Lily the Rebel (Young Women of Faith: Lily Series, Book 6) - Softcover

Rue, Nancy N.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0310232554 ISBN 13: 9780310232551

Publisher: Zondervan, 2001

Synopsis

Lily Robbins has always been a model student, the one who always follows the rules. But suddenly, Lily is questioning the rules---both at home and at school -- and it's getting harder to keep her mouth shut about it. When Lily blows up and goes off at her science teacher, she suddenly becomes Ms. Popularity. And soon Lily starts thinking that being a little bit 'bad' actually feels good. Of course, in true Lily fashion, she goes all the way with it, adopting an 'alternative' hair-do, and designing a rebel T-shirt that pushes the dress code. But when a truly worthy cause arises, Lily's new reputation precedes her. Lily realizes she needs to regain the trust of those who matter most to her before she can help her best friend win against discrimination.

About this title

About the Author:

Nancy Rue has written over 100 books for girls, is the editor of the Faithgirlz Bible, and is a popular speaker and radio guest with her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and husband, Jim, have raised a daughter of their own and now live in Tennessee.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

So I say, 'Okay, we gotta get this done or Mr. Nutting's gonna give us all zeroes,' and Benjamin says, 'Who cares?' Then I say, 'I do! I've got an A in this class, and I wanna keep it,' and he's, like, 'Wow, big deal, man, an A---dude.' You know, he's acting all smart---and then the minute, I mean the minute Mr. Nutting looks over at us, Benjamin starts acting all perfect, like he's this little angel or something. I so wanted to gag. I mean, he's like, so fake. You oughta be glad he wasn't in your study group.' Lily took a breath and switched the phone to her left ear. On the other end of the line, her best friend Reni waited patiently. She knew, of course, that there was much more. 'Anyway,' Lily went on, 'I don't think kids who act all hypocritical like that deserve to be in accelerated classes. It's worse than if Shad Shifferdecker was in there.' 'Uh, no,' Reni said. 'Nothing is worse than having Shad Shifferdecker in your class---especially a science class, with all those chemicals and stuff. What he couldn't do when Mr. Nutting's back was turned!' 'Shad doesn't bother me that much anymore, 'cause at least he admits that he thinks school is a total waste of time. What bothers me are boys like Benjamin who make the teachers think they're, like, these scholars, and then the rest of the time they get away with everything they can.' Lily rearranged herself on the bed. 'Oh---do you know what he did Monday when you weren't there?' 'No, tell me!' 'Okay---we're all taking this pop quiz, okay, and---' 'Lil---you're still on that phone?' Lily stopped just short of propping her feet up on the wall and looked at her mom, who was standing in Lily's bedroom doorway with her gym bag in her hand. Lily covered the mouthpiece with her hand. 'I just got on,' she said. 'Yeah---before I left for the gym---an hour and a half ago.' Only then did Lily notice that her mom's usually neat golden-brown ponytail was halfway out of its scrunchie and her cheeks were about the color of Pepto-Bismol. 'Oh,' Lily said. 'You already went?' 'Went. Worked out. Stopped at the gas station---the post office.' Mom nodded toward the phone. 'Your time's more than up. Say adios.' 'Okay,' Lily said, mane of red hair scattering as she nodded, 'just let me finish telling Reni this one thing.' 'I know your 'one things', Lil,' Mom said. 'Save it for the next marathon conversation.' 'Do you need to make a call or something?' Lily said. Mom squinted her doe-brown eyes a little---a sure sign that she was getting annoyed. 'No,' she said. 'I just need for you to follow the rule. Thirty minutes.' 'Art was on here for two hours last night!' 'Remind me to have him hanged at sunrise. Meanwhile---' Mom made a cutting motion across her throat, and as she disappeared from the doorway, Lily sighed. 'I gotta go,' she said into the phone. 'Did you go over time?' Reni said. 'Yeah. And I was just getting to the good part!' 'We can finish up tomorrow morning.' 'You know what? When I get older and have my own place, I am so gonna talk as long as I want. I want one of those phones that---' 'Lilianna!' 'See ya,' Reni said. Lily hurriedly poked the off button on the portable phone. When Mom started calling her Lilianna, it was time to snap to. Lily rubbed at the prickly feeling, crawling up the back of her neck and looked down at her gray mutt, Otto, who was asleep on his back on the floor, all four paws in the air. 