Our conversation erupted in a million different directions. They said I’d be a great big sister and there were jokes about diaper changing. They said they’d help me babysit. Then we marveled over meeting Edith and the excitement we shared for the next pink step we would take together.
“Viva la babies!” Piper said, blowing her party horn.
“Viva la big sisters!” Kate called out, punching her fist in the air.
It was my turn. I stood on a bench for dramatic effect, even though it was hard to hoist myself up there in my silver dress and heels.
“Viva la best friends forever!”
Ask the PLS
Pink pearls of wisdom from our Blog
In just a short time, the Pink Locker Society has received 30,000 questions from girls. Here are some of the best questions and best answers from the army of Pink Locker girls out there!
Overweight and Unhappy
Today’s question is a tough one.
Dear Jemma:
I am overweight and I don’t know what to do. People make fun of me.
Signed,
Anonymous
I get pretty upset thinking about people making fun of our friend. Though we have some control over the way we look, it’s very hard when people criticize you for something like body shape. Here’s my best advice for her:
1. Get help figuring out if you are actually overweight. You can get an idea by using a BMI calculator. It can help to have a parent help you with this. Don’t panic if your BMI score puts you in the overweight category. It’s just a piece of information that will help you, your parents, and your doctor figure out what to do next.
2. Talk to your doctor. If you are not at a healthy weight, your doctor can suggest steps to take. And if your weight is OK, your doctor can tell you that, too.
3. Know you are not alone. Kids can’t do it alone when it comes to eating healthy and getting enough exercise. Those two things are really important! Your parents, other family members, doctor, and others can be part of the team that helps you reach a healthy weight. And don’t go it alone when it comes to people making fun of you. Tell a parent or a teacher. Ask your friends for advice and support.
4. Be healthy either way. Whether someone is overweight or not, they will be healthier if they do simple things like …
• eat a healthy breakfast
• cut out soda
• get lots of activity
Think pink!
Jemma
And here’s what other girls had to say:
Remember that you are beautiful the way you are, and it matters more on the inside anyway. When people make fun of you, look them in the eye and say, “Knock it off.” If the harassing continues, alert an adult. Hope this helps!
All I can say is love that body, move that body. Work out often and eat your daily meals.
I’m overweight and I lost weight by riding my bike to school. It helps you get exercise and it helps the planet by creating less pollution!
Just get with a group of friends and stand up for yourself. That’s the only way to get through the jungle called life without being eaten!
Late Bloomer Blues
Hello pink friends!
I know we’ve talked about this before, but I think it’s worth bringing up again. Being the “late bloomer” can be hard. I know, I know, you early bloomers will say being the first one with boobs and a period, etc, is hard, too. I’m sure that’s true. But today, we’re going to talk about the slower-growing girls out there. If you’ve read the books, you know I’m one of you!
Dear PLS,
Hi PLS. I love your book! I’m going into grade 7 and I still don’t have my period. Quite a few of my friends already do. I feel so young. Any advice?
Question Girl, 12
Number one, I’d say that it’s important to remember that periods happen in a wide stretch of time. Some girls are early, like ten, and other girls are later, like fifteen. It’s normal, normal, normal that some girls will be later than others.
But what I think Question Girl is saying is that you still have to deal with being the less-developed one every day. I know how you feel, Question Girl. Some people might tease you about being a late bloomer. Even when they don’t mean to hurt your feelings, sometimes they do. Also, no one likes feeling left out. If everyone is talking about “my period this and my period that,” it’s like you’re not a member of their secret club.
But remember that you’re part of this secret club, The Pink Locker Society (wink-wink). And also remember that you’re always growing, little by little. Here’s a fun activity that will prove it. Get out some photos of you over the years. Go from your cutie-pie baby stage, to preschool, to kindergarten, and on up.
Pay special attention to the last few years. Do you have a different hairstyle now? Maybe you’ve changed the kind of clothes you wear. And I bet you’ll see that you’ve grown and changed quite a bit—even though you’d still like to change and grow even more.
Think pink all you late bloomers!
Jemma
And here’s what other girls had to say:
Don’t worry about it. I started my period only a month ago and I’m going into grade nine! Talk about late! It doesn’t matter when you get your period because everyone will have one eventually! LOL
It seems really unfair that we girls have to go through all this stuff, and boys have to deal with, like, nothing.
