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It was the first day at a new school for Sally. She sat near the window in her cannery-yellow, crispy new uniform looking out at the rain coming down hard; harder than any rain she’d ever seen before. She didn’t know one name of one person in the whole school, except her teacher, Mrs. Margoli.

The rain kept falling and it was almost time for recess and Sally was getting nervous. She was going to have to pick out a girl to make friends with and she swept the classroom with her eyes trying to decide. She could feel her heart beating up high almost in her throat. One girl looked at her and quickly looked away. A boy in the back row stuck out his tongue at her and another boy next to him looked at her cross-eyed.

She brought her attention back to the teacher, who in a sing-songey voice was asking the class if anyone knew what the last letter in the alphabet was. All the hands from the girls in the front rows shot into the air. Sally knew the answer but didn’t raise her hand. The answer was never officially stated for at that moment a bell rang in a thundering electric clang.

Everyone stood up the instastant the bell rang and Sally was amazed when every boy in the classroom immediately ran out the door into the rain. She marveled at their ability to simply take their shoes and shirts off and have fun in the mud-puddles. She watched, fascinated with their behavior. They were getting soaking wet and very muddy and they didn’t seem to care. They liked it!

Sally stayed in her seat and watched the boys with both revulsion and envy. They were laughing and chasing a ball in a game Sally had never seen. Great plumes of water shot high into the air as the boys chased the ball across the yard, sliding and screeching with huge grins on their faces. It began to rain even harder and the boys laughter was almost lost in the drumming rhythm of the downpour.

Inside, the girls were talking in little groups spread out in all four corners of the room, whispering. Sometimes they giggled quietly and put their hands over their mouths. Sometimes they looked over at her with slow turns of only their heads. Their eyes were small and dark and filled with shy amusement. They would steal looks and huddle up again to giggle again, covering their mouths as they did so. Sally decided to ignore them.

She watched the boys. She watched how dirty they were getting and how much fun they were having.

“I’m a Lezbin,” Sally said inside herself. It was a word she’d heard and been mulling over for quite some time now. Girls that don’t like boys are Lezbins.

Sally hated boys.

“I’m a Lezbin sure as heck,” she whispered to herself. “A Lezbin, a Lezbin, a Lezbin…” she repeated, trying to get used to the idea.

She watched the boys running, screaming, splashing.

“You girls get away from the corners!” the teacher said quite firmly. You all come over and meet our new student.”

All the girls came over to Sally and formed a semi-circle around her. They stared at her.

Sally could hear them breathing. They smelled a little like fish and a lot like bubble gum.

“Sally, tell the girls your name.”

Sally cleared her throat and told them her name was Sally Meadow, which elicited tittering laughter from the twelve or so girls who this time didn’t bother to cover their mouths.

Sally looked out the window at the boys.

She wondered what you were when you hated girls more.