Management in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Management in Nursing - Essay Example Absenteeism and turnover negatively impacts on the healthcare organization’s bottom line in several ways, which include reduced quality of patient care, enhanced contingent staff costs, enhanced staffing costs, loss of patients, and enhanced accident rates. Costs may stem from replacement costs associated with the turnover. Turnover will require hiring replacement staff, which incorporates recruitment costs ranging from advertisement placement, and costs flowing from payments to employment agencies. Absenteeism may as well have an indirect cost implication as the new recruits will require training in the facility’s policies and work procedures. The higher the turnover level, the more training  required, and subsequently the higher the training costs that the organization incurs. Similarly, the recruits’ unfamiliarity with the organization’s policies and procedures may render them less efficient and less productive (Rowland and Rowland 1997, p.533). Furth ermore, high rates of absenteeism and turnover may yield extensive periods of understaffing; the â€Å"short† staffing conditions may force the existing staff to work overtime, which is comparatively more expensive. High absenteeism and turnover rates could be detrimental to patient’s health and wellbeing owing to disruption in continuity of care and personal relationships between nurses and patients. While it may be essential to highlight that low levels of turnover may be beneficial as they mirror the adjustment of an organization to its workforce and vice versa, extensive absenteeism and turnover is costly, as well as disruptive to the organization’s functioning. # 2 Providing privacy for patients is an important consideration for health service planner and providers. What factors should be considered in regard to privacy when providing nursing care? Medical privacy is an essential consideration for health service providers as it influences practice. Individu als may avoid treatment in case they are not confident that the information about them will remain confidential. Similarly, patients who seek treatment may withhold critical information out of concern for privacy. Patients have reportedly engaged in behaviors fashioned at protecting their privacy such as avoiding their regular doctor, requesting the healthcare personnel not to record their health information, or â€Å"fudging† diagnosis (paying out of pocket in order not to file insurance). This may be detrimental as it may prevent patients from receiving full and appropriate treatment (Douglas, et al. 2009, p.257). Guaranteeing privacy may remedy these concerns, besides promoting effective communication between physicians and patients, enhancing autonomy, and averting economic harm, discrimination, and embarrassment. In an institutional setting, healthcare professionals (in this case nurses) may be anxious on matters regarding privacy and confidentiality as they have an obli gation (moral) to protect the rights of patients entrusted to their care. This duty heralds patient-nurse relationship as one of the supporting factors that should be considered. There are a several factors that apply with regard to privacy when availing nursing care such as individuality and diversity, as individuals have their own distinct values, attitudes, beliefs and preferences. The most significant factors supporting privacy hinge on social

Determining the Perfect Position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Determining the Perfect Position - Essay Example Reference is made to leadership theories, as applied in social and business life internationally. Personal leadership approach is presented and evaluated in order to decide which would be the position in which I would perform more successfully, that is which would be my Perfect Position in the workplace. Different approaches have been developed in the literature for explaining the decisions of leaders. These approaches are based on different social or economic conditions. This means that the leadership style of each individual is unique; still, it seems that similarities in regard to the leadership styles of individuals cannot be avoided. The leadership style of people worldwide is evaluated using different criteria. According to Northouse (2009) the leadership style of an individual can be judged by referring to the level at which the particular individual ‘concerns for people or performs in regard to the production process’ (Northouse 2009, p.73). The above leadership approach is incorporated in the ‘Leadership Grid model’ (Northouse 2009, p.73) and includes five different leadership styles, such as ‘the authority-compliance and the team management’ (Northouse 2009, p.73). In the context of the Vroom-Jago Leadership model, there are five different leadership styles, depending on ‘the potentials of a leader’s subordinates to