Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Author:Phyllis Reynolds Naylor [Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, GR
ISBN: 9780689870965
Goodreads: 2543866
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

10

Promotion

All during spring break, I had worked really hard on that article about the Day of Silence. I found out how the first observance began. I described the way many gays and lesbians were ostracized, not only at school and by former friends, but in their own families. I wrote about methods people have used to try to change sexual orientation. Most of this I got from articles Mr. Morrison had given me, but I also interviewed some of the members of the GSA.

I think it was one of my best articles. I’d quoted Lori and Leslie on how it had been for them and recounted the time back in middle school when some girls cornered them in a restroom and kept taunting them with “Kiss her! Kiss her!” I ended the article by saying that the GSA wasn’t trying to change anyone’s sexual orientation; it existed to help people accept others’ sexuality as much as to feel good about their own.

At the first staff meeting after spring break, I arrived early, and both Miss Ames and Scott read my piece and commented on it. Tony Osler just sat off to one side with a knowing smile, like, Is that what’s wrong with you, Alice? Why you wouldn’t let me go all the way? I know what Tony’s thinking even when his lips are sealed.

“It’s really excellent, Alice,” Miss Ames said.

“It’s great!” said Scott. “So what other ideas do you have for us?”

“Well … we do a lot of student interviews, polls and stuff,” I said. “Why not do something called ‘Teachers’ Secrets’?”

“Whoa!” said Tony. “Report on who’s sleeping with whom?”

I gave him a look. “No. I thought of asking fifteen or twenty teachers to tell us something about themselves that their students probably don’t know—anything they want to share. See what we come up with.”

Miss Ames smiled a little. “Could be interesting.”

“We could start with you,” said Scott, warming to the idea. “How about it?”

“We have to be sure we don’t print anything that’s said off the record,” she said. “But … well, let me think. I guess one thing students don’t know about my past is that I once won a hot dog eating contest at the beach.”

“You?” said the sophomore roving reporter. “You’re so thin!”

“Well, thin girls have stomachs too.” Miss Ames laughed.

“How many did you eat?” I asked.

“Eleven and a half. They almost disqualified me because I threw up before they announced the winner, but the judge said I got it all down, and that’s what counts.”

Everybody cheered.

Jacki Severn breezed in just then and apologized for being late, but she said she had just got this great idea for the next issue:

“It’s our first issue in April—you know, April showers and stuff. I remembered this photo from last year when there was all that rain and the parking lot flooded. Remember? Mom took this picture when she came to pick me up… .” And Jacki pulled out a picture of herself, laughing as she waded ankle-deep in water, holding her books over her head.

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