A/N –XxRebelWriterxX: you saw this in your English class? I'm surprised, I've never heard of it before. Tell your teacher "rock on" for me.


Sophomore year, fall semester.

Victoria: That's it, if I don't change classes, I'm gonna hurt this fool. Teachers treat me like I'm some kind of Rosetta Stone for African Americans. What, black people all learn how to read and we all miraculously come to the same conclusion? At that point, I decided to check out my friend Brandy's English class.

Everyone was waiting outside the classroom for Ms. G to open the door. They all greeted each other, not caring about race.

Paige smiled as she saw Ben and Marcus talking to each other.

"Hey, girl" Paige grinned as Andre pulled her into a hug. "How's the munchkin?" Ever since that night at the museum, Andre had been rather fond of Madison. They had spent a lot of the summer together, taking care of her.

"She's doing good. I can't believe it's been over a year" Paige sighed. Madison was growing up too fast.

"Hey, Paige" Paige turned and smiled at Brandy. "Hey, what's up?" Paige smiled, hugging the other girl. "It's alright."

"How's your mom?" Paige asked. Brandy was slightly touched that Paige asked.

"She's okay, right now. Paige, I'd like you to meet my friend Victoria. She's gonna check out the class" Paige turned to another black girl. "Hey, haven't seen you around. Are you new?"

Victoria smiled slightly at the white girl, a little uncomfortable, yet in awe of how easily the different races interacted with each other.

"I'm in Mr. Gelford's class" Victoria explained. Paige nodded. "Ah, honors student. Well, everyone says this is the dumb class, but honestly, I don't think so. I think you'll like our class" Paige grinned at her, and Victoria was slightly surprised when Andre put an arm around Paige.

"Okay everybody" Ms. G said, opening the door. "Ready?"

"Hey Ms. G" people greeted as they entered the classroom. Ms. G smiled as Andre and Paige came through. "How's Madison?" Ms. G asked before they completely entered the room. Paige smiled, something she did much more of now. "She's good"

People looked around in wonder at the giant banner that read 'TOAST FOR CHANGE' and the two, long tables under it. One table was covered with small glasses and bottles of sparkling cider, while the other was completely covered with Border's book bags.

"Okay, guys, gals, listen up. This is what I want you to do" Ms. G called as the bell rang. "I want each of you to step up and take one of these Borders bags, which contain the four books we're gonna read this semester" there was excited voices, so very different from last year.

Even Jamal and Gloria seemed slightly excited.

"They are very special books and they each remind me in some way of each of you" Ms. G told them. "Ahh!" everyone cheered. All joking aside, they were touched.

Victoria watched, she couldn't believe the atmosphere in this classroom. No one in her class was excited to read books like these guys were! This was the 'dumb class' supposedly.

"But, before you take these books, I want you to take one of these glasses of sparkling cider, and I want each of you to make a toast. We're each going to make a toast for change.

"And what that means is, from this moment on, every voice that told you 'you can't' is silenced. Every reason that tells you things will never change disappears. And the person you were before this moment? That person's turn is over.

"Okay? Okay, you ready to get this partah goin' on?" Ms. G cheered. Everyone groaned and complained loudly, and everyone laughed, including Ms. G. "What?" Ms. G smiled.

When it started to quiet down, Gloria went up and grabbed a glass. "Man, I've had a boyfriend since I was, like, eleven, you know?" Everyone nodded. "I believe you" Jamal joked.

"Shut up" Gloria laughed. "Okay, so I was always the person that was going to be pregnant before I turned sixteen and drop out, like my mom" Gloria paused for a moment, then raised her glass. "Ain't gonna happen"

"Nobody ever listens to a teenager" Brandy held up her glass. "Everybody thinks you should be happy just because you're young. They don't see the wars that we fight every single day. And one day my war will end, and I will not die. And I will not tolerate abuse from anyone" she looked back at Ms. G. "I am strong"

"My mom's kicking me out when I got dropped into the gang life" Marcus said. "But I'd like her to see me graduate. I'd like to be eighteen"

From behind the crowd, Miguel raised his hand and moved towards the front. "Ms. G. Can I read something from my diary?" he asked.

"That'd be great" she smiled at him.

"Who's he?" Jamal asked quietly to Gloria and Paige.

"Man, he's been with us since freshman year, fool" she mocked Jamal.

"What's his name?" Jamal asked her again.

"I don't know" she hissed quietly.

"His name is Miguel" Paige told them, "now shush"

Miguel began to read. "'the summer was the worst summer of my short fourteen years of life. It all started with a phone call. My mother was crying and begging, asking for more time, as if gasping for her last breath of fresh air.

"'She held me as tightly as she could and cried, her tears hit my shirt like bullets and told me we were being evicted.

