I am here because of love.

Because it is senior year I have begun to see things as potential absences. The things I love will become the things I'll miss.

Part of growing up is making sure your sense of reality isn't entirely grounded in your own mind.

I love you,” she says. “I love you,” I say. And then we hang up, because nothing else needs to be said after that. I want to give Zara her life back. Even if I feel I deserve something like this, I don’t deserve it at her expense.

The important thing is for the characters to feel real, and to be given the humanity they are due. That granting of humanity is what separates a full portrait from a stereotype.

It was a laugh that came from the tip of his toes, gaining force and soul as it traveled through his body and out into the world in mirthful bursts. There wasn't anything fake about it; it was an amusement park of a laugh, and when it appeared, you wanted to jump on board.

How sad it must be for you to be nothing more than a hollow statue, to have your tomb preserved and your story forgotten.