'If I had hackles like you,' Lily said, 'they'd be standing up right now.' She propped her long, lanky legs up on the wall and looked longingly at the phone. I remember when I'd rather play word games with Dad than talk on the phone anytime, she thought. She ran her fingers over the receiver. I used to wonder what people found to talk about for so long. Now I could yak to the Girlz all day and still not get it all in. 'There's the phone. Dude, I've been looking all over for it.' Lily's brother Art sauntered into her room, blue eyes looking hungrily at the portable phone. He was tall and lean like Lily, but at sixteen, he had the whole lanky thing more under control. He snatched up the phone and flipped it deftly from one hand to the other, high over his short, red hair. 'The rule is you're supposed to put it back on the hall table when you're done,' he said, 'so the next person doesn't have to go looking for it.' 'Then how come I had to dig under your bed for it when I wanted to use it?' Lily said. 'Otto musta dragged it under there. How ya doin', Muttsky?' Otto lifted his wiry head and growled out of the side of his mouth. Art grinned. 'Thanks, Pal. I was starting to think you didn't love me anymore.' 'Speaking of love,' Lily said, nodding toward the phone, 'are you gonna call Traci?' 'Traci? Nah, we broke up a long time ago.' 'You just went out with her Friday night!' 'Oh. I guess time flies when you're having fun.' He stopped juggling the receiver and narrowed his eyes at her. 'Since when did you start keeping track of my love life?' 'Since you started hogging the phone all the time!' 'Like that makes a difference. We only get a half hour at a time anyway.' His wide mouth went into a grin. 'I just string my half hours all together.' 'Get out,' Lily said cheerfully. He did, but her younger brother Joe appeared less than ten seconds later and tried to play the 'Wipe Out' drum solo on the doorframe. 'What?' Lily said. 'Mom says to come down and set the table.' 'It can't be my turn again!' 'It's right on the chart---U-G-L-Y. That's you, right?' 'Get out,' Lily said---and this time not cheerfully. 'Don't do it, then,' he said as he went off down the hall. 'Get in trouble. See if I care.' Was I that obnoxious when I was nine? she wondered. Once again she put her hand up to the prickly place on the back of her neck as she dragged herself down to the kitchen. No, she thought, digging through the silverware drawer for at least two forks that matched. When I was nine, I was all into putting on plays in the backyard and going through the trunks in the attic for dress-up stuff and wishing I was Jo in Little Women. The thought of it made her snicker. She had definitely changed. Now she was twelve---in the second month of seventh grade---spending most of her time doing homework and talking on the phone ... when she was allowed to. 'We need to put soup spoons on,' Mom said. 'Harriet sent me home with enough homemade vegetable soup for all of us.' Her mouth twitched in that way that took the place of a smile. 'None of us are going to get homemade soup any other way, that's for sure. I was hoping cooking would become one of your things, Lil. Then we might get some decent meals around here.' 'What 'things'?' Lily said. 'Last month you were going to be the next Dear Abby. Last summer it was Martha Stewart. In May, you had---' 'Okay, I get it,' Lily said. She dealt the plates onto the place mats, scowling. 'They aren't 'things.' I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to do, that's all.' 'Was?' Mom said. 'Past tense?' 'Yeah.' 'So you're, like, so over that?' Her mouth was twitching at both corners, but Lily didn't find it the least bit amusing. She could feel the scowl getting deeper and the prickles getting pricklier. 'Could you please not make fun of the way I talk?' she said. 'And that was just a phase I was going through. I know who I am now.' 'I see.' 'I'm so serious!' Mom turned from the pot she was stirring on the stove and wiped her hands on the seat of her sweats. 'I so know. Okay---sorry---no more teasing.' Good, Lily thought. 'Can I just ask you this, though?' 'Sure.' 'Is it now safe to pack away your modeling portfolio, your first-aid kit---' Lily didn't holler 'Mo-om!' this time. She knew it was going to come out with an edge that would bring on the 'Lily, don't take that tone with me.' Instead, she said, through her teeth, 'I'm going out to the laundry room to get some more napkins.

About this edition

• Publisher: Zondervan
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0310232554
• ISBN 13: 9780310232551
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128