What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

Sones, Sonya. 2007. What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know.



Robin Murphy's luck has started to change. Ever the school-loser, 'Murphy' is finally getting to see the brighter side of life. Sophie, beautiful and popular though she is, has become his girlfriend over the winter break. He's had two glorious weeks of being by her side. And it looks like the magic may just continue because on their first day back at school...she chooses him over her friends in the crowded cafeteria!

Sophie Takes Hold of My Hands

Right
in front
of everyone--
sending supersonic shockwaves all through me.

And we just sit here,
grinning at each other like Muppets,
knees pressed together under the table,
eyes locked . . .

Until the bell rings.
'Check, please,' I call,
snapping my fingers at an imaginary waiter.
This makes Sophie laugh.

And the sound of that laugh,
and knowing that I'm the one who made it happen,
makes me feel sort of all-powerful,
indestructible,

immortal even. (9)

Then another great opportunity is handed to him. He is chosen to be part of a select group of high school artists to audit a college-level art class taught at Harvard! Suddenly, Robin is transformed. He's no longer 'Murphy'--dork and loser extraordinaire--he's a talented and respected artist. His classmates like him and include him. He's part of something. It feels wonderful to shed his 'outsider' persona each week even if it is only for a few hours. It gives him hope that there is life outside of high school that can be welcoming and inclusive.

Robin's life becomes a balancing act. He feels wonderful when he's alone with Sophie. He feels wonderful when he's in his Harvard class. But he's still got to come back down to earth each day in high school. The kids are treating him--and Sophie--horribly. There are the drawings on the chalkboard. There is the name-calling. There is the writing on the bathroom walls. There is the humiliation of the cafeteria. But Sophie is determined to not let anyone break them up. With her fearless slogan of "Outlaws Rule," they are tackling the school bullies together as a team.

Can Robin and Sophie handle the stress of being outlaws? Will the conflicts bring them closer together or drive them further apart? Can Sophie really adjust to being an outcast? Or will missing her old friends put a wedge in their relationship?

In Sonya Sones sequel to What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know, she continues to tell the relationship between Sophie and Murphy. Robin is an honest and vulnerable narrator whose voice resonates with readers.

It will be published in June 2007.

http://www.sonyasones.com/