Read an original story about not fitting in, then explore narrative perspective, stylistic devices and narrative tenses — in the spirit of novels like Schooled and Hairstyles of the Damned.
Read the story carefully, then answer the comprehension questions below. Some questions ask about what happens, others about how the story is told.
My combat boots squeaked against the gym floor as I walked past the cheerleaders’ table, trying to look like I didn’t care. I did care, though — more than I would ever admit. Six months ago, back at my old school, nobody had looked twice at my ripped fishnets or the safety pins holding my jacket together. Here, in this glossy new building with its polished trophies and matching backpacks, I felt about as welcome as a wolf at a birthday party.
I remembered the day my mum told me we were moving. I had sat on my bed for an hour afterwards, staring at the poster of my favourite band, wondering if I would ever find people like me again. That memory still stung whenever I walked these corridors alone.
A boy with green hair and a battered skateboard under his arm caught my eye across the cafeteria. He didn’t fit the school’s uniform of pastel hoodies either. Something told me our paths were about to cross — and that this ordinary Tuesday was going to change everything.
I took a breath, gripped my lunch tray, and walked towards his table. Whatever happened next, I was done pretending to be someone I wasn’t.
1 What point of view is this story told from?
2 Why did the narrator feel unwelcome at the new school?
3 “I felt about as welcome as a wolf at a birthday party” is an example of which stylistic device?
4 The paragraph about the day her mum announced the move is best described as a .
5 “Something told me our paths were about to cross — and that this ordinary Tuesday was going to change everything” is an example of .
6 What made the boy with green hair stand out in the cafeteria?
Read each short excerpt and identify either its narrative perspective (first person / third person) or the stylistic device it uses.
1 “I could feel my hands shaking as I opened the letter.” This is an example of .
2 “She didn’t say anything, but her eyes told him everything.” This is an example of .
3 “My legs felt like jelly as I walked onto the stage.” This is an example of .
4 “Three years before that night, I had promised myself I would never go back.” This is an example of .
5 “If only she had known what waited for her at the end of that corridor.” This is an example of .
6 “The corridor smelled of stale coffee and old paper, and the fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.” This is an example of .
7 “We walked home together, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said.” This is an example of .
8 “He turned the corner and found himself face to face with his brother.” This is an example of .
Stories usually mix three past tenses. Choose the correct form for each gap in this short scene.
1 It all week, so the skate park completely empty when I finally worked up the courage to go.
3 I skating before, and I definitely anyone to notice me standing awkwardly by the fence.
5 While I a group of older kids doing tricks, someone me on the shoulder.
7 It was Kai, the boy with green hair from the cafeteria. He me from school, even though we to each other before.
Choose one of the two writing tasks below. Write 6–8 sentences (about 60–100 words).
Option 1 — Continue the story. Write what happens next in Not Like the Others, starting from the moment the narrator walks towards Kai’s table. Keep the first-person perspective.
Option 2 — Write your own scene. Write a short scene (from a novel about teenage life, in the style of Schooled or Hairstyles of the Damned) about a teenager who feels like an outsider. Choose either first person or third person and stay consistent.
Whichever option you choose, try to include:
• At least two different past tenses (simple past, past continuous, past perfect)
• At least one stylistic device — a simile, some imagery, a flashback or a moment of foreshadowing
• A clear, consistent narrative perspective throughout
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