"You Don't Even Know Me" by Sharon G. Flake

(Keep in mind that I didn't have to do the timeline since my books chapters weren't related at all, therefore it wouldn't work.)

Chapters 1-3

Ch. 1: You Don’t Even Know Me

This novel starts off with a poem written by a teenage boy talking about his life and how people don’t notice him as much as he’d like them too. To other people, he feels like “just another black boy, A threatening scary sight.” He longs for people to recognize him one day, and to know his name. “Nothing can ever stop me” he says, for he believes he’s the only person that determines how to live his life and where he’ll be in the future; despite what anybody else says or thinks.

Ch. 2: Scared To Death
A young 16 year old boy named Tow-Kaye is standing at an alter about to get married to a girl named Cindella. Tow-Kaye was sick to his stomach and having second thoughts but went along with the marriage anyway. He had gotten her pregnant and in two months he would be a dad. After the wedding reception was over, the newly wed couple rode in a limousine to the after party along with Cindella's parents. On the way there, tensions got heated between Cindella's mom and Tow-Kaye, so they pulled over to a park where Tow-Kaye and Cindella's dad had a tear felt, heart to heart conversation about the wedding and how the boy felt about his daughter. Afterwards, Tow-Kaye felt better about the marriage and was happy to be Cindella's husband.

Ch. 3: Just Say It
This short poem talks about a boy who's in love with a girl and he says that loving her makes him a man since "a boy who never learns to love will never be a man." 

Chapters 4-6

Ch. 4: Gettin' Even

A young boy is running from a guy named Marvin (who has a knife) after asking if he killed his grandfather. He gets away and finally makes it to his grandparents house where he talks to a boy named kareem. After he talks to Kareem, he gets in an argument with his grandma about keeping there candy store running where his grandpa was shot at. Since his grandpa died, the boy has been trying to find the killer but nobody is talking. Later that night, Kareem Who is nine years old comes by to talk to the boy and a seven year old boy named Llee also arrives. the three talk about the store and the shooting. Later on when the boy is walking down the street, Kareem runs up to him and hands him a paper bag with a gun inside, which he took without his father knowing. Even though The boy wants to kill whoever shot his grandfather, he tells Kareem's dad about the gun and he takes it back. 

Ch. 5: People Might Not Understand

A poem talks about a person becoming president and what he will do when he is. He says "pampers and cable TV will be free, And houses in the hood will look like the ones on HGTV."

Ch. 6: Fakin' It

A teenage boy Wakes up to the sound of his aunt Philomena telling him to get out of her house after being there for only a year. The two get into a scuffle over the boy not wanting to get out of bed but eventually he does and starts to pack his bags while insulting his aunt in the process. He has no idea why he's being kicked out of her house, but he was kicked out of his fathers house and possibly a few others before so no he's used to it. His aunt lives in a fancy house in a nice neighborhood after winning six million dollars in a lottery. The boys mom left him, his father didn't care about him, so he basically raised himself and is now 16. He has many bad habits yet asks himself what went wrong. He goes down stairs, grabs a knife, and makes his aunt nervous but eventually he casts it aside. He asks if he can stay but is kicked out anyway.

Chapters 7-10

Ch. 7: Dying Before I'm Done

A boy talks about his life so far and what he plans to do, that way people know a little about him in case he gets killed. He talks about how he's a loyal Dependable friend, how he polishes his moms toes on Mothers Day, and that he wants to play chess instead of drinking wine.

Ch. 8: Sixteen

"My ride My boys My game My girl My world" is the entire poem.

Ch. 9: Fat Man Walking

An eleven and-a-half year old boy named Harvey is walking down the sidewalk with his 520 pound father on a very hot day. They were going to buy Harvey a $180 pair of new shoes that Harvey's dad had saved up for. They decide to get pizza at a near by restaurant and people continue to give them weird looks. Harvey is adopted but he loves his dad very much. After they finish eating, Harvey leaves his dad behind and runs to the store to look for his sneakers. When his dad still hasn't shown up, he leaves the store and finds out his dad nearly passed out because of the heat. people eventually come help them out and they get in a car to drive over and get the shoes.

Ch. 10: Stuck With Me

A boy is going through puberty and recalls how he's not good at basketball, girls don't want anything to do with him, he has braces, he thinks life is unfair and he feels alone in it all.

Chapters 11-14

Ch. 11: The same Old Thing

A persons father works late each night, kisses his wife, makes a microwavable meal, and repeats the process all over again the next day.

Ch. 12: Don't Read This

A young boy talks about contemplating suicide in a diary, and says he wants to kill himself on Christmas since that's his favorite holiday. He tries to be perfect like his brother Justin, who committed suicide a while back and hates it. A lot of his brothers things are in a closet that his family cant manage to clear out no matter how much they want to. The boy is depressed and word is starting to spread around school that he might kill himself. His parents become more concerned about him. A girl named Sheryl Mitchell calls him out of the blue and asks if and when he's going to kill himself and to tell her before he does it so that she can put it on her blog. He continuously talks about a astronomy club teacher named Mr. E and mentions how he hurt his brother Justin. eventually he feels better and wonders why he wanted to kill himself.

