our bodies, ourselves

My hand is getting tired,? Jenny complained to Elise after she?d painted Elise?s head and neck. ?I?ll do the rest tomorrow.? ?Let?s see,? Elise said, sitting up. Her chest was so small Jenny couldn?t help but stare at it. Her breasts were like the little new potatoes her dad had grown when they?d rented a house in Pennsylvania one summer. Small, hard, and beigey pink. ?It looks good,? Elise said, squinting¹ at the canvas. ?But how come you made my face green?? Jenny hated when people asked her questions about her art. She didn?t know why she did what she did, she just did it. And her dad always said, ?The artist doesn?t have to answer to anyone but himself.? Orher self, in her case. ?Because I was in a green mood,? she answered, annoyed. ?Well, green is my favorite color,? Elise responded happily. She pulled on her turtleneck and underwear but left her jeans and bra on the floor. ?Oh my God. I have that book, too!? she squealed², pointing at a thick, heavy paperback³ on the bookshelf behind the TV. She walked over to the shelf and pulled the book out. ?But yours is so new. Don?t you ever read it?? Jenny bit off the top of an Oreo and read the title on the spine⁴ of book.The New This Is My Body for Women. ?My dad bought me that last year. I think he probably thought that if I read it, he wouldn?t have to explain anything to me about sex?I could just look up the embarrassing stuff.? ?But have you ever actually looked at it? Some of it is reallygraphic .? Jenny had no idea. She?d immediately shelved the book behind the TV along with the other random⁶ books her father had given her that she never intended to read, likeBreathing Room: A Buddhist⁷?s Guide to Living Creatively, Mao?s Secret Seven: The Women Behind Chairman Mao, andFinding the Dragon Within:What Is Your Art? ?Like, graphic⁵ in what way?? Jenny asked, intrigued⁸. Elise carried the book over to the worn leather sofa and sat down, crossing her long bare legs dramatically. ?I?ll show you.? She opened the book and Jenny sat down next to her and leaned in close to see. The first thing Elise turned to was a detailed⁹ diagram of a woman on her hands and knees bent¹⁰ over a man lying on his back. The book had been written in the nineteen-seventies and the text had since been updated, but the diagrams hadn?t. The man had hair down to his shoulders, a full beard, and was wearing beads¹¹. His penis was sticking straight up and it appeared to be in the woman?s mouth. The two girls erupted into giggles¹².
 Ew! ?I told you,? said Elise, pleased with herself for opening right up to such a gem¹³. ?I can?t believe I never saw any of this,? Jenny exclaimed. She grabbed the book away from Elise and rifled through the pages. ?Oh my God!? she gasped¹⁴ when she saw a diagram of the same couple in another position. The woman still had the long-haired guy?s penis in her mouth, except this time she was lying alongside him with her feet up around his head and her legs splayed so that he could do the same thing toher . Jenny didn?t even know the name forthat . ?I thought this was just a boring book about getting your period and all that stuff. But this is, like, a realsex book forwomen .? ?I think there?s a teen one, too, that?s totally boring, but my mom got me this one by mistake. I couldn?t believe it when I started reading it!? The two girls pored over the pages until they stumbled upon a section called Same-Sex Relationships. ?Like Ms. Crumb,? Jenny observed, reading. The introduction was long and started with the line, ?Your feelings are genuine and not to be ignored. . . .? Outside she could hear the grating sound of a snowplow driving by. She looked up to watch the snow falling steadily¹⁵ through the grimy living room window. ?Hey. You want to try it?? Elise asked. Jenny turned back to the book. ?What?? ?Kissing,? Elise answered in barely a whisper. Your feelings are genuine and not to be ignored. Yes, but Jenny didn?t really have any feelings for Elise. She liked her and everything but she wasn?tattracted to her. Still, kissing a girl sounded exciting. It was something she?d never done before, and if it felt uncomfortable, she could always pretend to be kissing that tall blond boy she?d spotted¹⁶ in Bendel?s. She closed the book and folded her hands in her lap. Her face was only inches away from Elise?s. ?Okay, let?s do it.? It was just an experiment, something new to try on a boring, snowy night. Elise leaned forward and put her hand on Jenny?s arm. Then she closed her eyes and Jenny closed hers, too. Elise pressed her lips against Jenny?s tightly clenched¹⁷ mouth. It wasn?t a kiss exactly?it was toodry . It felt more like a nudge or something. Elise pulled her head back and both girls opened their eyes. ?It says in the book to relax and enjoy yourself, especially when it?s your first time.? What, had she, like, memorized the book? Jenny pulled her curly brown hair up on top of her head and blew a big breath out through her nose. She didn?t know what she was so nervous about, but she would have preferred it if Elise had still been wearing her pants. ?Do you mind putting your jeans back on?? she asked. ?I think I could, you know, relax more if you were like, dressed.? Elise hopped¹⁸ up and scooted into her jeans. ?There, is that better?? she asked, leaving them unbuttoned as she sat down on the sofa again. ?Okay. Let?s try it again,? Jenny replied, revving¹⁹ herself up. She closed her eyes and slid her hands under Elise?s hair and around her neck, trying to be less of a prude about the whole thing. After all, she was an artist, and artists did all sorts of crazy things.

1 squinting   

斜视( squint的现在分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看

参考例句：

• "More company," he said, squinting in the sun. "那边来人了，"他在阳光中眨巴着眼睛说。
• Squinting against the morning sun, Faulcon examined the boy carefully. 对着早晨的太阳斜起眼睛，富尔康仔细地打量着那个年轻人。

2 squealed   

v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 paperback   

n.平装本，简装本

参考例句：

• A paperback edition is now available at bookshops.平装本现在在书店可以买到。
• Many books that are out of print are reissued in paperback form.许多绝版的书籍又以平装本形式重新出现。

4 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

5 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

6 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

7 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

8 intrigued   

adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
• He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

9 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

10 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

11 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

12 giggles   

n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 )；傻笑；玩笑；the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Her nervous giggles annoyed me. 她神经质的傻笑把我惹火了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I had to rush to the loo to avoid an attack of hysterical giggles. 我不得不冲向卫生间，以免遭到别人的疯狂嘲笑。 来自辞典例句

13 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

14 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

16 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

17 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

19 revving   

v.（使）加速( rev的现在分词 )；（数量、活动等）激增；（使发动机）快速旋转；（使）活跃起来

参考例句：

• The team are revving up for next week's game. 这个队伍对下周的比赛跃跃欲试。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Since the introduction of new techniques, the production has been revving up. 自从新技术的引进，产量一直都在增加。 来自互联网