Rachel

Hey readers, so today I'll be talking about why all of Melinda's friends turned on her. The reason why she couldn't speak was because of what Andy Evans had done to her. Andy Evans raped Melinda at a party. After she was raped, she called the police and everyone hated her because they didn't understand why she would do that.

Melinda had a best friend named Rachel, after the party Rachel stopped talking to Melinda. To stop talking to your best friend over something that trivial you have to be a cold-hearted person. Rachel seems like the type of person who wants to know everything. When she doesn't know everything, she becomes angry and lashes out at whoever she deems fit.
She wants to fit in and not be stuck in the shadows.

"It's Rachel, surrounded by kids wearing clothes that most definitely did not come from the EastSide Mall... Her eyes meet mine for a second. 'I hate you,' she mouths silently." (Page 4-5)

 She didn't care what happened to Melinda, all she cared about was how Melinda was going to ruin her climb to the top. This quote shows that Rachel will make sure you know that she does not like you. If you don't fit into her group she has no problem telling you that.

Rachel never asked Melinda why she called the police. That shows that she is the type of person who crosses you off the list as soon as you cross her. She doesn't stand for excuses and even if you tell her the truth it probably won't satisfy her.

Do you think popularity is that important? Could you ever throw your friend to the side like Rachel did to Melinda?

Melinda

Some humans can do disgusting things and feel nothing. In Speak, Andy Evans was one of these people. Speak is a book about a girl named Melinda who's been keeping a secret. I feel like Melinda is the type of person to keep everything bottled up until it all comes rushing out. She can't open up to people because when she does they won't believe her. They'll think that she's lying and walk away from her. Melinda's best friend, Rachel, did exactly that.

"Rachel writes in a heavy, fast hand. WHO DID IT???  I turn the page. Andy Evans. 'Liar!' She stumbles out of her chair and grabs her books off the table 'I can't believe you. You're jealous.You're a twisted little freak."  (pg 184)

In this quote, Melinda told her best friend what happened to her and Rachel
automatically calls a liar and didn't believe her. Melinda's fears came true and she wanted to go home and never talk to anybody again.

Luckily, before she told Rachel what happened to her she decided to write "People not to trust: Andy Evans" on the wall in the bathroom. After she did that, multiple people answered back on the wall telling her what a creep he was. She saw that people would believe her if she told the right people.

If she hadn't wrote the message on the wall, she would have never thought that people would believe what she says.  The story would obviously have been different. Melinda would have fallen into an endless spiral until she eventually hit rock bottom.

Would you have been able to tell people about something horrible that happened to you or would you have stayed quiet? What do you think the better option is; to forever stay quiet or let people in?