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He concentrated on his work.
He had been learning cursive writing.
He had the worst handwriting in the class. It was usually so bad, even he couldn’t read it.
That was because he always wrote so fast.
But now, instead of rushing, he wrote each letter slowly and carefully.
Mrs. North walked past his desk. “Very nice, Marvin,” she said.
Marvin smiled. It wasn’t so hard to write neatly, he realized. If you just took your time.
He wrote each letter just the way he had been taught.
Except he didn’t dot his i’s. Instead, over each letter i he drew a tiny heart.
He yawned.
He wished he could close his eyes for just a few seconds.
“Go to sleep, Marvin,” said a voice inside his head.
It was a girl’s voice.
“Close your eyes,” the voice said softly. “You’re halfway there.”
He rubbed his eyes.
“What’s wrong with turning into a girl?” asked the voice. “Girls are better than boys. Girls are smarter. Prettier. Braver. Girls can have ponytails. Pigtails. Bangs. Girls can wear sparkles on their clothes.”
Marvin’s eyes shut for a second, but he quickly opened them.
“Girls can do somersaults, Marvin. Your four-year-old sister can do a somersault, and you can’t.
“Girls can hang from the monkey bars upside down by their knees.”
Marvin had always wished he could do that.
“Girls can go into the girls’ bathroom,” said the voice. “Don’t you want to go into the girls’ bathroom? And hear all the secrets girls tell in there?”
Marvin wondered what girls talked about inside the girls’ bathroom. They always came out giggling.
“They tell the most amazing secrets,” said the voice. “No boy would ever understand.”
His eyes closed.
He dreamed he was hanging from the monkey bars by his knees. A warm breeze blew in his face. Birds were singing.
He had long hair. It brushed against the ground.
He swung high off the monkey bars, did a somersault in midair, and landed on his feet.
His hair was shiny and silky. It hung over his shoulders.
He shook his head. His hair swished from side to side.
He shook his head really fast. His hair whipped around.
