I'd Rather Burn Than Bloom: Chapters 7–11

by Shannon C.F. Rogers
After her mother dies in a car accident, sixteen-year-old Marisol Martin angrily spins out of control and ends up with other suspended and expelled students in the Albuquerque school system's version of a juvenile detention center.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapter 19–Epilogue
40 words 16 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    His face, ashen, next to me as I came into consciousness in a hospital bed after having my stomach pumped.
  2. incense
    a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
    Oh no, the one that sells crystals and incense and no good chips?
  3. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    She sits casually at the steering wheel, as if she didn’t actually get her driver’s license yesterday, but ten years ago, or in a previous life.
  4. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    Elizabeth will now assume that I do know what Charlie’s is, since I didn’t ask, and as a result, she’s probably going to continue to talk about it.
  5. intrigue
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
    I duck down low as we turn in to follow them, and Elizabeth laughs at me.
    “Such intrigue,” she says, grinning.
  6. crafty
    marked by skill in deception
    “Damn these crafty crust punks,” Elizabeth says. “They must have just cut through and gone out that way.”
  7. awol
    absent without leave
    Soon it will collapse into inky night all at once, and my dad is probably losing his mind that I went AWOL.
  8. litigious
    inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree
    “I am suing the district,” Dad says again.
    Bernie and I exchange a look.
    “So litigious all of a sudden,” Bernie says.
  9. warily
    in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    This is his version of a hug. He does it with Bernie only.
    We both stare at him warily.
  10. arroyo
    a stream or brook
    I cut through the park and over the bridge, the concrete arroyo beneath it bone-dry and waiting, waiting for a flash flood.
  11. confirmation
    sacrament admitting a person to participation in the church
    At confirmation, we picked saint names. We accepted the wine and the body of Christ side by side.
  12. incorporate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
    “I could do a martial arts demonstration,” Kyle Holtzman, who is white, says.
    Tes hesitates for a fraction of a second with her marker. “I’m sure that’s something that we could incorporate.”
  13. diplomatic
    marked by tact in dealing with sensitive matters or people
    Tes is probably going to be president one day or something. She is very diplomatic.
  14. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    Yvonne crosses her arms and tucks a long blond tendril behind her ear expectantly.
  15. imperceptibly
    in a manner that is difficult to discern
    My voice is like glass breaking, and I hate the sound of it, but when I see her nod, almost imperceptibly, I go on.
  16. mesa
    flat tableland with steep edges
    I continue shaking my head and staring out the window at the dusty mesa and yellow flowering shrubs rolling by.
  17. elaborate
    add details to clarify an idea
    “As you may recall, I have three sisters, all witches.”
    “Like literally?”
    “You’ll see.”
    As we approach her place, she elaborates—there’s Karina and Janelle, the twins, who are freshmen, and Rebecca, who is a senior.
  18. xeriscape
    conserve water by gardening with drought-resistant plants
    A yucca tree towers in the middle of an elaborately xeriscaped yard.
  19. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Cash is scuttling and sliding all over the place and barking at me as I remove my shoes.
  20. curate
    select and present content or information
    It matches the house, in a way, with clean lines and a curated color palette.
  21. vanity
    low table with a mirror where one sits while dressing
    Elizabeth picks up her phone and taps away on it, and after a moment music begins to spill out of a white speaker on her vanity, which is littered with makeup brushes, nail polish, and earrings with lost partners.
  22. discernible
    perceptible by the senses or intellect
    They are organized by color, the only thing in the room arranged by any discernible system that I can detect.
  23. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    “Elizabeth,” Mrs. Parker prompts.
    Elizabeth gives her mother a salute.
  24. faltering
    unsteady in speech or action
    “I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Parker says, faltering.
  25. devoid
    completely wanting or lacking
    The words come out detached, devoid of any meaning, like I could have said in a mailbox or on the moon.
  26. straw poll
    an unofficial vote taken to determine opinion on some issue
    “Straw poll,” Elizabeth says. “Do you think that Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s best play or his worst play?”
  27. rogue
    disposed to or engaged in defiance of authority or rules
    “Just here to collect my daughter,” he says, not warm but not cold, either, gesturing at me with his chin. “She’s gone rogue.”
  28. sage
    having wisdom that comes with experience
    Always telling Mom to relax and just chill when we were fighting, like he was some kind of sage peacemaker, but it was just because he couldn’t deal with it.
  29. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    The questions, the incessant, probing questions.
  30. plume
    anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness
    When I sketch this one out, I try to capture the fine dirt under our feet first. How it rises in plumes under my dad’s sneakers.
  31. impose
    inflict something unpleasant
    “Are you sure you’re not imposing on the Parkers too much?” Dad asks. “You were just there.”
  32. rescind
    cancel officially
    He nods, but I feel him watching as I run down my driveway before Dad can change his mind and rescind his permission.
  33. turmoil
    violent agitation
    My mouth is dry.
    “Let’s get a drink,” Elizabeth says, reading my mind again and yet oblivious to the source of my inner turmoil.
  34. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    “Are you ready to dissect a cow eyeball next week in A and P?”
    I run my tongue over my teeth nervously in case something is stuck there. I clear my throat.
    “How can one ever truly prepare for such an ordeal?”
  35. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    The thought of the impending cow eyeball dissection in Anatomy and Physiology class has been filling me with dread and disgust.
  36. offset
    compensate for or counterbalance
    The thought of the impending cow eyeball dissection in Anatomy and Physiology class has been filling me with dread and disgust. Almost enough to offset the thrill I get from staring at the back of your head, I think.
  37. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
    I glance around, hoping I look cool and aloof, while Elizabeth and Joel start talking about a band they want to go see next weekend.
  38. cummerbund
    a broad pleated sash worn at the waist with a tuxedo
    I don’t even really like looking at this dude, not even in biology, when he’s wearing normal clothes, and even less so now that he’s wearing this ridiculous jewel-toned cummerbund.
  39. deference
    a courteous expression of esteem or regard
    Joel gives me a little bow, in deference.
  40. abstract
    not representing or imitating external reality
    I try to pick something harder, something more abstract.
Created on Sat Jun 01 10:40:49 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Jun 02 12:24:22 EDT 2024)

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