Sophie Labelle - Ciel in All Directions

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Ciel in all directions / Sophie Labelle ; translated by Andrea Zanin.

Other titles: Ciel. Dans toutes les directions. English

Names: Labelle, Sophie, 1988- author. | Zanin, Andrea, translator.

Description: Translation of: Ciel. Dans toutes les directions

Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20210140577 | Canadiana (ebook) 20210140585

| ISBN 9781772602036 (softcover) | ISBN 9781772602043 (EPUB)

Classification: LCC PS8623.A23235 C54313 2021 | DDC jC843/.6dc23

English translation 2021 by Andrea Zanin

Ciel (vol. 2) Dans toutes directions, par Sophie Labelle

Copyright 2019, Editions Hurtubise inc.

Published with permission of Editions Hurtubise, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

Cover illustration by Sophie Labelle

All emojis designed by OpenMojithe open-source emoji and icon project. License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Printed and bound in Canada

Second Story Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund.

Published by

Second Story Press

20 Maud Street, Suite 401

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

M5V 2M5

www.secondstorypress.ca

My Gang of Devils

Wow, your hair is way cool, Ciel!

I smile at Frank before sitting at the desk just behind his. Im flattered he noticed my new haircut, even though it wasnt hard to notice, considering the change is pretty drastic. Id gotten tired of my blunt cut; it was too sensible for my liking. Id been thinking about it for a few days, and last night, I finally went to the hairdresser. I asked him to shave the sides and keep a good length on top and for my bangs. Because I was feeling daring, I also got him to dye my light brown hair to a blonde so pale its almost white. I like the contrast with the very classic black blouse Im wearing today!

The bell rings, and the classroom noise level drops. Nathaniel Brazeau, our science and technology teacher, takes his place in front of us with a pile of documents.

All right, you gang of devils, were starting, so I dont want to see a single one of you on your phone! As I announced last class, this morning youre going to start your personal projects for the fall.

Mr. Brazeau (thats what we have to call him, even if it makes him seem older) has a pretty unusual style thats different from the other adults at my high school: he has shoulder-length black hair, he only wears band T-shirts for punk music groups from the early 2000s, and he starts every class with a heartfelt all right, my gang of devils. Rumor has it that hes a guitarist in his spare time and that he spent last summer on tour with his band all over Qubec. Hes not my kind of guy, I have to say. Hes very cool and he gives off good energy, but I find him a little too keyed-up. Anyway, most of the girls and some of the guys look at him with stars in their eyes. Like Stephie, my best friend (and Franks girlfriend!), who doesnt have him as a teacher but insists on walking me to class every time I have a period with him just so she can look at him from the hallway. Shes terrible.

It bothers me a bit that were not always together in all our classes like we were in elementary school. She and I have been friends since fourth grade. Stephies a real go-getter, the kind whos not afraid to raise her hand and who likes to get into arguments with teachers. As for me, just the idea of speaking up in class makes me break out in a cold sweat. Thats why people are often surprised to learn I have a YouTube channel where I post little funny videos. But talking in front of Virgil, my little brother (who acts as my cameraman), is a very different thing from talking in front of a bunch of first-year high school students.

It would be easy to simplify the story of my friendship with Stephie by saying were both transgender. Of course that brings us closer, the fact that the doctors and our parents made a mistake about our genders at birth, and proclaimed us both boys without asking our opinion, so we both had to convince everyone that wasnt the case. However, unlike Stephie, Im not exactly a girl. Im not exactly a boy, either. Instead, I consider myself between the two. I use the pronoun they. It can be a little confusing for people. In the hallway this morning, someone wanted to know what I was again. So I answered in a hollow voice: I am your worst nightmare.

And I think that pretty much sums up the situation. I have to say, it also makes things complicated at school. When I started high school, the teachers only had my birth name on their official lists, Alessandro Sousa. Because I wasnt comfortable being called that, I screwed up my courage and asked them to change it to Alessandra. Thats the compromise I found. But I prefer when people call me Ciel; thats my online handle, and its what the people I trust call me.

My gaze falls on Frank, whos listening to our teacher attentively. Were not the best of friends, but hes the person I know best in this class, since he went to the same elementary school as me and Stephie. Sometimes I cant stand him, especially when he starts talking about soccer, but I know hes a good guy at heart. The seat next to him is always saved for Viktor, his best friend. I keep a safe distance from Viktor to avoid having to listen to his terrible jokes during class. Viktors not mean, its just that I can only roll my eyes so far back in their sockets.

As he keeps talking, Mr. Brazeau starts handing out his sheets to the front row of students, who each keep one and pass the rest of the pile back.

This handout tells you the steps you need to follow to create your personal project. Take good care of it, like its the apple of your eye. A baby seal will go blind every time one of you loses your copy of this. Imagine a baby seal never being able to see its parents again. Surely you dont want that to happen?

A few of Mr. Brazeaus fans burst out laughing.

Overall, your goal for the next three weekswhich takes us to October 18will be to choose a skill you havent mastered yet, and do the necessary research so that you can apply it. Id advise you to keep it simple. I dont want you to learn how to shoot a rocket into space or create your own nuclear power plant. Think about something that interests you and that you can then share with the class, like the basics of coding, making your own soap, or even sewing.

I hear Viktor laugh at the idea of learning how to sew. I sigh, feeling discouraged.