Melissa

by Alex Gino

“My point is, it takes a special person to cry over a book. It shows compassion as well as imagination.”

Living in Shakespeare’s time didn’t sound so bad, even if you had to poop outdoors.

“Criminy, you’re like a safe, you are!” “What?” Kelly shrugged. “I don’t know. My dad says it.” “Kelly.” George took Kelly by the shoulders, ignored the tickle in her stomach, and spoke very seriously. “In case you hadn’t noticed, your dad is still weird.” Deep inside, George worried that she was even weirder.

She had genuinely started to believe that if people could see her onstage as Charlotte, maybe they would see that she was a girl offstage too.

I want to give this poor little girl a hug.

“But I didn’t … ,” George began, but Mom ignored her. Mom disappeared to her bedroom with the denim bag in her hand. George remained by the front door, her mouth slightly open. She couldn’t believe her friends were gone.

I wasn't expecting this kid's book to break my heart.

Kelly took a deep breath. “And I’m sorry I ignored you last week.” She scratched her neck. “And you know what? If you think you’re a girl …” George braced for Kelly’s next words. “Then I think you’re a girl too!” Kelly leaped onto her best friend and gave her a hug so big they both nearly toppled over. The openmouthed surprise and joy on George’s face only made Kelly smile harder.

Finally something good is happening for this poor girl.

“So you’re, like, transgender or something?” Kelly whispered as best she could in her excitement.

Real

“But that’s not fair!” Kelly was indignant. “You didn’t steal them! What right does she have to take them from you?” “Sometimes transgender people don’t get rights.” George had read on the Internet about transgender people being treated unfairly. “That’s awful.” “I know.”

Two 10 year olds discuss trans rights in the America.

If she couldn’t be Charlotte, she could at least deliver the large cards with the painted spiderweb words on them to Kelly. She would also hold the ladder steady while Kelly performed from the top. She would be Charlotte’s Charlotte, deeply hidden in the shadows.

Reading the word transgender sent a shiver down George’s spine. She wondered where she could find a safe space like that, and if there would be other girls like her there. Maybe they could talk about makeup together. Maybe they could even try some on.

😭😭😭🥹🥹🥹

Mom’s face relaxed and she gave a short laugh. “Is that what this is about? Oh, Gee, I was there when you were born. I changed your diapers, and I promise you, you are one hundred percent boy. Besides, you’re only ten years old. You don’t know how you’ll feel in a few years.”

De Nile is a river in Egypt

George knew Mom was trying to make her feel better, but it didn’t work. Nothing—certainly not a buffet dinner—could help the fact that Mom didn’t see her.

Imagine coming out, your parent's response being "no," and then going to Golden Corral.

“If you’re gonna be transgender and all, you’re going to have to be a lot more careful. You won’t be able to throw up on every bully you meet.” “I could try,” said George. “Bleh! Bleh! Bleh!” “You sound like a vomiting machine gun.”

George hung up and twirled around the house, like Charlotte spinning a glorious spiderweb. She, George, was going to be Charlotte onstage! In front of Mom and everyone! The butterflies in her stomach had butterflies in their stomachs.

“Not if I have to diagram every last body part to scale. It’s going to be a pain in the butt. If I’m going to diagram something, why can’t it at least be a frog? That would be cool.”

He says this now but I thought the same in high school and now I'm looking at entomology PhD programs.

“Did you tell her you were gay?” Scott twisted his fork into a pile of mashed potatoes. “You know I’m okay with that, right? Before Dad left, he made me promise to take care of you. He said you were like that.”

AWWWWW

But it was a big deal. “I told her I think I’m a girl.” “Oh.” That was all Scott said at first. “Oh.” Scott chewed, swallowed, and took another bite of pizza. The background noise of the restaurant throbbed in George’s ears. She wished Scott would say something, even if it was mean. “Ohhh.” Scott took a bite of turkey. “Ohhhhhhhhh.” Scott began to nod slowly. He turned to George, whose stomach had jumped with each oh and was now nearly in her throat. “That’s more than just being gay. No wonder she’s freaking out.”

Ngl this made me laugh out loud.

“Weird. But it kinda makes sense. No offense, but you don’t make a very good boy.” “I know.”

Charlotte was dead, but George was alive in a way she had never imagined.

George looked out on the crowd and did the only thing that made any sense. She curtsied. She wore no skirt to hold daintily, but she didn’t need it. She was graceful, and she held on to the moment as tightly as she could, even after the curtains were pulled shut.

“Well, you can’t control who your children are, but you can certainly support them, am I right?” Principal Maldonado’s earrings sparkled in the auditorium light.

Straight ally core

“That was beautiful, George. Really beautiful.” Ms. Maldonado put her lips close to George’s ear and whispered, “My door is always open,” before she slipped away.

Icon

Neither Mom nor George mentioned the play that evening, but once George was up in her room, she twirled around and around like a spider dancing on a web.

George’s mouth hung open. George already knew Kelly was her best friend, but they had never been girls together before. George had never been a girl with anyone, if you didn’t count being Charlotte.

"We were girls together."

George thought about her private name. She had never said it out loud before, not even to her friends in the magazines. “You could always call me Melissa,” she said now. “Melissa,” said Kelly, her eyes wide. “I like it. That’s a great name for a girl.” She said it again, drawing out each sound. “Me-lis-sa. That’s perfect!” George buried her chin in her shoulder and felt her cheeks grow warm. “Are you okay?” Kelly asked. “Yeah,” said George. “It just sounds really good to hear.” “I can say it again. Melissa. Melissa Melissa Melissa!” Kelly began to twirl around George, stretching her arms out wide with each Melissa.

She looked in the mirror and gasped. Melissa gasped back at her. For a long time, she stood there, just blinking. George smiled, and Melissa smiled too.

“Don’t I look elegant? New York City’s really elegant, you know.” Kelly wore a long black skirt, a black top, and black silk gloves. Melissa frowned. “You look like you’re going to a zoo funeral.”

“You have so many shoes. Who knew you were such a girly girl?” “Who knew you were?” Kelly grinned.

shuddered past the slithering snakes,

Lame

Melissa stopped at the tarantula exhibit. The furry crawlers were a much larger species of spider than Charlotte had been. Still, Melissa thanked each one quietly. She searched for webs, but didn’t see any.

“Melissa.” Kelly rolled her eyes. “I’m surrounded by boys in my life. My father. My uncle. Seriously, until a few weeks ago, I thought you were a boy. It’s nice to have some girl time.”

But Melissa didn’t nod off for a moment. She couldn’t. She was too busy remembering the best week of her life. So far.

😭😭😭🥹🥹🥹(Kindle should let me put emojis in my annotations so I don't have too add them on my computer)