participate in key activities’ (Hellriegel and Slocum 2007, p.225). From a similar point of view, DuBrin (2008) emphasizes on the differentiation between the participative and the authoritarian leadership styles; the first allows subordi nates to participate in the decision making process while the second reflects the power of the leader to decide alone, i.e. without being influenced by the views of his subordinates (DuBrin 2008, p.348). On the other hand, Wright (2009) noted that leadership styles could be divided into six major categories: ‘visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Personal Statement Example Plato expected that the ruling class should use its knowledge to make the society better. My consciousness of these basic aspects of education has inspired and directed how I percieve and use my talents and qualities, for personal development and to have a positive impact on my immediate society. At the college level is when I became conscious of the role played by education in my personal and professional developed. I developed a wide readership in philosophy of education with the aim of answering the question of why I was pursuing education apart from the fact that it promised me a comfortable future. As a result of exposure on various theories within philosophy of education, I realized that I could use my interests and abilities as guidance in pursuing education. I have always been conscious of trade offs and opportunity cost whenever I am faced with a situation that requires choice between multiple alternatives. For instance, faced with the dilemma to choose athletics or chess as an extracurricualr I opted for atheltics. I did not just choose atheltics haphazardly, but I realized that school was already too demanding and I needed physcial fitness for my personal health. Athletics could give me the relief from the stresses and pressure of academic work, I could meet perso ns with different interests and I would also boost my health. I have since been a dedicated member of the sprint team. Athletics is very demandind and requires discpline and team work spirit. I have been able to nurture these qualities and am certain that I have made significant progress. I also decided to join the Economics club because it creates the forum for students to disucss not only to expound on issues disucssed in class but also to invite professionals in the Economic field for motivation and advice. The Economics club has allowed me to discover the connection between theory and practice. Through the forums, I have benefitted in undertsanding the economics dynamics at

The Nice Guy Essay Example for Free

The Nice Guy Essay Maybe he’ll say he’s ? nally ready to pass me the baton. out a way to ? nalize the data. Who was helping you out, Lynne or Aaron? †¦ Neither? Ugh. All right, all right. Call me when you’re on your way in to the of? ce, OK? See ya. † [Hangs up. ] Damn. This totally messes up my morning. Now I’ll have to try to hack my way through the spreadsheet before the meeting. I can’t imagine what it’s like taking care of a parent with a terminal illness. How awful. But Lisa’s really slipping. She was such a go-getter and a great operations manager, but her focus has been shot since her mother got sick. Instead, he was starting a â€Å"new media† company. The notion of leaving a great job at TRH and joining his team was the furthest thing from my mind, yet the crazy guy pitched me so hard I couldn’t resist. And he was right. He knew that companies would need a strategic partner that could provide creative ideas in all media – print, radio, TV, and â€Å"that information superhighway I keep hearing about. †Daner was going to be that partner. We’ve had our ups and downs, but it’s been an incredible ride. Up from ? ve people to over a hundred, a client list that boasts some of the biggest companies in the world. And the best part is, it’s just the beginning. Larry is still a tiger, but he’s getting a bit tired and wants to golf. I can’t blame him for that. It’s de? nitely time for him to retire. Lately I could swear he’s been doing the nudge-nudge, winkwink in my direction. George thinks he’s in the running too, but I think he’ll be cool with reporting to me. Wonder: Once I’m CEO, should I put George in charge of our European expansion? A footprint in Europe will make us even more indispensable to our clients. It will make us a global leader, not just a domestic shop. George has done well under Larry for the past two years. He was pretty psyched about his promotion to VP of business development. He’s great on the technical end of things, but he still needs more polish and experience with customers. He is feisty, though–always willing to take on anything. And he’ll challenge Larry at the drop of a hat. I’m surprised Larry puts up with it and doesn’t chop him off at the knees. Still, when it comes to people, Larry can really be so hard-nosed. His take- no-prisoners attitude is understandable