When Women Were Dragons

Alex remembers Sonja’s house fondly, recounting the silence around Sonja’s missing parents despite one picture that shows “[h]er mother’s gaze tilted skyward, a look of longing on her face” (109). At school, Alex gets in trouble with the nuns and her principal because of her academic performance, as well as the drawings she has made of Sonja. Her performance at school is a source of consternation not because she is doing poorly but because she is outperforming every other student in class despite her habit of not paying attention. She isn’t paying attention in class because she is drawing Sonja, and without understanding the need to do so, she apologizes to the principal and the nun. At home, her mother attempts to tell her to stay out of trouble, and Mr. Green finds out about the drawings because Mr. Alphonse, the principal, discloses them. One day, when Alex is playing with Sonja by jumping into piles of leaves, they come close enough to kiss, but before they can, Alex’s father pulls Sonja out from the pile of leaves and sends her home. The two girls are never allowed to see each other again, and Alex doesn’t understand why.