She still had some trouble with left and right and there was nothing that could keep her inside on a rainy day.
Even on her worst days, she smiled that warm, honest smile; you know the one, it makes boys weak. She stayed in the tub until her toes pruned. She made a bowl of cereal every Saturday before sitting down for cartoons - her favourites would always be Pokémon and Cinnamon Toast Crunch – but she wasn't a kid anymore, so she couldn't actually eat the cereal. Plus she had to play old tapes, because she didn't know any of the Pokémon by name now. It made her too sad to lose things, so she held on. Always for too long, and much too tight. But she...
She was a girl who pretended she could do lots of things. She grew up being told she could be anything she wanted; she’d never admit it if she couldn't. She was stubborn like that.
Those were the things she wanted him to notice. They were the things she thought should matter and because he was different, she thought he would be different about this too. But he noticed what all the boys noticed: her chest always entered a room a full three seconds before she did, she had an oral fixation and fidgety hands. Her hair was always suggestively astray and she never got her panties in a bunch, because she wouldn't wear them in the first place.
She knew she was crazy; he wasn't there when she needed him to be and she was always there but he needed nothing.
Even on her worst days, she smiled that warm, honest smile; you know the one, it makes boys weak. She stayed in the tub until her toes pruned. She made a bowl of cereal every Saturday before sitting down for cartoons - her favourites would always be Pokémon and Cinnamon Toast Crunch – but she wasn't a kid anymore, so she couldn't actually eat the cereal. Plus she had to play old tapes, because she didn't know any of the Pokémon by name now. It made her too sad to lose things, so she held on. Always for too long, and much too tight. But she...
She was a girl who pretended she could do lots of things. She grew up being told she could be anything she wanted; she’d never admit it if she couldn't. She was stubborn like that.
Those were the things she wanted him to notice. They were the things she thought should matter and because he was different, she thought he would be different about this too. But he noticed what all the boys noticed: her chest always entered a room a full three seconds before she did, she had an oral fixation and fidgety hands. Her hair was always suggestively astray and she never got her panties in a bunch, because she wouldn't wear them in the first place.
She knew she was crazy; he wasn't there when she needed him to be and she was always there but he needed nothing.
