Flying Lessons & Other Stories

Samantha, the protagonist who prefers to go by the name Sam (although Sam’s gender is never explicitly stated, details suggest that they are assigned female at birth; however, due to the lack of gender specifics, this guide will refer to Sam using they/them pronouns), reveals that choosing names stresses them out. This is evident in the opening scene when their class is selecting elf names for the Secret Santa gift exchange. Under pressure from the teacher, Miss Lee, Sam chooses “Sparkles” instead of the one they truly want, “Flame.” A few boys crack jokes about the name, just like they did last year when Sam cut their hair short, and everyone called them “Sam the Man.”

As the class picks names from a hat, the principal arrives with a new student. Unlike the rest of the class, the new girl is not wearing a uniform and has on military boots with her fingernails painted alternately black and white. She announces that she is from California, and the principal says her name, but Sam does not hear it because they are wondering about painting their own nails black. Once the principal