What bothers Annie most about her changing body is her mother's attitude toward her is changing right along with it. For example, her mother began to tell her matching clothes are not such a good idea anymore. Her mother also starts pressuring Annie into becoming more of a lady. She even sends Annie to etiquette and piano classes to help her prepare for womanhood. Annie is kicked out for misbehaving, which infuriates her mother so much she turn her back to Annie. Annie exclaims, "What a new thing this was for me: my mother's back turned on me in disgust." (2.16) Another example would be when she walked in and found her parents having sex. Annie gets jealous because her father is getting all the attention now. She has made the decision that her mother may never touch her again because her hands are tainted by sex. This is when their relationship takes a turn for the worst and she starts to see her in a different light. While she is not receiving attention from her mother, she is receiving it from someone else.
The more Annie's relationship with her mother disappears, the more she clung to other people. Gwen, her best friend, is a perfect example. Gwen was the first person to speak to her on her first day of school. Annie automatically clings to Gwen, "Now she told me that her name was Gweneth Joseph. [] It may have been in that moment that we fell in love." (3.16) Annie found "love" in Gwen. She was trying to replace that love she was not receiving from her mother.
Annie's view on life shifts after meeting "the Red Girl", a rebellious girl who was free and followed no one. The Red Girl was everything Annie was not. She climbs trees, takes showers every other day and wears rags because that is what she wants to do. She became so fascinated by this girl, she began to lie, disobey and steal in order to please her. She saw a different side of herself that she never knew she had.