Ch. 13: Messages

A short poem talks about a girl a person likes and what he likes about her. How some girls text him and get mad when he doesn't text back. Then he talks about his first kiss.

Ch. 14: I'm Not Supposed To

A person describes how he's not supposed  to love a girl but he does anyways. He wonders why people think they aren't right for each other and wonders if their views will change over time. However, he doesn't care what other people think and continues to love her.

Chapters 15-18

Ch. 15: Girls Make You Weak

A 17 year old boy named Tyler who is in the eleventh grade, loves girls, but not just any girls... he likes the beautiful ones. He has incredibly good looks and attractive blue eyes and a lot of girls like him. He says girls play around too much but he plays as well, especially when it comes to a girl named Celeste who's the only girl he's ever loved. She plays games with him and he hates them but he does it back in order to be with her. They eventually kiss but he leaves after a while with another girl named Angelina.

Ch. 16: look

Talks about a boy who is self absorbed in his appearance and wants people to look at him because he thinks he's very attractive.

Ch. 17: Chocolate Cinnamon Beige

A guy has a girl that he loves and will do anything for and calls her his "Chocolate Cinnamon Beige-colored boo"

Ch. 18: Infected

A boy named La'Ron is writing a letter to his uncle who lives in New York. The boy used to live in Erie and he was a good kid but when his uncle let him stay with him in New York he began to make bad habits. He describes how his life changed while living there and he began to try everything. He says he was at a party when he slept with a girl and later on she called him and told him she had HIV. He's scared he'll get aid's and says " My body never could fight off things the way other people's could." His Uncle writes back saying he still loves him and their family will get through it together. He regrets only talking to La'Ron once about sex and not doing a very good job at it and he feels responsible for him getting the disease. He talks about being angry at La'Ron for getting HIV and wonders why it had to happen to his family. His Uncle says he wants La'Ron to stay in New York since they have some of the best hospitals in the country and says they need to tell La'Rons parents. He says how treatment is not going to be easy, but they have HIV help groups available and his family will help him through it.

Chapters 19-22

Ch. 19: So She's White

A boy has a girlfriend who is white and despite what everyone thinks, he still likes her just the way she is. He's not going to pay any attention to what anyone else says.

Ch. 20: My Hood

Its a hot day in North Philadelphia with a boy who is thirteen, his siblings and his stepdad who is a cop and married his mom last year. His house doesn't have an air conditioner since his step dad is cheap and his parents are saving up to buy a new house soon. A boy named Elliott comes by their house during the day with fire works and makes the boy nervous since Elliott burnt his own house down with a lighter. An ambulance and two fire trucks drive by and Elliot wants to see where there going. The boy drops his siblings off at his cousin Danka's and him and Elliott sneak onto a public bus. Eventually the bus catches on fire and The two boys are forced to get off. they walk through a neighborhood and see a guy counting huge stacks of money on his front porch. Elliot goes and talks to the guy but when the guy pulls out a shank, the two boys run away down the block. They jump into a random families swimming pool and get chased by a pit bull. Afterwards both boys find a pool party to join, talk to some girls, and get in a tussle with a big 20 year old man who's swimming in the pool. They talk to a girl named Raven who they both find attractive then eventually leave. Elliott and the boy part ways and when he gets home, the boys father is mad at him for leaving his sisters and going away from the house.

Ch. 21: Words to The World

Talks about a persons little sister whom he loves and calls her the "Beauty of the world".

Ch. 22: I Apologize

A person who is African American apologizes to his brother who is also the same race, for being different then he is and acting "white" even though he's black. He says his brother should apologize as well for making fun of him about it. They are both "Still trying to understand and forgive one another."

Chapters 23-25

Ch. 23: Pretty Mothers Are A Problem

A fifteen year old boy is helping a girl and her mom move into their new apartment building. The girls name is Ashlee and Her moms name is Aretha and she looks about 32 years old. Aretha is very attractive and the boy finds himself liking her. While the boy is helping the two move into their house, he gets a vibe from Aretha that makes him feel like she likes him. While helping her get down a glass punch bowl, the two kissed and Ashlee saw it. Ashlee and her mom got in a fight about it and the boys mom came in the house and asked what was going on but none of them sad anything. Later on Aretha stops talking to the boy but one day when his mom leaves the house and Ashlee isn't around he talks to Aretha on her porch. The chapter ends by hinting that he and Aretha are about to get down and dirty in a sexual way.

Ch. 24: Open Your Eye's

"When you see me, See me. It's the least you can do." Is the entire chapter.

Ch. 25: If You Need To Talk To Someone

This chapter consists of various help lines if your thinking about suicide, have an unplanned pregnancy, Have HIV/AIDS, need help about sexual abuse, or violence going on at home.

(Keep in mind that I didn't have to do the timeline since my books chapters weren't related at all therefore it wouldn't work.)