Well, think about the big picture. If you get it now, you will have it until you are in your 50s. Talk about A LONG TIME!!
Middle School Advice Needed FAST!
Hello all you middle schoolers! If you already have a year or more of middle school under your belt, this question is for you. Our friend KGirl, 11, is starting middle school and she’s pretty worried. Here’s her question:
Dear PLS,
I am starting my first year of middle school and I’m sooo nervous and worried. I’m worried I’ll be late to class, I won’t make new friends, and I’m scared to change with everyone else in the locker room. I will have eight new teachers. What if they don’t like me? PLEASE can you give me some tips and advice about middle school? Thanks!!!
KGirl, 11
Don’t you just want to give KGirl a hug? I’d say it’s true that middle school has new challenges: lockers, switching classes, more teachers, etc. But it’s also heaps more fun than elementary school. There are so many cool things to do—new clubs, activities, sports. Even eating in the cafeteria is more fun, I think.
Any more advice for KGirl? Also, at your school this year, please tell me you’ll be nice to the sixth-graders. They need our help. Remember, even if you feel very mature now, you were once a sixth-grader, too!
Think pink!
Jemma
And here’s what other girls had to say:
I felt the same way when I first started middle school. Considering I am now going into high school, I think I survived! I had four minutes between each class and surprisingly made it to each one. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a lot longer than you need. If you stop to talk to a friend on the way there, make it short. By the end of the year, I promise you will have all of this figured out.
I’m starting middle school this year too. Instead of being nervous, I decided to be excited! I can’t wait! I know all these middle school things will be new, but I don’t think about that part. Just chill. Relax! My plan is to make a great first impression. And, to get a “buddy” to help me through everything. Like, where to go and what to do. One of your “already” friends, who you can depend on.
Be sure to get a schedule and a school map so you can familiarize yourself with the school and teachers before the first day. There are students coming from lots of different schools. Just think how many people you will meet! ;)
Get healthy, girls!
Learn more about exercise and eating right
In The Forever Crush, Kate feels terrible when she learns that some of her classmates think she’s fat.
No matter what you weigh, everyone can get healthier by eating more nutritious foods and being active for at least an hour each day. Try these Web sites for tips, ideas, and encouragement!
Learn to cook and you’ll eat healthier. No artificial flavors. No Blue #17. Just 100 percent delicious. Even better if you can grow some of your own food. These resources can help you get started with recipes, cooking skills, and garden basics:
www.chopchopmag.com
www.spatulatta.com
www.edibleschoolyard.org
Dive into nutrition at MyPyramid.gov. You can unravel the mysteries of the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid and get solid advice about what to eat.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids
Discover the secrets of head-to-toe health at BAM (Body and Mind), a Web site from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
www.bam.gov
Want to become a runner like Jemma? We think you can do it! Join Girls on the Run and they’ll help you train for your first real race.
www.girlsontherun.org
About the Author
Debra Moffitt lives in a house full of boys—with three sons and one husband. She was a newspaper reporter for more than ten years and is now the kids’ editor of KidsHealth.org. That means she gets paid to write about stuff kids care about, like pimples, crushes, and puberty. She’d like to thank all the girls who visit www.pinklockersociety.org. You’ve asked 30,000 questions about growing up and have given tons of kind, thoughtful advice to one another. That’s thinking pink!
Also by Debra Moffitt
Only Girls Allowed
Best Kept Secret
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE FOREVER CRUSH. Copyright © 2011 by Debra Moffitt. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moffitt, Debra.
The forever crush / Debra Moffitt.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Eighth-grader Jemma has a crush on Forrest, so when he asks her to be his fake-girlfriend because he wants a break from real relationships, she agrees, thinking that it will give her a chance to make him like her.
ISBN 978-0-312-64504-5
[1. Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. 2. Secret societies—Fiction. 3. Peer pressure—Fiction. 4. Middle schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.M7245Fo 2011
[Fic]—dc22
2011000017
First Edition: May 2011
eISBN 978-1-4299-6983-3
First St. Martin’s Griffin eBook Edition: May 2011
The Forever Crush Page 11