"'She kept apologizing to me. I thought "I have no home. I should have asked for something less expensive at Christmas. At the morning of the eviction, a hard knock on the door woke me up. The Sherriff was there to do his job.

"'I looked up at the sky, waiting for something to happen. My mother has no family to lean on, no money coming in. Why bother coming to school and getting good grades if I'm homeless?'"

Paige was sniffling, and Andre grabbed her hand in put a hand on her shoulder, and she and Gloria wrapped arms around each other's waists.

"'The bus stops in front of the school, I feel like throwing up. I'm wearing clothes from last year, some old shoes, same old haircut. I kept thinking I'd get laughed at. Instead, I am greeted by a couple of friends who were in my English class last year.

"'And it hits me: Mrs. Gruwell, my crazy English teacher from last year, is the only person who made me think of hope. Talking to friends about last year's English and our trips, I began to feel better.

"'I receive my schedule, and the first teacher is Mrs. Gruwell, room 203. I walk into the room and feel as if all the problems in life are not so important anymore. I am home'" Miguel shuts his journal and there is silent, not a dry eye in the room.

"Yes you are" Ms. G whispers.

Paige walks up and hugs Miguel, who hugs her back tightly. Paige let's go and turns to Ms. G. "May I read something as well, Ms. G?"

Ms. G is surprised, but nods.

Paige grabs her book and opens it to a heavily decorated page.

"'I never believe that I would find someone that cared about me. The only person that ever cared for me was my mother, and she died so many years ago. I grew up with no mother, no money, no friends, and no hope.

"'My freshman year, I was put into room 203 because I had missed almost an entire semester the year before, and couldn't bring my grades up. I feared that I would have to face abuse in the only place I had to escape the abuse from home.

'"Those first few weeks I thought of nothing but leaving, of never coming back. I couldn't escape the violence, the yelling. Everyone was too blind to their own plight to see that we were all in some kind of pain.

"'But then, Ms. G opened our eyes. She should us true torture, and showed us what life and respect really meant. People started talking to me, really listening to me. And suddenly, I felt hope.

"'Hope that someday, I could escape my home without taking my life, as I had thought of so often. Hope that I could be loved, someday. Hope that I won't have to feel my father's hands on me anymore.

"'Hope that my daughter, my little Madison, no matter how she was brought into this world, would get to live without fear.'"

There was silence as everyone took in what she had said, and admitted. Andre was frozen when he realized. "She's my half-sister" Paige had told him. Half-sister and daughter. It explained why Madison looked so much like Paige.

Tears were running down everyone's faces, and Gloria quickly walked over to Paige and wrapped her arms around her, able to relate to her pain, if only some-what.

Gloria pulled away slightly and Miguel hugged Paige again. Everyone followed their lead and hugged Miguel and Paige, showing support and care. Andre wrapped his arms tightly around Paige's waist and held her to him.

Marcus gave Miguel a fist-bump and patted Paige on the shoulder, showing his respect.


"Hey, hey Paige! Wait up!" Paige stopped and turned, her nose still in The Diary of Anne Frank. She finished her sentence and looked up and Andre as he stopped in front of her.

"Listen, about earlier, in class…. If something happens, with your dad? Well, I live on my own, since my brother and all, so if you ever need a place to go, you and Madison are welcome to stay with me" he told her hesitantly, not sure how she's take the offer.

Paige smiled softly. "You'd let a teenage mother and her baby stay with you?" she asked in slight disbelief.

Andre grinned at her. "Well, you're not just some teenage other. You're my friend, and a truly amazing girl" Paige blushed at Andre's words.

"Are you sure?" she asked him. Andre nodded. Paige paused for a moment. "Would you… come home with me today? To get Madison and our things?"

Andre smiled happily. "Yeah, sure, no problem. I'll meet you after school" Paige smiled and kissed his cheek before she lost her nervous. Andre froze in surprise, giving Paige time to run away.

Andre watched her walk away, a dopey smile on his face.


"Hey Andre" Andre spun around and saw Paige right behind him. "Hey girl" he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they started walking to her apartment complex.

"So, is there anything in particular I need to know before I start living with two females?" Andre said, half serious and half joking.

"Well, Madison is just starting to eat solids, so you better keep some applesauce or something on hand. Be prepared for messes and lots of dirty diapers. She's starting to sleep through the night, but…well, she's a great wake-up call, since kids get up so much earlier than us" Paige told him.

Paige stopped them and looked at Andre seriously. "I can take care of Madison. You're already doing so much, letting u stay with you, I mean. You don't have to…" Andre cut her off.

