Story of a Girl Chapter 2 Summary

  • Deanna started writing stories about the surfer girl when her English teacher, Mr. North, suggested his class keep journals.
  • Everybody else thought it was lame, but Deanna was hooked—as Deanna says, "Personal feelings I didn't want to feel, I gave to her" (2.6).
  • Guess what? The girl in the stories is nostalgic for better days with her dad.
  • Lee's been in Santa Barbara with her family, but she's back, so she gives Deanna a call.
  • Deanna invites Lee to go with her to Beach Front (the part of Pacifica that's on the beach) to fill out job applications.
  • Lee wants to go to the donut shop first, because she's been donut-deprived in Santa Barbara.
  • Deanna gets dressed and goes down to the basement to chill with Stacy and April for a minute.
  • April's just awakened from her nap, and Stacy's digging through a pile of clean laundry trying to find a onesie.
  • Deanna recalls how Stacy and her friend Corvette Kim used to be so cool, back when they and Darren were seniors and Deanna was a freshman (which was just a year ago.)
  • Now Stacy's all Teen Mom, living in a basement with nothing but pictures of lighthouses on the wall, and fighting with Deanna's dad all the time.
  • Deanna says she's off to look for jobs, and Stacy suggests Deanna wait until she can hook her up with a job where she works, Safeway.
  • Deanna's not interested. That's way too long to wait, and she's ready to bust out of there.
  • Deanna and Lee meet at the donut shop, eat some donuts, and go to apply for jobs. Deanna applies at Picasso's Pizza, a seriously skuzzy establishment with no customers.
  • Nevertheless, Michael, the manager, offers her twenty-five hours a week at minimum wage—he says he could use someone else just in case it gets busy.
  • Deanna goes outside and tells Lee, who thinks it's pretty sweet that Deanna will get free pizza.
  • Jason and Lee invite Deanna out that night, so she goes… at least it's better than listening to Stacy and her dad fight.
  • They go to a swank mall near San Francisco and Jason and Lee act all coupley. Deanna gets jealous; she also tells them she's moving out with Darren and Stacy.
  • Back at home that night, Deanna's writing more stories about the girl and her dad when Darren comes home.
  • He gives her a speech about getting out of Pacifica, going to college, and not ending up working at Safeway like him. Deanna blows him off, since she's got two more years of school.
  • Stacy calls Darren for a ride home, which he goes to give her since they've only got one car. He invites Deanna to come down to the basement and watch David Letterman with him when he gets back.