Swallowing Stones, By Joyce McDonald - Chapter Summaries 12 -- 15

Swallowing Stones, by Joyce McDonald -- Chapter Summaries 12 - 15

(PREDICTION from Chapter 11

How will this newest lie affect Michael and Joe's friendship?)

Michael is in such a frantic state.  His deceitfulness has gotten deeper and deeper, and is more troublesome than ever.




Remember, in the last chapter, the police Ralph Healey and Doug Boyle are at the MacKenzie house, as well as Michael's father Tom MacKenzie.  Michael's father grows uneasy when the police ask sensitive questions about possible guns in the house.  Then, after another act of desperation, Michael tells another lie.  When his father asks for the rifle (Winchester), he says that he doesn't have it and that he loaned it to Joe (remember, his best loyal friend).  He then calls his friend and tells another lie on the phone out of immediacy, and plays that the Winchester has been stolen out of Joe's car.  "Adding salt to the wound," idiomatically speaking, Michael is "dragging" Joe deeper "into the hole" of telling lies.  Hence, Joe continues to lie for Michael and tells the police about the alleged robbery. 

Remember, Michael's girlfriend Darcy has now broken up with him, and for only about five days, he returns to Amy's house but she refuses to see him because she is deeply hurt.  He thinks it has something to do with Darcy (Read pages 127 to 129).

Later, Michael finds out that Darcy has played a dirty trick on Amy, telling her that Michael was only interested in her because of a bet. 

BACK TO JENNA



Jenna is still feeling melancholic, and finds a bit of comfort with girlfriend Andrea, whom invites her to "go-out."  They end up taking a two hour bus ride, in the rain, to a beach to a place called Spring Lake.  The rain has drizzled and they walk along the beach.  Jenna cannot stop thinking about her father, and still cannot believe he is  not coming home (it has been at least six weeks), although she fantasizes that a miracle would happen and that he would be home any minute.  Jenna shares her anger with Andrea.  (Read Page 136). 

The girls find their way back to the house in Briarwood, and Jenna finds her way to the mailbox. 



What she finds is a letter from Amy Ruggerio, strangely enough.  Jenna is curious and begins to read the letter.  (Read 137 to 139).

Thus, this sympathy letter from Amy causes her Jenna to cry her first "real tears" since her father's death. 

Jenna and her mother discover that someone (Michael) has been doing odd jobs around their house.

Jenna attends a party with Andrea, who has developed a crush on Michael.  There, Jenna senses Michael presence and is curious why he sits on the front church steps in front of her house almost every evening.  She questions herself, "Is he interested in ME?"  Then, dismisses this idea when comparing herself with Andrea, a "drop-dead" gorgeous looking person.

Andrea really wants to meet Michael, but feels apprehensive, instead, Jenna takes the lead and sees Michael out in his car, away from the party, and boldly says that her friend (Andrea) really wants to meet him.  "You probably think this is really dumb," she said, "but my friend over there has been wanting to meet you.  She nodded in Andrea's direction.  Andrea stood still, as if she were a rabbit facing a hungry wolf.  (Page 154).  He tells Jenna, maybe another time, and hurdles away in his car.

PREDICTION:

1)  Will Michael mend his relationship with Amy?

Worksheet
Character/Characteristic Page  --  Create a Profile of Michael

Vocabulary (Definition + Parts of Speech + Choose 5 of 10 and use word in context).

(SmartPhones -- Ok -- Please--Assignment only)
 
Thank you.

1)  frantic
2)  paranoid
3)  meloncholy
4)  apprehensive
5)  skeptical
6)  apprehension
7)  dwindled
8)  precariously
9)  variables
10)  allegedly

Additional in-class assignment:

*Find two similies and one metaphor and give meaning
1)  Simile -- Page 92
2)  Simile -- Page 95

3)  Metaphor -- Page 95
4)  Simile -- Page 122
5)  Metaphor -- Page 150

**Add details to illustrated imagery
**Choose another page, paragraph and illustrate