One (Sarah Crossan)

Uniform

Unlike Dragon’s school

where they can wear what they like,

Hornbeacon expects all students to wear

uniforms—

bright white shirts, stripy green ties,

a plaid skirt

with pleats down the front.

The idea

is to make everyone look the same.

I know that.

But it doesn’t matter how we dress.

We will always

stand out,

and trying to look like everyone else is stupid.

‘It isn’t too late to back out,’ Tippi says.

‘But we agreed to go,’ I reply,

and Tippi clicks her tongue.

‘I was forced into saying yes.

You think I want this?’ she asks.

She tugs at the tie knotted around her neck,

pulling it up

and into a noose.

I reach for the skirt and step in.

Tippi doesn’t resist

but pulls it into place.

‘I feel so ugly,’ Tippi says.

She laces her fingers through my hair and

separates it into three thick strands

which she plaits and unplaits.

‘You’re not ugly.

You look like me,’ I say, smirking,

and squeeze her hand

tight.