when bidding on business but not when it comes to people. Like when Larry said Lisa’s become a liability lately; he even hinted about replacing her. Ugh. Lay off Lisa? I can barely think the words, let alone say them to her. She’s always been my right arm. She usually knows what I’m thinking even before I do. Sure, Jim or Andrea could eventually handle the role of operations manager, but there’s a steep learning curve. Note to self: Have another heart-to-heart with Lisa to discuss the possibility of reducing her workload for a while–or maybe see how she’d feel about taking a leave of absence that would let her focus on her mom. I really want the old Lisa back. 7:38 AM Passing Edgewater Park on the Shoreway This traf? c is ridiculous. If I leave by 6:00, I’m golden. But if I wait until after 6:30 to wake Sheila and the kids on my way out, I’m hosed. At least today I get to see an amazing sunrise. Bonus. Man, I could jog faster than this. I remember all those brainstorming jogs with Larry along the lake. It was great to compare notes and talk about the future. For an old guy, he did pretty well – up until his heart attack three years ago. I almost lost it last week when he said that he was going to start jogging again – and he’s aiming to run the Boston Marathon in April. Please, Larry, stick with golf and sailing! It’ll be fun to blow him away with the strategy and the numbers. It’s been a ton of work preparing for this, but now we’re ready. We can mobilize quickly once he gives us the green light. I’m a little surprised that he’s stayed away from our recent planning sessions. I thought he’d want to provide some feedback and direction. Perhaps it’s his way of pulling back and empowering me before handing me the reins. So, the million-dollar question is: What will he say? I think I know the answer. He’ll love the bottom line–that he can golf and sail as much as he wants. He’ll like his new chairman-only role so that he can step away from the dayharvard business review Between you and me, I’m not totally ruling out compromise, but you need to push back. Remind them how much business we’ve given them over the years, and remember we’re talking about a big chunk of change here. Besides, they should have caught the mistake. You can do this, Justin. Keep me posted. † I can’t believe this. More problems? Abbe Printing had to redo the whole thing because of their mistake, and now that rep Randy is trying to convince Justin that Daner should split the cost of the reprint with them? Forget it! I can’t stand it when people try to take advantage. I grew up in a print shop, for cryin’ out loud. Gimme a break! Justin does have a point, though. The murky print specs Lisa prepared on that job created a bit of a gray area in terms of culpability, but still – we give Abbe dozens of jobs a year. Over $2 million in revenues, I’ll bet! We could be hardnosed on this. Sticking us with a bill like this just doesn’t feel right. Still†¦maybe there’s room for compromise. I know that Randy is a good guy, and besides, they’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty for us many times. I really don’t want to torch that vendor relationship. a little after the kids go to school.

Global Privacy… Are You Being Watched?? Essay examples -- Surveillance

Global Privacy†¦ Are You Being Watched?? Introduction Privacy has grown to become an intensely complex and important human rights topic in the information age. The right to privacy underlines human dignity. One of the first privacy laws can be traced back hundreds of years, to 1361, when England enacted the Justice of the Peace Act, which allowed the arrest of eavesdroppers and peeping toms.1 About every country in the world explicitly recognizes a right of privacy in their constitution, allowing people to have a right to home communication secrecy and inviolability at the very least. Although the right to privacy is not explicitly documented in the United States’, Ireland’s or India’s Constitution, it is recognized in numerous provisions form their respective courts. The US airliner's "risk analysis" system A globally controversial topic concerns the tradeoff between privacy and security. At what point does enacting probing directives to strengthen our nation’s security impinge upon our own personal privacy? After the destruction of the twin towers on September 11th, the federal government and airliners have decided to implement a new computer system in order to gauge the level of terrorist risk posed by every single passenger on every flight in the United States. The new computer program, dubbed the â€Å"Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System II† (CAPPS II) shall assign passengers a color code based on their destination, city of departure, traveling partners and date of ticket purchase. Travelers who are coded â€Å"green† will pass through, â€Å"yellow† travelers will have to go through further screening, and red ones will be prohibited