outside to think. Then, all of the pieces fall into place. When Angela goes to gymnastics practice, Tina has fallen and is being taken away by paramedics. Angela runs to the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror and sees what she has become. |
|
|
Chapter Sixteen—Now It's Up to Us
Summary:
Ms. Jenkins, the gymnastics coach, and Autumn, find Angela in the bathroom. They get her help from the school nurse. They tell her their suspicions about Chris. Angela wonders how she can get Chris to confess. |
|
Chapter Seventeen—The Big Frame-Up
Summary:
Angela tells her mother everything. Her mom takes her to a doctor. That night she and her brother make a plan. Angela tells Chris she will collect money for tickets at the basketball finals. He falls for the idea. |
|
|
Chapter Eighteen—Busted!
Summary:
People were lined up to see the best city teams play basketball. The plan was in place. Angela was to take the money to the safe during the game. She hid in the office and her coach hid in the next office. Chris was caught red-handed. He confesses and everyone in the gym hears. The intercom is on! |
|
|
Chapter Nineteen—I'm Back
Summary:
The police take Chris away. Angela and the gang stop by Sal's house on the way home to share the good news. Sal thanks Angela. She teases that he is too good looking to go to jail. The police stop by to tell Sal the charges have been dropped. |
|
|
After Reading — Post-Reading Reflection
|
|
|
|
