Rochelle, a shy girl from Iowa, shares her struggles with loneliness and her desire to fit in. As a child, she was always close to her mom, but as she grew older, she found it difficult to make friends and was often bullied. Desperate to change her life, she tries to reinvent herself by changing her style and pretending to be someone she's not. However, her attempts at faking a new persona ultimately lead to her lying about her mom's death, which spirals out of control. When her mom discovers the truth, Rochelle is forced to confront the consequences of her actions. In the end, she finds an unexpected friend in Julie, a popular girl who sees beyond Rochelle's mistakes and wants to be her friend for who she truly is.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Rochelle, is from Iowa.
2. Rochelle's parents got divorced when she was a baby.
3. Rochelle's mom was her primary caregiver.
4. Rochelle was shy and had trouble making friends as a kid.
5. Rochelle was often bullied and teased by her classmates.
6. When Rochelle was 13, she decided to try to change her image and make friends.
7. Rochelle changed her style, got a new haircut, and tried to fit in with the popular kids.
8. However, her attempts at fitting in failed, and she was ridiculed by her classmates.
9. Rochelle then decided to pretend to be someone else, starting with a fake Italian accent.
10. When that didn't work, Rochelle told a lie about spending the summer in Italy.
11. However, she was caught in the lie and ridiculed again.
12. Rochelle then told a more serious lie, claiming that her mom had died.
13. The lie was believed by her classmates, and Rochelle gained sympathy and attention.
14. However, keeping up the lie became stressful and difficult for Rochelle.
15. Rochelle's mom eventually found out about the lie and confronted Rochelle.
16. Rochelle confessed and apologized to her mom.
17. The lie was exposed to her classmates, and Rochelle was shunned and ignored.
18. However, Julie, a popular classmate, reached out to Rochelle and offered friendship.
19. Rochelle and Julie became friends, and Rochelle learned that true friendship is more important than popularity.