A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama, Rumors & Secrets. Nancy Holyoke

rewrite the script

       rumors, secrets & cyberspace

       talk vs. gossip

       words on a screen

       Quiz: you and your devices

       rumors

       Quiz: rules of the road

       scenes from a drama

       secrets

       rewrite the script

       out of control

       Quiz: training your brain

       getting ugly

       when you’re bullied

       looking on

       forgiveness

       rewrite the script

       Quiz: casting call

       a world without drama

       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