In “Rush to Love,” Jennifer Ramos describes how she rushed into a relationship too quickly with a boy named Dan. She thinks it’s love, but then gets turned off by his gang activity and breaks up with him. She’s more cautious now. In sidebars, she discusses the kinds of boys that attract her and how she was once torn between friendship and love with a male companion.

Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

—After watching films like Pretty Woman and While You Were Sleeping, Jennifer feels like love can “change everything.” Where did you get your ideas about love and relationships from? Movies? TV? Family? Friends? From actually going out with people? Have those ideas changed? How?
—With Jennifer’s first boyfriend, Eddy, the connection just isn’t there. What was your first boyfriend/girlfriend like? What was the connection based on?
—Jennifer falls in love with Dan and believes that love will “overpower the bad things” she doesn’t like about him. Have you been in a similar situation, where you thought love would overcome the bad things about a person? What eventually happened? Was love enough to overcome the bad things?
—After her experience with Dan, Jennifer says she’s learned it isn’t healthy “to have such a big need for love.” What does Jennifer mean by this? How does it apply to your own life?
—Jennifer says she now takes it slow and doesn’t rush into relationships. Are you someone who takes it slow or rushes into things? Why?
—Jennifer says many people are attracted to “thuggish types” because they are exciting people to go out with. Do you agree or disagree?
—Instead of “thuggish types,” Jennifer now prefers “thuggish nice types.” According to Jennifer, what’s the difference between the two? Do you agree? What type of person do you prefer to go out with?
—Jennifer has a close male friend named Jo. She doesn’t tell him she’s interested in more than friendship for fear of ruining the friendship. Have you ever been in a similar situation? Did you tell your friend about your attraction? What eventually happened? Would you do the same thing again? Why or why not?