from boarding. Eight... ...screening.ap/ 8. Privacy as an Aspect of Human Dignity, [1964] 39 New York U. L.R. 9. Sara Kehaulani Goo. Fliers to Be Rated for Risk Level. September 9, 2003 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A45434-2003Sep8?language=printer 10. Mark Glasser. China’s Internet Revolution. November 11, 2003 http://www.ojr.org/ojr/world_reports/1068766903.php 11. Privacy Watch – China and the US. December 2003 http://www.cotse.net/privacy/us_china.htm 12. Caslon Analytics. Caslon Analytics Privacy Guide. October 1, 2003 http://www.caslon.com.au/privacyguide6.htm 13. Stuart Millar. Europe votes to end data privacy. May 31, 2002 http://www.guardian.co.uk/internetnews/story/0,7369,725204,00.html 14. Detroit Free Press. Europe’s privacy laws cause rift with US. October 30, 1998 http://www.freep.com/tech/qdata30.htm

Examples Essay Essay

The internet is a wondrous creation and the world is progressing rapidly ever since things have become available with just a click. It has an impact on our daily lives every day in more ways than one. With the use of internet, life has become easier and smoother and almost all required information are at our fingertips. Before the internet, communication was done in 3 ways; face to face, written correspondence and through phone. Before mobiles there were landline telephones, and before that were telegrams and even before we had the ever so reliable system of the mailing letters via horse. Sending letters has to be one of the oldest ways of long distance communication in our society. Letters have been sent as far back as biblical times. Yet now we have a countless other ways to communicate: email, text, instant message, Facebook comment/reply/message, video chat, Face time, the list goes on and on. In fact, communication tools such as Face time are practically replacing face to face conversations completely. Not that any technology will ever replace the experience of sitting face to face with someone and having a normal conversation, but it’s not like technology hasn’t taken any other aspects of communication and transformed it. But then again none of this wouldn’t be possible without the internet and the way it can allow us to communicate with other individuals from the farthest corners of the planet. We need the internet more than anything in today’s society and if somehow the internet were to just disappear out of thin air, the lives of millions of people would forever be different in all the wrong ways. The internet is the way of the future for communication, and the future starts now.

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 8

Gillian stood perfectly still and watched David disappear around a corner. (It's not time for the plan yet, kid. Now buck up. A cheery face is worth diamonds.) Gillian tried to put on a cheery face. The strange day continued. In each class, Gillian appealed to the teacher for a new book. In each class, she was bombarded with offers of notes and other help. And through it all Angel whispered in her ear, always suggesting just the right thing to say to each person. He was witty, irreverent, occasionally cutting-and so was Gillian. She had an advantage, she realized. Since nobody had ever noticed her before, it was almost like being a new girl. She could be anything she wanted to be, present herself as anyone, and be believed. (Like Cinderella at the ball. The mystery princess.) Angel's voice was amused but tender. In journalism class, Gillian found herself beside Daryl Novak, a languid girl with sloe eyes and drooping contemptuous lashes. Daryl the Rich Girl, Daryl the World-weary World Traveler. She talked to Gillian as if Gillian knew all about Paris and Rome and California. At lunch, Gillian hesitated as she walked into the cafeteria. Usually she sat with Amy in an obscure corner at the back. But recently Eugene had been sitting with Amy, and up front she could see a group that included Amanda the Cheerleader, Kim the Gymnast, and others from The Clique. David and Tanya were at the edge. (Do I sit with them? Nobody asked me.) (Not with them, my little rutabaga. But near them. Sit at the end of that table just beside them. Don't look at them as you walk by. Look at your lunch. Start eating it.) Gillian had never eaten her lunch alone before-or at least not in a public place. On days Amy was absent, if she couldn't find one of the few other juniors she felt comfortable with, she snuck into the library and ate there. In the old days she would have felt horribly exposed, but now she wasn't really alone; she had Angel cracking jokes in her ear. And she had a new confidence. She could almost see herself eating, calm and indifferent to stares, thoughtful to the point of being dreamy. She tried to make her movements a little languid, like Daryl the Rich Girl's. (And I hope Amy doesn't think I'm snubbing her. I mean, it's not as if she's back there alone. She's got Eugene.) (Yeah. We're gonna have to talk about Amy sometime, kid. But right now you're being paged. Smile and be gracious.) â€Å"Jill! Earth to Jill!