Diary of a Young GirlAfter her mother's tragic death, Shayla is left to navigate her teenage years with little help from her neglectful, playboy father. Used and abused by the adults around her, Shayla makes some risky choices, taking a job as a waitress in one of Harlem's top strip clubs before she's even of legal age. She makes ends meet by running scams on unsuspecting patrons, but her luck soon runs out when she is raped and left for dead one night after work. Confused and scared, Shayla concocts a lie that leads to an arrest. A man is convicted and sent to prison for the crime, though he insists he's innocent. Shayla goes about putting her life back together, and with the help of a great mentor, she makes some big changes. Now a graduate of Howard University, she's ready to begin a new career and put her old life far behind her—until an unexpected twist turns everything upside down. New DNA evidence leads the court to reopen the rape case, and Shayla will be forced to confront the lies that she told. Will she ever be truly free from the ugly demons of her past? |
Contents
Chapter Five Do As I SayNot As I | |
Chapter Six Kiss and Tell | |
Chapter Seven Drastic ActionsDrastic Measures | |
Chapter Eight A Queens Thing | |
Chapter Ten Aint No Party Like an Underground Party | |
Chapter Eleven Ho Drama | |
Chapter Fourteen The Chant | |
Chapter Fifteen Still Lying | |
Chapter Twentythree The Witness Stand | |
Chapter Twentyfour Kwame | |
Chapter Twentysix School Daze | |
Chapter Twentyseven D E Shaw | |
Chapter Twentynine Real Power | |
Epilogue | |
Common terms and phrases
ain’t Andrea Angie Antonio Reid asked Aunt Tanisha baby Bacardi basement bathroom began believe bitch blood type Boswell can’t chicks condoms courtroom Daddy damn dance detective dick didn’t say district attorney dollars door drink dude Earl Earl’s Eddie Murphy everything eyes face father feel felt fuck girl gonna gotta gotten grabbed hand happened heart hell Howard University hugged Jessica Joyce Juanita jury Kenya kick kiss kitchen knew Kwame laughing liquor living looked masturbating minute mouth movie never nigga night nodded my head Okay outta paused phone number Pink Chocolate pussy raped remember replied Rory screamed sex clients sexual Shayla shit shook my head smiled Sonia started stay fly strip club sure talking Tara tears tell thing thought told tongue kissing trying turned walked wanna wanted What’s Yeah yelled