How we cite our quotes: (Poem Title, Stanza)
Quote #1
My mom gave a detailed run-down of his varied bad habits.
[…]
I promised. Swore. Crossed my heart. Recited the DARE pledge verbatim. (My Mom Will Tell You.9-11)
If you want proof that Kristina didn't go to Albuquerque intending to get hooked on drugs, here it is. She went through all the right anti-drug classes and learned all the right pledges, and yet it still happened.
Quote #2
In school, I was never confronted with drugs, surely never sought them out. But I wasn't exactly clueless. As I watched, one thing became obvious. Where the party went, my dad followed. (I Even Spent Time at the Bowling Alley.5)
There's no getting around the fact that Kristina's dad is largely to blame for her introduction to the monster. He's the one standing between her previous life, in which she's not particularly interested in drugs, and her decision to become part of the party.
Quote #3
Been smoking pot since I was 13, couldn't quit if I tried. Besides, why try? It keeps me happy, mellow. Makes me eat too much, but oh well. (He Hadn't Changed At All.2)
Kristina's dad's description of his various bad habits does a nice job of showing how impressionable kids left to their own devices can become lifelong followers of drugs. We don't know much about his side of Kristina's family, but it's probably safe to say that his dad was unavailable in much the same way he was for his daughter.