† â€Å"Hey, Jill, c'mon over.† They wanted her. She was moving her lunch over to their table, and she wasn't spilling anything and she wasn't falling as she slid in. She was little and graceful, thistledown light in her movements, and they were surging around her to form a warm and friendly bulwark. And she wasn't afraid of them. That was the most wonderful thing of all. These kids who'd seemed to her like stars in some TV show about teenagers, were real people who got crumbs on themselves and made jokes she could understand. Gillian had always wondered what they found so funny when they were laughing together. But now she knew it was just the heady atmosphere, the knowledge that they were special. It made it easy to laugh at everything. She knew David, sitting quietly there with Tanya, could see her laughing. She could hear other voices occasionally, from people on the fringes of her group, people on the outside looking in. Mostly bright chatter and murmurs of admiration. She thought she heard her name mentioned. †¦ And then she focused on the words. â€Å"I heard her mom's a drunk.† They sounded horribly loud and dear to Gillian, standing out against the background noise. She could feel her whole skin tingling with shock and she lost track of the story Kim the Gymnast was telling. (Angel-who said that? Was it about me-my mom?) She didn't dare look behind her. â€Å"-started drinking a few years ago and having these hallucinations-â€Å" This time the voice was so loud that it cut through the banter of Gillian's group. Kim stopped in mid-sentence. Bruce the Athlete's smile faltered. An awkward silence fell. Gillian felt a wave of anger that made her dizzy. (Who said that? I'll kill them-) (Calm down! Calm down. That's not the way to handle it at all.) (But-) (I said, calm down. Look at your lunch. No, at your lunch. Now say-and make your voice absolutely cool-â€Å"I really hate rumors, don't you? I don't know what kind of people start them.†) Gillian breathed twice and obeyed, although her voice wasn't absolutely cool. It had a little tremor. â€Å"I don't know either,† a new voice said. Gillian glanced up to see that David was on his feet, his face hard as he surveyed the table behind her as if looking for the person who'd spoken. â€Å"But I think they're pretty sick and they should get a life.† There was the cold glint in his eyes that had given him his reputation as a tough guy. Gillian felt as if a hand had steadied her. Gratitude rushed through her-and a longing that made her bite down on her lip. â€Å"I hate rumors, too,† J.Z. Oberlin said in her absent voice. J. Z. the Model was the one who looked like a Calvin Klein ad, breathlessly sexy and rather blank, but right now she seemed oddly focused. â€Å"Somebody was putting around the rumor last year that I tried to kill myself. I never did find out who started it.† Her hazy blue-green eyes were narrowed. And then everyone was talking about rumors, and people who spread rumors, and what scum they were. The group was rallying around Gillian. But it was David who stood up for me first, she thought. She had just looked over at him, trying to catch his eye, when she heard the tinkling noise. It was almost musical, but the kind of sound that draws attention immediately in a cafeteria. Somebody had broken a glass. Gillian, along with everyone else, glanced around to see who'd done it. She couldn't see anybody. No one had the right expression of dismay, no one was focused on anything definite. Everybody was looking around in search mode. Then she heard it again, and two people standing near the cafeteria doors looked down and then up. Above the doors, far above, was a semi-circular window in the red brick. As Gillian stared at the window she realized that light was reflecting off it oddly, almost prismatically. There seemed to be crazy rainbows in the glass†¦ And something was sparkling down, falling like a few specks of snow. It hit the ground and tinkled, and the people by the door stared at it on the cafeteria floor. They looked puzzled. Realization flashed on Gillian. She was on her feet, but the only words that she could find were, â€Å"Oh, my God!† â€Å"Get out! It's all going to go! Get out of there!