No. It's actually not okay. And I hate when people say that, when they say it's okay even though it's not. It's better to tell the truth.

Such a bad mistake it would be, to embark on marriage and adult life without a nice supply of duct tape.

But I know that I'm not who I was supposed to be. Who I could have been. And I know it's because I was too afraid for too long.

MATTHEW'S RULES OF SURVIVAL 1. Sometimes, the people who mean you harm are the ones who say they love you. 2. Fear is your friend. When you feel it, act. 3. Protect the little ones. 4. If you coped before, you can cope now. 5. Always remember: In the end, the survivor gets to tell the story.

From all of us Scarborough girls, greetings and thanks. This task required two, working together, trusting each other. It required the "us," not the "I." For that is true love, is it not?

You can be special without being extraordinary.

It was any outcast's nightmare. If I looked carefully, I suspected I might find it beneath the black paint of the small acrylic by the window.