Zelda, a girl from Michigan, narrates her experiences growing up with a unique brain that allows her to learn quickly and remember things well. She was often misunderstood and ridiculed by her peers, leading her to become isolated and focus on her studies.
In 10th grade, she was approached by Skyler, a popular boy at school, who was impressed by her intelligence and uniqueness. They started dating, and Zelda was surprised by the attention she received. However, she soon discovered that Skyler was part of a gang and was dating girls for money.
Zelda decided to go missing to gain attention and was supported by her parents, who agreed to the plan. She transformed herself and attended school under a new identity, 'Z'. She discovered Skyler's true nature and confronted him, leading to a public confession of his actions.
Zelda's secret was exposed, and she was ridiculed by her peers. However, she was also supported by her parents and some of her classmates. She realized that she needed to accept herself and her differences, and she decided to focus on being better and proud of who she is.
1. The speaker, Zelda, is from Michigan.
2. Zelda has a unique way of thinking and processing information, which was noticed in preschool.
3. Zelda was already teaching herself to read and do math at a young age.
4. Zelda has a perfect memory and could help her parents remember certain stores and markets.
5. Zelda was able to remember long Wi-Fi passwords.
6. Zelda started to notice something was off about her when she got to first grade.
7. Zelda's questions were considered rude and too personal by others.
8. Zelda was invited to dinner by a friend of her mother's, but the friend was offended by Zelda's questions and left early.
9. Zelda's parents tried to tell her that her questions were rude and too personal.
10. Zelda was used to not having friends and was often seen as a robot.
11. Zelda studied hard and became number one in her class.
12. Zelda won many science fairs and awards for school projects.
13. Zelda's life was filled with books and homework.
14. Skyler, a popular guy at school, asked Zelda out.
15. Skyler treated Zelda like a queen and bought her jewelry and roses.
16. Skyler always wanted to be Zelda's lab partner.
17. Skyler and Zelda started dating, which confused everyone.
18. Skyler told Zelda that she was different, which was why he chose her.
19. Zelda tried to take Skyler at his word, but he treated her like a queen.
20. Zelda planned a surprise for Skyler's birthday, which was a love poem.
21. The poem was read out loud in the cafeteria, causing everyone to laugh.
22. Zelda was reported missing after an earthquake.
23. Zelda's parents argued with her for hours about the missing report.
24. Zelda decided to pretend to be missing to gain attention and appreciation.
25. Zelda hid in the basement while reporters and journalists came to her house.
26. Zelda decided to transform herself completely and got a whole new wardrobe, fake eyebrows, eyelashes, and a black wig.
27. Zelda followed Skyler around school, hiding under stairs and even sneaking into the boys' bathroom.
28. Zelda saw Skyler in an alleyway smoking with a group of guys, who were all wearing the same bandanas and counting money from a giant backpack.
29. Zelda realized that Skyler was in a gang and was not the only girl he'd bet on for money.
30. Zelda confronted Skyler at school, and he confessed that he was in a gang.
31. Zelda and Skyler spent the entire week together, leading a double life.
32. Zelda was sick for a few days and barely checked her phone or talked to Skyler.
33. Zelda found out that no one had posted about her going missing in the past few days.
34. Zelda went back to school and didn't hear her name once.
35. Zelda confronted Skyler about his betrayal in front of the entire school.
36. Zelda's parents apologized to her for not being responsible and promised to always be there for her.
37. Zelda's parents told her they were proud of her and loved her.