Tough Girl

Danger lurks everywhere in eleven year old Reggie's world—from the bully next door to the unwanted attentions of a creep at school. Her invisibility cap has lost its powers leaving Reggie unprotected from her nemesis, The Boulder, and from the gangs that roam her neighborhood. Home offers no reprieve. Raised by her mentally ill mother, Reggie must fend for herself. Dumpster diving provides a few meals a week, occasionally shoplifting does the rest. Reggie keeps a list of everything she’s ever stolen, determined to pay it back once she turns eighteen and joins the army. For now, she escapes the mayhem of her life and the hunger pangs in her belly by slipping into daydreams, battling aliens with her alter ego, Tough Girl. But the new neighbors upstairs intrigue Reggie enough to stay in reality. Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz, a possible mafia boss and his six-hundred pound plus-size beauty queen wife, captivate her imagination and offer a possible home. Her own apartment is sad and dreary, but the Ruiz’s live in a colorful world full of mystery and love. When Reggie's mother disappears, not even the Ruizes can keep her grounded. Her fantasy life spirals out of control and starts to invade reality. An Octhmuslan, a creature of her own design, hunts Reggie both in her dreams and in the waking world. Not even Tough Girl is strong enough to stop him. Will Reggie survive long enough for her mother to return, or will her dream world take over?