The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School: Chapters 6–12

by Sonora Reyes
Sixteen-year-old Yamilet Flores is a queer Mexican-American girl who navigates Catholic school and first love while learning to be authentic to herself.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–12, Chapters 13–17, Chapters 18–27
30 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. procure
    get by special effort
    THOU SHALT PROCURE A
 PSEUDO SUITOR
  2. accordance
    concurrence or agreement of opinion
    In accordance with the unspoken rule, I didn’t pry.
  3. prompt
    something designed to elicit a response from a student
    I switch to an art assignment that requires less thinking. The prompt is “insecurity.”
  4. compartmentalize
    keep separate; separate into isolated categories
    I can present compartmentalized versions of myself to each person I know, and no one needs to know about my undercover identity.
  5. humble
    of low birth or station
    “What did we humble peasants do to deserve your company?”
  6. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    He gives me a subtle half smile.
  7. wavelength
    a way of thinking or coming to mutual understanding
    There’s an art to telepathic communication. Cesar and I are on the same wavelength, so he gets my secret message: huh?
  8. bigotry
    intolerance and prejudice
    I think about telling him I’d rid it of homophobia, racism, and all other forms of bigotry.
  9. insignificant
    devoid of importance, meaning, or force
    I can’t tell if he rolled his eyes because my thing was so insignificant compared to his, or if he actually thinks the concept is stupid.
  10. abstract
    not representing or imitating external reality
    There’s an abstract rainbow mural covering two of the walls, while the other walls are littered with drawings and paintings.
  11. epitome
    a standard or typical example
    She’s just so old-fashioned. The epitome of an Overprotective, Old-School, God-Fearing Mexican™.
  12. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    Cesar doesn’t admit to his lies, even if he’s about to be caught up. Instead, he comes up with elaborate ways to cover his tracks.
  13. meme
    an amusing image that spreads rapidly through social media
    For a second, I feel like that meme of the white lady with all the math equations behind her.
  14. conventional
    conforming with accepted standards
    It’s not like I don’t know Hunter is conventionally attractive.
  15. faze
    disturb the composure of
    She stares at Jamal for two excruciatingly long seconds. He pretends not to be fazed, but he has to be.
  16. coax
    carefully manipulate, adjust, or bring to a desired state
    “We got it, Mami,” I say as I gently coax the soapy plate from her hands like it’s a bomb only I can defuse.
  17. relinquish
    do without or cease to hold or adhere to
    She sighs and relinquishes control before sitting on the barstool on the other side of the sink.
  18. appeal
    attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
    I’m not that into spoken-word poetry, but I see the appeal. The rhythm of the words feels like music without having too much going on.
  19. resonate
    evoke or suggest a strong meaning or belief
    Some of the lines really resonate, so I snap my fingers along to Jamal’s voice, and I find my head bobbing with the rhythm of the words.
  20. smitten
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    Jamal and I spend the next half hour pretending to be all smitten. We fake-laugh and hold hands and eat off each other’s plates, even though I don’t like his food.
  21. generic
    having no special or distinctive characteristics; unoriginal
    Regardless of skill level, drawing every inch of Bo’s face makes it really hard not to get caught up admiring her, so I take my time drawing the lines and circles that make up every generic face before I finally have to really look at her.
  22. hype
    blatant or sensational promotion
    The uniforms take the fun out of Halloween, so the hype for homecoming is a million times stronger. Public homecoming proposals are now a regular occurrence.
  23. mangle
    alter so as to make unrecognizable
    I don’t know this guy, and he kind of mangles my name.
  24. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    He’s in David’s uniform, sweating profusely.
  25. wallow
    devote oneself entirely to something
    The bass of the party music pulls me out of my wallowing.
  26. sustainable
    capable of being prolonged
    I pretend I don’t hear him and walk straight to the car, where Cesar and Jamal are already waiting. It’s not the most sustainable method of avoidance, but it’s working for now.
  27. unintelligible
    poorly articulated or enunciated, or drowned by noise
    His cheeks are completely stuffed with marshmallows, but that doesn’t stop Cesar from shoving another one in his mouth. Jamal says something unintelligible, then starts laughing.
  28. logistics
    supplying an operation with labor and materials as needed
    There’s no time to be sad if I focus on logistics.
  29. morbid
    suggesting an unhealthy mental state
    “What’s the point of having a dream job when tomorrow’s never guaranteed?” Cesar asks, and it surprises me a bit. It’s kind of a morbid thought for Cesar.
  30. backfire
    return with an undesired effect
    “You told him?” I glare at Cesar.
    “There’s no secrets here.” Cesar gives Jamal these annoying big googly eyes. “He’s my other me.” Who knew “in lak’ech” would backfire on me?
Created on Sat Nov 05 10:09:27 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Nov 18 17:20:53 EST 2022)

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