Ironic, huh? To keep that part of me alive, I have to be close to that which kills it.

My imprint is there for the world to see. I don't try to hide it with my hair or a high collar. When I got ready for school this morning, I kept thinking of Sean. How proud he appears. Unapologetic. And I want to be like that. I don't want to look cowed or ashamed. I may not want to be this, but I don't want to be that girl, either. I don't want to be afraid.

Because I know what it feels like to be used, valued only for what you can do... not who you are, not who you want to be.

See you soon (but not soon enough).

He stares at me so darkly, so hungily that I can only nod. Agree. Of course, I feel it. "I do", I admit.

Never forget that we are more than the genetic code. We can be more than labels applied to us. We can be more than what others whisper behind our backs. Free will exists. We need to choose to be the best we can be and we need to help others do the same. Believe in yourself.

Ironic, huh? To keep that part of me alive, I have to be close to that which kills it.