† It was David, waving at the people under the window. He was running toward them, which was stupid, Gillian thought numbly, her heart seeming to stop. Other people were shouting. Cory and Amanda and Bruce-and Tanya. Kim the Gymnast was shrieking. And then the window was going, chunks of it falling almost poetically, raining and crumbling, shining and crashing. It fell and fell and fell. Gillian felt as if she were watching an avalanche in slow motion. At last it was over, and the window was just an arch-shaped hole with jagged teeth clinging to the edges. Glass had flown and bounced and skittered all over the cafeteria, where it lay like hailstones. And people from tables amazingly distant were examining cuts from ricocheting bits. But nobody had been directly underneath, and nobody seemed seriously hurt. (Thanks to David.) Gillian was still numb, but now with relief. (He got them all out of the way in time. Oh, God, he isn't hurt, is he?) (He's fine. And what makes you think he did it all alone? Maybe I had some part. I can do that, you know-put it into people's heads to do things. And they never even know I'm doing it.) Angel's voice sounded almost-well-piqued. (Huh? You did that? Well, that was really nice of you.) Gillian was watching David across the room, watching Tanya examine his arm, nod, shrug, look around. He's not hurt. Thank heaven. Gillian felt so relieved it was almost painful. It was then that it occurred to her to wonder what had happened. That window-before the glass fell it had looked just like the mirror in her bathroom. Evenly shattered from side to side, spidery cracks over every inch of the surface. The bathroom mirror had cracked while Tanya was being catty about Gillian's room. Now Gillian remembered the last thing she'd wanted to ask Angel last night. It had been about how the mirror came to do that. This window †¦ it had started falling a few minutes after someone insulted Gillian's mother. Nobody had heard it actually break, but it couldn't have happened too long ago. The small hairs on the back of Gillian's neck stirred and she felt a fluttering inside. It couldn't be. Angel hadn't even appeared to her yet†¦ But he'd said he was always with her†¦ An angel wouldn't destroy things†¦ But Angel was a different kind of angel. (Ah, excuse me. Hello? Do you want to share some thoughts with me?) (Angel!) For the first time since his soft voice had sounded in her ear, Gillian felt a sense ofover- crowdedness. Of her own lack of privacy. The uneasy fluttering inside her increased. (Angel, I was just-just wondering†¦) And then the silent words burst out. (Angel, you wouldn't-would you? You didn't do those things for my sake- â€Å"break the mirror and that window-?) A pause. And then, in her head, riotous laughter. Genuine laughter. Angel was whooping. Finally, the sounds died to mental hiccups. (Me?) Gillian was embarrassed. (I shouldn't have asked. It was just so weird†¦) (Yeah, wasn't it.) This time Angel sounded grimly amused. (Well, never mind; you're already late for class. The bell rang five minutes ago.) Gillian coasted through her last two classes in a daze. So much had happened today-she felt as if she'd led a full life between waking up and now. But the day wasn't over yet. In her last class, studio art, she once again found herself talking to Daryl the Rich Girl. Daryl was the only one of that crowd that took art or journalism. And in the last minutes before school ended, she regarded Gillian from under drooping eyelashes. â€Å"You know, there are other rumors going around about you. That you and Davey-boy have something going behind Tanya's back. That you meet secretly in the mornings and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Daryl shrugged, pushing back frosted hair with a hand dripping with rings. Gillian felt jolted awake. â€Å"So?† â€Å"So you really should do something about it. Rumors spread fast, and they grow. I know. You want to either deny them, or†-Daryl's lips .quirked in a smile-â€Å"disarm them.† (Oh, yeah? And just how do I do that?) (Shut up and listen to her, kid. This is one smart cookie.) â€Å"If there're parts that are true, it's usually best to admit those in public. That takes some of the punch out. And it's always helpful to track down the person starting the rumors-if you can.† (Tell her you know that. And that you're going to see Tanya after school.) (Tanya? You mean-?) (Just tell her.) Somehow Gillian gathered herself enough to repeat Angel's words. Daryl the Rich Girl looked at her with a new expression of respect. â€Å"You're sharper than I thought. Maybe you didn't need my help after all.† â€Å"No,† Gillian said without Angel's prompting. â€Å"I'm always glad for help. It's-it's a rough world.† â€Å"Isn't it, though?† Daryl said and raised already arched eyebrows. (So it was Tanya who spread that stuff about my mom.) Gillian almost stumbled as she trudged out of art class. She was tired and bewildered. Somehow, she'd have thought Tanya was above that. (She had help. It takes a really efficient system to get a rumor to peak circulation that fast. But she was the instigator. Turn left here.) (Where am I going?) (You're gonna catch her coming out of marketing education. She's alone in there right now. The teacher asked to see her after class, then unexpectedly had to run to the bathroom.) Gillian felt distantly amused. She sensed Angel's hand in these arrangements. And when she poked her head inside the marketing ed room, she saw that Tanya was indeed alone. The tall girl was standing by a cloudy green blackboard. â€Å"Tanya, we need to talk.