"I love Madison, and I have no problem helping take care of her. Mama needs a break every now and then" He laughed, wrapping his arm around her again, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Come on, we'll get our stuff first" Paige told his when she saw her apartment complex. She led him up the stairs and to her apartment. 'Shh" she put a finger over her lips. "He should be asleep, so be quiet" Andre nodded and she slowly opened the door.

Andre looked around as Paige led him to the room she and Madison shared. There were beer bottles everywhere, and the apartment stank. There were stains on the carpet and the TV was playing loudly.

Andre followed Paige into her room. It was cleaner and smelled better, but the door was damaged, probably from her father forcing his way into the room.

"Here" Paige whispered, handing Andre a large canvas bag. "Madison's things are in the chest. Can you pack them? It doesn't have to be neat" Andre nodded and started stuffing the baby things into the bag.

Paige grabbed another bag and put all of her clothes into it. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, and other toiletries. She grabbed the baby powder and some foods for Madison from the kitchen.

"I got everything" she whispered as she came back into the room. Andre nodded. "I'm done to. If there's anything else, we can get if for you two later" Paige nodded, but then spotted the pen Madison played and slept in. She folded it up and put it in the travel bag.

"Ready?" Andre asked when she straightened up. Paige nodded.

They slowly crept out of the house, but unfortunate, daddy woke up.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" a loud voice demanded. Paige froze for a second in panic before running to the door. She managed to push Andre out and drop the bags before she was yanked back into the apartment by her hair.

Paige screamed in pain as she hit the floor. "What do you think you're doing, huh?" her father demanded again, his beer breath making her want to gag. Andre ran at him and pushed the fat man off of Paige.

Paige stood up and Andre grabbed her hand. They ran for the door as he father got up and ran for them, sounding like a charging bull.

Paige shut the door, and her father crashed into it. Not wasting a second, they grabbed the bag and ran down the stairs. "Come on, Madison" Paige was quiet as they slowed, walking as silently as possible.

Paige knocked on another apartment door, and an old woman answered the door. Paige instantly put her finger to her lips, and the woman nodded. She handed Madison to Paige, and Andre took the diaper bag.

They ran as fast as they could from the complex. Once they were a few blocks away, they slowed to a walk.

"I'm sorry" Paige gasped, clutching Madison tightly to her, but not crushing the baby.

Andre shook his head. "Hey, I'm just glad I got you out of there. Wish I had done it sooner" He smiled down at Madison, who grinned and giggled when she saw him. 'She likes you" Paige told him fondly.

"She better. I've been nothing but a gentleman to that little princess" Andre laughed.

They eventually reached his apartment. Madison was out. Andre put the pen together in the front room, and they put thick blankets on the bottom to cushion the floor before placing Madison into the pen.

We can unpack tomorrow, why don't you clean up and get some rest" Andre told her after a brief tour. Andre's apartment was a two bedroom, but the second room was his brothers. "You can have my room, and I'll take the couch" he told her.

Paige shook her head. "I'll stay in the living room. It'll feel a little weird not sharing a room with my daughter" Paige hesitated after the word. "It's so weird to call her that. I've always said she was my sister. Now, I can say it"

Andre rubbed her arm. "Get some rest." He left her to get some sleep.


When Andre woke up, he could smell breakfast. It took him a minute before remembering about Paige.

We walked into his kitchen and stopped short.

Madison was sitting on the floor, playing with a few toys. Paige was standing at the stove, making some eggs, toast already on the counter. But that's not what shocked him.

Paige was wearing shorts and a tanktop, sowing more skin than he had ever seem. He could see the bruises on her skin, but after a good night's sleep and a nice, long shower, they weren't as ugly or as gruesome as they could have been.

Andre had never gotten a good look at Paige's figure, she was always wearing dark, baggy clothes. Now he could see that pregnancy had not harmed her body. Her stomach was not flat, but it wasn't bulging. Her legs and arms were tones, and she was very slender, but at the same time very curvy.

What shocked Andre the most was that instead of the dark hair Paige had before, her hair was now a deep but shocking red. It was still ridiculously long and wavy, but the new color shocked him.

"Girl, what they hell happened to your head?" he said before he realized what he was saying.

Paige looked up at Andre and smiled. "Morning. I felt like I needed a change. What do you think?" Paige actually looked nervous as Andre looked her up and down.

Slowly, Andre walked over to her. He wrapped him arms around her waist and rested his head on top of hers, seeing as she was a head shorter than him. 'You look amazing, Paige" he told he sincerely.

Paige looked up at him and smiled brightly. Andre felt a pang in his heart, but said nothing. Paige kissed him on the cheek and ushered him out of the kitchen to finish breakfast. Andre scooped Madison up from the floor and went to play with her in the front room while Paige finished breakfast.

He could get used to this.