Gender Bender

• Shantal Martin, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2013

Emma’s frustration clouded her brain. She didn’t want to listen to anyone. She’d had enough. Her parents wouldn’t listen and neither would her teachers. Emma had a problem. She loved to play soccer but the school didn’t allow girls to play.
Emma spent night after night dreaming about playing soccer. One night Emma composed a plan and she was going to stick with it, she was determined. It was time for 'Project: Make Me Over!'
Emma went out to the shop after school bought a wig, a hoodie, soccer boots, and a jersey. She told her best friend Mia about the plan as they walked through the shops. She went as
Emma left her house as a normal girl but as soon as she was out of sight she put on the jersey, boots and wig. She moved over to the next door neighbour’s driveway as the bus came driving slowly down the street.
She waved the bus over. “Who are you?” grunted Paul, the driver. Emma put her best boys voice on and replied, “Riley… I uh moved here a few days ago from the Coast.”
“Sit down,” Paul growled. “I don’t like city kids.” He slowly pulled up to Emma’s house.
“Where is Emma? She is always late!”
Mia remembered the plan. “Umm she left on a holiday to Fiji yesterday!”
“Oh, ok then,” he replied.
Emma whispered in Mia’s ear, “Good job.” But Mia still wasn’t sure about this plan.
After lunch Emma walked over to the soccer fields. She was nervous that someone might find out that she wasn’t ‘Riley.’ Emma could feel the eyes of the boys on her as she lined up for the game. The coach explained the rules and they were off.
Emma wanted to show off her skills. She played better than anyone else on the field. At the end of the game, coach handed out the team jerseys. Emma began to get nervous when all the shirts except one had been handed out. All this hard work and she might not even get in. Suddenly a shirt hit her in the chest. She was in!! She was so excited.
Then the coach said, “See boys, this is why we don’t have girls on the team. They couldn’t beat any of you, especially you Riley.” Emma felt anger boil up inside her. She ripped off her wig and said, “Well I am a girl and I was just called one of the best on the team.” The coach was as shocked and all of the boys were, too. The school would not have any girls left out on the football team again, everything had to be fair and Emma made that possible.