title: First You Laugh, Then You Cry
author: Anderson, Carey
description: The girl of many names is mostly known as Nellie. Nellie traumatically goes from Riches to Rags. Her mother instills in her the idea that unless a man has money he has nothing. This one fatal value cost Nellie so much. Like her mother she demands to be the center of attention at all times; thanks to her pretty face normally she is. When she meets D, she is stunned to find that he’s not interested in her; and he would rather the company of her lesser in every way best friend. Nellie is determined to win D’s heart and she stops at nothing to run from the pain of her life and focus her happiness on one day being the girl on D’s arm. Kendra has a pretty standard childhood, loving mother and father, wonderful siblings. Until one day her father decides that he wants something different and he leaves behind the comforts of his family to find his own happiness. Kendra watches her mother try to keep things together and she decides to do her part to help out her family. Meanwhile she catches the attention of young Darryl who initially seems to be just a silly guy to her. She eventually learns about his big heart, and that he has a certain way that he sees the humor in everything to survive and maintain. What she doesn’t know about, is the competition that her best friend has waged with her for Darryl’s heart.