in

er walking back

o my back. Of my cheeks aching from polite smiles.

g. Not rebelling. Just... quietly. Because loudness h

ds, the metal teeth catching on lace. I almost tore it. Almost let i

eatly. Like a

sted fall. I stared at the ceiling, eyes unfocuse

ockingly into the dark, mimicking Giovanni's v

hell wa

d I hated even more that when he finally did, it felt like being evaluated, no

anted to cry or scre

came at

e from the clip. My heart didn't ra

elf, suddenly feeling too b

ice came through, muff

dy kicked off her heels again, makeup slightly s

just got diagnose

s lik

for the clasp of my necklace. "You were incredible tonight. Controlled. Poi

to be incredib

kno

econd. "You saw the w

. "Like a busine

an the ot

"What ot

e hallway? Leather jacket. No smile. Looked like

tightene

"Hmm. He was watching

e me curled. Co

ok like?" I ask

. "Now you'

n't remember seeing

ace, but the scary kind. Like, I'd let hi

smi

stood there. Silent. Like he didn't belong, but didn't c

o

e

the window. "Want to snea

ked. "

serotonin. And possibly a shovel to

ped me. The first

aid. "If my pa

ake the

you w

cousin. They expect

sita

e been acting like a ghost for weeks

to. God

d. Afraid of what wa

n small doses, would remind

me," I w

"Alright. But if you start writing poetry and w

and a flip of her hair, and

ce she was gone. Like i

e window. Part

Black. Polished. Expensive. I couldn't tell if anyo

someon

hought I saw someone standing

walking. Just

inked, the sp

urtain and s

something-or someone-was out there. Watch

sy now, pins sliding loose, strands sticking to the gloss still clinging to my mouth. I looked... used. Not in a sex

hair. Rubbed the liner from beneath

k like anyone else's

toni

ld, worn, pages soft with ink and secrets. I flipped past doodles and half-fini

I wr

ho I am when no

want to be the girl

rlined them. Then closed th

k down again. But I couldn't stop

ing you. The

that detail was stuck in my head like a splinter. Not just because someone

rrified me more t

n't prepared

Distant. Maybe the sound of

side and pulled t

ng, rewinding-like

nni's

's war

er's co

By the tre

ilence throu

e small, that now... I didn't know what to do wit

n my throat bu

very other feeling I w

me under was the taste of salt on my lips. I wasn't sur