† Tanya's shoulders stiffened. Then she ran a hand across her already perfect dark hair and turned. She looked more like a future executive than ever, with her face set in cool lines and her exotic gray eyes running over Gillian in appraisal. Without Angel, Gillian would have dried up and withered away under that scrutiny. Tanya said one word. â€Å"Talk.† What followed was more like a play than a conversation for Gillian. She repeated what Angel whispered to her, but she never had any idea what was coming. The only way to survive was to give herself up completely to his direction. â€Å"Look, I know you're upset with me, Tanya. But I'd like to deal with this with a little maturity, okay?† She followed Angel's instructions over to a desk and brushed absent fingers over its imitation-wood top. â€Å"I don't think there's any need for us to act like children.† â€Å"And I don't think I know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Oh, really?† Gillian turned and looked Tanya in the face. â€Å"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about.† (Angel, I feel just like one of those people in a soap opera-) â€Å"Well, you're wrong. And, as a matter of fact, I happen to be busy-â€Å" â€Å"I'm talking about the rumors, Tanya. I'm talking about the stories about my mom. And I'm talking about David.† Tanya stood perfectly still. For a moment she seemed surprised that Gillian was taking such a direct approach. Then her gray eyes hardened with the clear light of battle. â€Å"All right, let's talk about David,† she said in a pleasant voice, moving tigerishly toward Gillian, â€Å"I don't know about any rumors, but I'd like to hear what you and David were doing this morning. Care to tell me?† (Angel, she's actually enjoying this. Look at her! And she's bigger than me.) (Trust me, kid.) â€Å"We weren't doing anything,† Gillian said. She had to tip her chin up to look Tanya in the face. Then she looked aside and shook her head. â€Å"All right. I'll be honest about that. I like David, Tanya. I have ever since he moved in. He's good and he's noble and he's honest and he's sweet. But that doesn't mean I want to take him away from you. In fact, it's just the opposite.† She turned and walked away, looking into the distance. â€Å"I think David deserves the best. And I know he really cares about you. And that's what happened this morning-he told me you guys had made a promise to each other. So you see, you've got no reason to be suspicious.† Tanya's eyes were glittering. â€Å"Don't try to pull that. All this †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She waved a hand to indicate Gillian's dress and hair. â€Å"In one day you turn from Little Miss Invisible to this. And you start prancing around the school like you own it. You can't pretend you're not trying to get him.† â€Å"Tanya, the way I dress has nothing at all to do with David.† Gillian told the lie calmly, facing the chalk-misted blackboard again. â€Å"It's just-something I needed to do. I was-tired of being invisible.† She turned her head slightly, not enough to see Tanya. â€Å"But that's beside the point. The real issue here is what's best for David. And I think you're best for him-as long as you treat him fairly.† â€Å"And what is that supposed to mean?† Tanya was losing her legendary cool. She sounded venomous, almost shrill. â€Å"It means no more fooling around with Bruce Faber.† (Oh, my God, Angel! Bruce Faber? Bruce the Athlete? She's been fooling around with Bruce Faber?) Tanya's voice cracked like a whip. â€Å"What are you talking about? What do you know?† â€Å"I'm talking about those nights at the pool parties last summer in Macon's cabana. While David was up north at his grandma's. I'm talking about what happened in Bruce's car after the Halloween dance.† (In a cabana?) There was a silence. When Tanya spoke again, her voice was a sort of icy explosion. â€Å"How did you find out?† Gillian shrugged. â€Å"People who're good at spreading rumors can be a two-edged sword.† â€Å"I thought so. That brat Kim! Her and her mouth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then Tanya's voice changed. It became a voice with claws and Gillian could tell she was moving closer. â€Å"I suppose you're planning to tell David about this?† â€Å"Huh?† For a moment Gillian was too confused to follow Angel's directions. Then she got hold of herself. â€Å"Oh, of course I'm not going to tell David. That's why I'm telling you. I just want you to promise that you're not going to do anything like that anymore. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop telling people things about my mom-â€Å" â€Å"I'll do worse than that!† Suddenly Tanya was standing right behind Gillian. Her voice was a yelling hiss. â€Å"You have no idea what I'll do if you try to mess with me, you snotty little midget. You are going to be so sorry-â€Å" â€Å"No, I think you've done plenty already.† The voice came from the door. Gillian heard it, and in that instant she understood everything.