Don't judge a book by it's cover

Patricia Emerson

15 years old

She/her/hers

“Ooh, look at Tyler,” Mia squeals. The other girls soon join in.

“Look at his hair, it’s cut just short enough.”

Tyler walks past. He sits down on the turf near the edge of the playground and pulls out a book labeled “the lost fantasies: dragonslayer”, then starts to read. I wonder if he realizes how these girls stare at him, day after day, pointing out his various features and gaping.

“Look at his eyes, the perfect brown.”

“His freckles should probably make him look weird, but they make him look even cuter!”

I wonder what the normal thing to say here would be. I finally settle on something I’ve heard the other girls say a few times before.

“Ooh la la,” I say. The other girls look at me in astonishment.

“Wait, do you like him?!” Sydney asks. “OMG! Wait! That’s perfect! You’re the prettiest girl here, you have to ask him out now! No way he won’t go for you!”

Ooops, I think. Wrong thing said again. I look around at the other girl’s faces and force a smile. “Uh…. yeah, I will. Sure,” I say. Ah well, I think. I guess my first relationship is going to be a fake one.

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

Tyler Barrs

15 years old

She/her/hers

Nobody ever looked at my records. Nobody even bothered. I wear sweatshirts and cargo pants, so what? Girls can cut their hair short too. I get that your body is living in the twenty-first century, but is your head? Sure doesn’t seem like it. They’re all just too interested in what I look like. Nobody here knows the real me.

Nobody does.

And now I sound like some dark serial killer! Just because I’m misunderstood and I’m thinking about why! Let’s just figure out how they get rid of darkscythe.

This is how my life is going to be. Talking to myself for eternity. Uuuugh, stop talking to yourself! You STILL sound like a brooding monster! What are you, darkscythe’s twin?

A fly buzzes in my face, and I look up to swat it. While doing so, I see a dark-haired girl come towards me. Her coffee- brown skin contrasts perfectly with her striped tank-top and jeans. I roll my eyes. Oh, great. Another one.

“What do you want?” I ask. “Can’t I just read in peace?” Internally, I think, ugh. She’s probably just the average shallow, annoying POPULAR girl, the kind that collects friends like objects. Can’t you leave me alone? I almost speak the thought aloud, but before I can, she mutters something. “What? Don’t mumble,” I say. I don’t know where this sudden rudeness is coming from, but I’m honestly fed up with everyone doing this to me all the time, so I think it’s a little provoked.

“Will you go on a date with me?” She blurts out. If I had anything in my mouth right now, you bet it would have squirted all over my book. I’m really glad I didn’t, because The lost fantasies: dragonslayer is my favorite book. Besides Skyfall’s peril, of course. I’m about to yell what? At the top of my lungs, but she beats me to it.

“Please,” she mumbles. “I don’t really want to either, I get it, nobody will leave you alone and you just want to read your fantastical dragonslaying adventures in peace, but I’ll lose all my friends if I don’t.”

I’m momentarily astounded that she knows what my book is about. Then I look at the cover. Oh. I guess it’s pretty obvious-WAIT, WHAT?

“WAIT, WHAT?” this time, my mind echoes my thoughts. But her eyes are just begging me to say something, and it’s just for her friends… 

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

Patricia Emerson

15 years old

She/her/hers

He said yes?

I thought I would feel happy about this, but… I just feel weird. I mean… I’m going on a date with a boy?! That I don’t even know?!

And surprised. I feel surprised. Not even because of the date part! Although, that part’s super weird. Actually… I feel surprised because I actually felt like he was a little cute. I’ve never, ever, thought a boy was even a little bit cute before. Mostly because of my… thing. The thing that none of my “friends” can ever know.

So now I feel super weird, knowing that I’ll be going to a sort of fancy restaurant to meet- a boy---

I really need to stop thinking boy.

I wear a long, cobalt blue dress. My hair is up in a braid, and a ribbon the same shade of blue is woven into my long plait. I really didn’t want to wear anything special, but I’m afraid my friends will ask me about it. I need to get some new friends… but what if they figure out my secret?

But is my secret even worthwhile? And plus, I kind of thought that guy’s personality was kind of cool. Maybe I can just live with this.

I take one last look in the mirror, not that I really care, and walk out of my door. Ok, I admit: the restaurant is right next to my house. Whatever, it’s not like this is for me to enjoy! It’s just for my fake friends!

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

Patricia Emerson

15 years old

She/her/hers

I feel so awkward.

I’ve never been to a fancy restaurant before! Even if it’s right next to my house! And he isn’t even here yet. I know this isn’t even a real date, but I feel so nervous. I feel a draft of wind as the door opens, and look up to see if it’s Tyler. Nope, just another fancy-dressed girl entering here. I look back at the table again.

Then it hits me. WAIT A MINUTE. I look back at the newcomer. What- how-

The newcomer is Tyler.

And then I get it. Why I thought Tyler was cute. Why Tyler was so bugged when everyone kept looking at her.

Tyler… is a girl.

I slam my face down on the table and put my hands over my head. This is too much to process, but it all makes sense at the same time! I need to go home and mull this over, but before I have time, she sits down at my table.

I force myself to look up at her, and my cheeks blush red. She’s wearing a knee-length tanktop dress with a slightly poofy skirt. She looks beautiful, but still looks like she could fight a dragon any moment. Just like I’m sure happens all the time in her books.

“Hi,” she says. “So, yeah. I’m a girl. Thanks for assuming my gender for more than a year, how kind of you. Thanks for going on a date with me, I’m sure your homophobic friends would love that.”

“They’re not my friends,” I say. Surprise casts over her face like a wave. Meanwhile, it casts itself over my heart like a tsunami. I never expected that I would say that.

“They’re not? Wow, I’m surprised that you’re not homophobic alone, but I never expected that. Um… why are you blushing?”

“I like girls,” I continue. “Not boys.”  WHAT? My thoughts go. WHAT THE HECK? WHERE IS ALL THIS COMING FROM? Tyler’s face looks even more shocked now… wait a minute.

“Is Tyler even your real name?” I ask. I can tell by her face that she still has so many questions, but she responds to mine.

“Yes!” she says, an expression of righteous indignation now on her face. “Girls can have names like that too! That’s so sexist! And Tyler isn’t even a “boy” name! It’s a gender-neutral name!”

“Pffft!” I can’t help it. She just went into a mini rant, and the expression on her face is the funniest thing in the world. She blushes a deep shade of red.

“I know that,” I finally manage. “I’m not that dumb. You shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover!”

“I’m not that dumb,” she copies me.

“You sure look like it!”

“Hey!”

“I’m just kidding, jeez.”

“I’m not that dumb.”

“Stop saying that!”

“You said it first!”

At that moment, the waiter comes to our table.

“May I take your orders, ladies?” We order our food. When we finish, the waiter adds, “If you don’t mind me asking, are you two a couple?”

We look at each other for a couple of seconds, discussing silently.

“Yes,” I finally say. “Yes, we are.”

THE END