The first sentence of the truth is always the hardest. Each of us had a first sentence, and most of us found the strength to say it out loud to someone who deserved to hear it. What we hoped, and what we found, was that the second sentence of the truth is always easier than the first, and the third sentence is even easier than that. Suddenly you are speaking the truth in paragraphs, in pages. The fear, the nervousness, is still there, but it is joined by a new confidence. All along, you've used the first sentence as a lock. But now you find that it's the key.

This is as much a part of my story as anything else. Friendship is love as much as any romance.

Told her she was beautiful. Didn't give up when she didn't believe me.

Hello, my name is ees Lebkuchen Spice, and I vant to show you my coooooookies.

I have taken advantage of other people's weaknesses in order to cover my own.

It was so much easier when I didn't want anything. Not getting what you want can make you cruel.

There was a pause. I was still scared by every gap in our conversation, fearing that this was it, the point where we had nothing left to say. I was still trying to impress you, and I still wanted to be impressed by you, so I could pass along pieces of your impressiveness to my friends, convincing myself this was possible.