53 I noticed Grant as we passed the bench. He gave me a wide, lopsided smile, the same smile he’d been giving me whenever our eyes met in homeroom or the halls. “Amanda! Hey!” “I’ll save you a seat,” Layla said, pushing me towards him. I stepped forwards gingerly, reminding myself that there was nothing to be afraid of. “You came.” “I did.” “Do you even like football?” “No,” I admitted, shaking my head and laughing. “Why, is there something else to do in this town?” “Ouch!” He put his hand over his heart, but then turned more serious. “Don’t know if you’ve heard, but some people are gettin’ together Saturday night. Think you might wanna come?” Saturday night. I thought about what Saturday night had looked like for the last ten years. Dinner with my mom: Chinese takeout if we were feeling adventurous; pork chops with cornbread, black-eyed peas and turnip greens if we weren’t. Video games in my room: all alone, late into the night, until my fingers ached and I was tired enough to fall asleep without my thoughts swirling. An actual high school party had always been a distant, exotic thing, something that only existed in movies. I nodded slowly. “I could do that, I think.” “Well, all right then,” he said, smiling and scratching his temple. Parker sauntered over from the bench and handed Grant his helmet. “Game’s about to start,” he said. He glanced at me quickly, and turned away. “Sorry.” Grant shrugged. “Gotta go.” He grinned as he trotted over to the bench. Layla and Anna looked ready to explode when I joined them in the bleachers. “I think Parker has competition,” Anna said, smiling brightly and twisting her long, blonde hair in her fingers. “Three words.” Layla raised a finger in the air. “Awkward. Dorky. Adorable. I loved it.” I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. I felt, at least for a moment, what it was like to be a normal teenage girl. 1 What is a ‘normal’ teenage girl supposed to be like? What does ‘normal’ mean? 2 How do you think Grant will react if he finds out that Amanda is trans? Discuss these questions in class: 1 Now that you have read the extracts, how much does the title tell us about the book? 2 If I Was Your Girl explores experiences that may be new to many readers. How can reading stories better help us understand and share the feelings of others? 3 What other books or films have you read/seen that feature transgender characters or themes? Choose one of these activities to do in class or at home: 1 How do you think the story continues? Brainstorm a few ideas with a partner, then choose one and write it out in detail (about a page). 2 Make up an interview with the author discussing the extracts. 3 What kind of questions would you ask a trans person, avoiding the topics that Amanda doesn’t want to discuss? 4 Imagine you are Amanda. Write an inner monologue in which she describes her feelings either shortly before she decides to talk to Bee about her situation or shortly after she’s been invited to the party by Grant. 5 Design a poster or find some pictures in a magazine that depict Amanda’s feelings (again, either before she decides to talk to Bee about her situation or after Grant has invited her to the party). 6 Create a ‘soundtrack’ for the book, selecting songs that match the mood, themes or events of the story, and explain their choices. 8 9 5 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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