Ellen Double Prime

"I stopped being me at approximately 4:30 PM today. The words of a crazy person. That's me, Ellen Wright. So crazy, so suddenly, that on my way out of Ye Goode Drop after my Saturday study session, I waved goodbye to Kenzie and turned to find myself—my long-fingered hands, my tanned arms—carrying a heavy tray loaded with dirty dishes. In a crowded, noisy hole-in-the-wall diner. In a long apron, in someone else's too-big shirt that smelled like grease. With someone else's Oh My God Someone else's swollen belly straining against the fabric of my—no, her—shirt, apron, elastic pants. It only got worse from there." This sharp and poignant YA short story offers a fresh new lens on the familiar "wish" theme, exploring ideas of privilege, empathy, and what it means to do the right thing. "[Ellen Double Prime] shows the title character working in a diner, pregnant and hating the job. Thing is, this is all a surprise to her: Ellen was a rich girl in prep school, and certainly not pregnant...as she finds out more about her new past, she begins to question her own beliefs and assumptions. A strong and powerful story."—*Tangent Magazine On Tangent Online's Recommended Reading List for 2018*