You want to take me to a movie?" I asked. "Well, not really," he said. "What I really want is for you to be my girlfriend. But I thought saying that might scare you off.

As I stepped out to face myself in the mirror, reaching a hand to smooth away the steam, I saw myself differently. It was as if I had grown again as I slept, but this time just to fit my own size. As if my soul had expanded, filling out the gaps of the height that had burdened me all these months. Like a balloon filling slowly with air, becoming all smooth and buoyant, I felt like I finally fit within myself, edge to edge, every crevice filled.

I used to worry I was entirely uninteresting, but the truth is I think if my life was more exciting I'd never have any time to write.

Like a blinking cursor on an empty page, it was just the first thing. The beginning of the beginning. But at least it was done.

Of course it hurts", she grumbled, tipping my head further back. "Life sucks. Get over it

closed my eyes and listened. It was like music I'd heard all my life, even more than "This Lullaby." All those keystrokes, all those letters, so many words. I brushed my fingers over the beads and watched as her image rippled, like it was on water, breaking apart gently and shimmering before becoming whole again.

Some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic.